1. People who are insane or mentally ill; inmates of an asylum or madhouse.
Usage: archaic; often offensive; plural of bedlamite
2. People who behave in a wild, chaotic, or frenzied manner; those acting without reason or control.
Usage: informal; figurative

Examples

• The old hospital was once filled with bedlamites who received little care.
• The crowd of bedlamites rushed through the streets in complete disorder.
• He described the rioters as bedlamites, acting without any sense or reason.
• The asylum's bedlamites were often chained to prevent them from harming themselves.
• During the chaos, the bedlamites seemed to feed off each other's frenzy.
• The term 'bedlamites' reflects outdated and insensitive attitudes toward mental illness.