pyromaniac

American  

[pahy-ruh-mey-nee-ak] / ˌpaɪ rəˈmeɪ niˌæk /

noun

1. someone with a compulsion to set things on fire.

   One theory is that pyromaniacs simply love fires and the damage they cause, and so they start them.

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Other Word Forms

• pyromaniacal
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of pyromaniac

pyromani(a) ( def. ) + -ac ( def. )

Explanation

Someone who loves to set fires — and, for whatever reason, can't stop setting them — is a pyromaniac. Maniac is a word attached to many words for mental illness, but this has to be one of the most scary. A pyromaniac has a frequent, powerful desire to set fires. This is different from an arsonist, who sets fires for money. Pyromaniacs just set fires because they want to and feel a compulsion to. Pyromania is a sickness. A pyromaniac could also be someone who loves watching fires.