mania

¹

[mey-nee-uh, meyn-yuh]

noun

1. excessive excitement or enthusiasm; craze.

   The country has a mania for soccer.

2. Psychiatry.,  manic disorder.

Mania

²

[mey-nee-uh, meyn-yuh]

noun

1. an ancient Roman goddess of the dead.

-mania

³

1. a combining form of mania (megalomania ); extended to mean “enthusiasm, often of an extreme and transient nature,” for that specified by the initial element (bibliomania ).

mania

¹

/ ˈmeɪnɪə /

noun

1. a mental disorder characterized by great excitement and occasionally violent behaviour See also manic-depressive

2. an obsessional enthusiasm or partiality

   a mania for mushrooms

-mania

²

combining form

1. indicating extreme desire or pleasure of a specified kind or an abnormal excitement aroused by something

   kleptomania

   nymphomania

   pyromania

mania

1. Violent, abnormal, or impulsive behavior. In psychological terms, mania is wild activity associated with manic depression.

A “mania” in popular terms is an intense enthusiasm or craze.

Other Word Forms

• hypermania noun
• submania noun
• -maniac combining form

Word History and Origins

Origin of mania¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin, from Greek manía “madness”; akin to maenad, mind

Word History and Origins

Origin of mania¹

C14: via Late Latin from Greek: madness

Origin of mania²

from _mania

Example Sentences

“Nutrition isn’t rocket science; it’s harder,” Ms. Belluz and Mr. Hall note in a chapter that questions the mania for supplements, which are taken by about 60% of American adults.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Appeared in the September 11, 2025, print edition as 'Mining Deal Reflects Copper Mania'.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Equities are at record valuations, thanks to the artificial intelligence mania and expectations of higher corporate earnings after the recent tax bill.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

And they still look cheap—unlike many of the tech stocks that have gotten a boost due to AI mania.

Read more on Barron's

You have to look long and hard for stability and continuity in this era of transfer mania, but Beaumont football coach Jeff Steinberg is proud to point out that 26 of his 27 players in the starting rotation have been at Beaumont since their freshman seasons.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• craving 
• craze 
• craziness 
• enthusiasm 
• fad 
• fascination 
• frenzy 
• infatuation 
• lunacy 
• obsession 
• passion 
• rage 

When To Use

What does -mania mean?

The combining form -mania is used like a suffix meaning literally “mania,” often in the sense of "enthusiasm, often of an extreme or transient nature." It is often used in scientific and technical terms, especially in psychology.The form -mania comes from Greek manía, meaning “madness.” Latin has three translations for manía: dēmentia, furor, and rabiēs, all meaning “madness.” Find out more at our entries for dementia, furor, and rabies.