Itches like crazy: Meaning, Examples & Usage

Meaning 1：itch intensely (Itches like crazy)

Itches like crazy 🔊

/ɪtʃɪz laɪk ˈkreɪzi/

v. phrase

It means something is very, very itchy and makes you want to scratch it a lot.

Person scratching a mosquito bite on arm with frown

itch intensely 🔊

➕

/ɪtʃ ɪnˈtensli/

v. phrase

To experience an extremely strong and persistent itching sensation that compels frequent scratching.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

'Itch' from Old English 'giccan'; 'like crazy' is an intensifier meaning extreme.

💡 Mnemonic

Picture scratching furiously like a mad person—'crazy' captures the frantic urge.

📖 Example

After the mosquito bite, my ankle itches like crazy and I can't stop scratching it. 🔊 After the mosquito bite, my ankle itches like crazy and I can't stop scratching it.

🔗 Collocations

scalp itches like crazy – scalp itches like crazy

skin itches like crazy – skin itches like crazy

rash itches like crazy – rash itches like crazy

🔄 Synonyms

itch terribly (v. phrase) – To itch very badly, causing great discomfort.

be maddeningly itchy (v. phrase) – To itch in a way that drives one nearly crazy.

🚫 Antonyms

feel numb (v. phrase) – To have no sensation, the opposite of itching.

📖 Cultural Story

This vivid idiom emerged in 20th-century American English, often used in casual conversation to emphasize unbearable itching, like after bug bites or allergic reactions.