A madwoman is a woman people call mad — in older English, that meant her mind was ill, or that she behaved in a wild way others could not understand. You meet the word in stories and plays more than in kind talk today: the madwoman in the attic is a famous picture in books, a woman hidden away.

A madwomanmadwoman is a woman people call mad是被叫做mad的女人 — in older English在較舊的英文裡, that meant her mind was ill意思是她心智生病了, or that she behaved in a wild way others could not understand或她的行為狂野到別人無法理解. You meet the word你會在 in stories and plays故事和戲劇裡遇到這個字 more than in kind talk today而不是在今天友善的對話裡: the madwoman in the atticthe madwoman in the attic（閣樓裡的瘋女人） is a famous picture in books是書裡一個有名的畫面, a woman hidden away一個被藏起來的女人.

Though actually, it is a hard, old-fashioned word. Doctors do not use it, and it can sound cruel.

Though actually不過事實上, it is a hard, old-fashioned word它是一個很硬、很老派的字. Doctors do not use it醫生不會用這個字, and it can sound cruel而且聽起來可能很殘忍.

In American English, mad often means angry; madwoman does not mean an angry woman. It keeps the older sense of out of her mind.

In American English在美式英文裡, mad often means angrymad常常是指「生氣」; madwoman does not meanmadwoman不是指 an angry woman一個生氣的女人. It keeps the older sense它保留的是舊的意思 of out of her mind「精神失常」.

If you need a careful word for illness of the mind, this is not it. The male pair is madman; both are built the same way.

If you need a careful word如果你需要一個講究的字 for illness of the mind來描述精神疾病, this is not it這個字不是那個選擇. The male pair男性對應的字 is madman是madman; both are built the same way兩個字的構造方式一樣.