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• mania
  mania

  noun

  excessive excitement or enthusiasm; craze.
• Mania
  Mania

  noun

  an ancient Roman goddess of the dead.
• -mania
  -mania

  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 American  

[mey-nee-uh, meyn-yuh] / ˈmeɪ ni ə, ˈmeɪn yə /

noun

1. excessive excitement or enthusiasm; craze.

   The country has a mania for soccer.

2. Psychiatry. manic disorder.

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Mania ² American  

[mey-nee-uh, meyn-yuh] / ˈmeɪ ni ə, ˈmeɪn yə /

noun

1. an ancient Roman goddess of the dead.

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-mania ³ American  

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 ).

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mania ¹ British  

/ 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

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-mania ² British  

combining form

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

   kleptomania

   nymphomania

   pyromania

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mania Cultural  

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

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Usage

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.

Discover More

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

Other Word Forms

• -maniac
  combining form
• hypermania
  noun
• submania
  noun

Etymology

Origin of mania

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

Explanation

Mania is an extreme interest, desire, or craze. If you dye your dog's fur to match the colors of your favorite football team, you might be suffering from sportsmania. Mania has for centuries been associated with “madness” or “mental derangement.” It's still used in the mental health fields to mean the excitable, overactive phase of bipolar disorder or, as a suffix, to describe a compulsion, such as kleptomania (to steal) or pyromania (to set fires). More generally, it might be used as a suffix to describe enthusiasm, as in Beatlemania (The Beatles) or Pottermania (Harry Potter).

Example Sentences

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 10, 2025

After his U.S. tour, Sad Boyz Mania, which took place last summer and included two sold-out nights at L.A.’s BMO Stadium, Junior H received a second-line billing on this year’s Coachella’s Day 3 lineup.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2025

Attendees were also surprised by the developers of the 2017 hit, Sonic Mania, unexpectedly announcing their latest game.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2024

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner who spurred Messi Mania in the United States by joining MLS will now turn his attention to Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers against Brazil and Uruguay in November.

From Washington Times • Oct. 22, 2023

She enjoyed the WWF Wrestling Mania shows, where Hulk Hogan and Mr. Perfect, whose necks were wider than their heads, wore spangled Lycra leggings and beat each other up brutally.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

Related Words

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