manic
Americanadjective
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of manic
First recorded in 1900–05, manic is from the Greek word manikós inclined to madness. See mania, -ic
Explanation
Manic means frenzied. If you drink 18 cups of coffee in a single sitting and haven't slept for three days, chances are you're manic. If manic sounds like maniac to you, you're on the right track. Someone who is in a manic state is affected by mania. If you're manic you're in a wound-up, fast-acting, unhinged wild state. People with bi-polar disorder experience manic highs and terrible lows. Other things can be manic, too, like the pace of city life or the flabmoyant outfit you're wearing with seven different colors and eight different patterns.
Vocabulary lists containing manic
Wonder
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One of Us Is Lying
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Psychological Conditions and Disorders
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Formerly known as manic depression, bipolar is a mental health condition that causes extreme changes in mood.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
Brand says Pike had untreated manic episodes due to bipolar disorder and untreated PTSD.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
Moore begins with a whisper and builds to a roar as Mona improvises a manic rant that involves rats and the plague.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
Wall Street is betting on Fed Chair Kevin Warsh to keep a manic bond market from unraveling.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
There was a manic vibrancy about her, about the way she left for the refugee camp each day, about the exhaustion that shadowed her eyes when she returned in the evenings.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
