Mad at means angry with someone: She's mad at me. It's informal and especially common in American English. In neutral speech and in essays, angry with or upset is better.
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be/get mad at + person; mad at + person + for + -ing
- My sister is still mad at me for forgetting her birthday last week.
- Don't get mad at the waiter — the kitchen made the mistake, not him.
- Are you mad at me? You haven't answered any of my messages today.
What changed
First versionAre you mad on me because I was late?
RevisionAre you mad at me because I was late?
On can seem to fit, but in English anger is aimed at someone, like at a target: mad at me. On isn't used with mad in this meaning.
Mad about + a person or hobby means something else: crazy about, in love with, especially in British English: He's mad about football; I'm mad about you. So mad at you means “I'm angry with you”, while mad about you is almost a declaration of love. But with a situation, mad about in American English again means angry about: She's mad about the delay.
Your turn
She hasn't spoken to me since I forgot about our dinner. She's really ___ me.
Show the answer
mad at — She hasn't spoken to me since the forgotten dinner, so she's angry, and the answer is mad at. Mad about me would mean she's crazy about me, which contradicts the situation.
Describe a time someone got mad at you. Say who it was and why.
My flatmate got mad at me for leaving dirty dishes in the sink for three days.
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