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.
Manic Street Preachers and Catatonia were hitting heights while the Stereophonics had reached number one the previous weekend with Dakota.
From BBC • Mar. 19, 2025
Now the acclaimed photographer has revealed the inspiration behind the new Manic Street Preachers album cover.
From BBC • Feb. 14, 2025
Set in suburban Pittsburgh, the coming-of-age drama starred Claire Danes as Angela Chase, an angsty 15-year-old sophomore with a wardrobe of flannel and hair dyed a Manic Panic red.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2024
But, the DSM-IV stated, “such activities are usually organized, are not bizarre, and do not result in the level of impairment that is characteristic of a Manic Episode.”
From Slate • Sep. 29, 2024
A blond bobbed wig with severe bangs, a la early-eighties Debbie Harry, which Mom streaked with purple Manic Panic.
From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman
Definitions 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.
