adj
unhinged
uhn-HIHNJD
adj
1
Mentally unstable or out of control.
"His behaviour grew increasingly unhinged after the divorce."
"The internet reacted to the singer's unhinged rant online."
2
Literally removed from, or not fitted with, its hinges.
"The gate hung unhinged against the fence."
How to Use Unhinged
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWild, out-of-control, or mentally unstable — very commonly used online in a half-joking way about extreme behaviour.
When to use it
The figurative "unstable/wild" sense is now very common in informal and internet slang, often used humorously ("an unhinged meme").
Common pairings
go unhinged
unhinged behaviour
completely unhinged
Word Forms
more unhinged comparative, more unhinged comparative, most unhinged superlative, most unhinged superlative
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Etymology
From unhinge + -ed — literally "taken off its hinges," extended figuratively to mean mentally unstable.