Inklingo

enloquecer

en-lo-keh-SEHR/enlo-keˈθer/

to go crazy, to drive crazy

Also: to madden
VerbB1irregular spelling change er
Spain
A colorful illustration of a person with wild, messy hair and wide eyes, surrounded by floating, colorful swirls.
gerundenloqueciendo
past Participleenloquecido
infinitiveenloquecer

📝 In Action

El ruido constante me va a enloquecer.

A2

The constant noise is going to drive me crazy.

Casi enloqueció cuando se enteró de la noticia.

B1

He almost went crazy when he found out the news.

Espero que no enloquezcas con tanto trabajo.

B2

I hope you don't go crazy with so much work.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • chiflar (to drive crazy (informal))
  • trastornar (to disturb/unsettle)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • enloquecer de remateto go completely insane
  • enloquecer de amorto be madly in love

Idioms & Expressions

  • enloquecer a alguienTo drive someone nuts/crazy

to be crazy about

Also: to love intensely
A joyful person hugging a giant, oversized strawberry with hearts floating around their head.

📝 In Action

A mi hermana le enloquece la comida italiana.

B1

My sister is crazy about Italian food.

Ese perfume me enloquece.

B2

That perfume drives me wild.

Le enloquecen los videojuegos antiguos.

B2

He is crazy about old video games.

Word Connections

Common Collocations

  • me enloqueceI love it / It drives me wild

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesenloquecieran
yoenloqueciera
enloquecieras
vosotrosenloquecierais
nosotrosenloqueciéramos
él/ella/ustedenloqueciera

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesenloquezcan
yoenloquezca
enloquezcas
vosotrosenloquezcáis
nosotrosenloquezcamos
él/ella/ustedenloquezca

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesenloquecieron
yoenloquecí
enloqueciste
vosotrosenloquecisteis
nosotrosenloquecimos
él/ella/ustedenloqueció

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesenloquecían
yoenloquecía
enloquecías
vosotrosenloquecíais
nosotrosenloquecíamos
él/ella/ustedenloquecía

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesenloquecen
yoenloquezco
enloqueces
vosotrosenloquecéis
nosotrosenloquecemos
él/ella/ustedenloquece

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "enloquecer" in Spanish:

to madden

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: enloquecer

Question 1 of 3

How do you say 'I go crazy' in Spanish?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology

From the Spanish prefix 'en-' (into/cause to be) + 'loco' (crazy) + the suffix '-ecer' (to become). The root 'loco' has debated origins, possibly from Arabic or older Iberian languages meaning 'foolish'.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: enlouquecer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is enloquecer only used for mental illness?

No, it's very commonly used figuratively to mean 'to be very annoyed' or 'to love something very much'.

When should I use 'enloquecerse' with the 'se'?

You use 'enloquecerse' when someone is becoming crazy naturally or automatically. 'Enloquecer' is used more often when something specific is driving them to that state.

Is it a common word in daily Spanish?

Yes, especially in the context of driving someone crazy ('¡Me vas a enloquecer!') or loving something ('Me enloquece tu vestido').