dement
Very Low (archaic/technical)Archaic, Literary, Technical (medical/historical contexts)
Definition
Meaning
To cause someone to become insane or mentally deranged.
To cause severe mental distress or confusion; to deprive of reason or judgment.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used as a verb. Most common in historical or literary contexts. In modern medical English, it has been largely superseded by terms like 'cause dementia' or 'drive insane'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Extremely rare in both varieties; no significant systematic differences.
Connotations
Strongly archaic, possibly with a poetic or dramatic tone. May sound deliberately old-fashioned.
Frequency
Near-zero in contemporary corpora for both. Slightly more attested in historical British texts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] dement [Object] (transitive)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None in common use”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used.
Academic
Rare, found in historical or literary analysis.
Everyday
Not used.
Technical
Possible in historical medical texts discussing causes of insanity.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The constant shelling during the siege threatened to dement the remaining civilians.
- She feared the family curse would dement her as it had her uncle.
American English
- The historian wrote that such isolation could dement even the strongest mind.
- The legal pressure was designed to dement the witness.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable.
American English
- Not applicable.
adjective
British English
- Not standard. Use 'demented'.
American English
- Not standard. Use 'demented'.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- (Not typically taught at this level)
- (Not typically taught at this level)
- The old tale suggested that the magical mirror could dement anyone who gazed into it.
- Prolonged fever was once thought to dement the patient.
- The psychological torture techniques were calculated to disorient and ultimately dement the prisoner.
- Critics argued that the protagonist's obsession would dement him, which it ultimately did in the final act.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'DE-prive of MENT-al faculty' = DEMENT.
Conceptual Metaphor
INSANITY IS A FORCE APPLIED TO THE MIND (e.g., 'grief demented him').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with Russian 'демент' (a person with dementia). The English 'dement' is a verb, not a noun for a person.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a noun (like 'a dement').
- Using it in modern, casual contexts where it sounds unnatural.
Practice
Quiz
In which context might the verb 'dement' be most appropriately used today?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is very rare and considered archaic. The adjective 'demented' is more common.
No, in standard English, 'dement' is a verb. The noun forms are 'dementia' or the archaic 'dementation'.
'Dement' is a verb meaning 'to make insane'. 'Dementia' is a noun referring to a medical condition involving a decline in mental ability.
Only if you are aiming for a specific archaic, literary, or historical tone. In most modern contexts, phrases like 'drive mad' or 'cause dementia' are more appropriate.
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