maniac

[ mey-nee-ak ]

/ ˈmeɪ niˌæk /

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See synonyms for maniac on Thesaurus.com

noun

a raving or violently insane person; lunatic.

any intemperate or overly zealous or enthusiastic person: a maniac when it comes to details.

adjective

maniacal.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of maniac

First recorded in 1595–1605, maniac is from the Medieval Latin word maniacus of, pertaining to madness. See mania, -ac

Words nearby maniac

manhood suffrage, man-hour, manhunt, Mani, mania, maniac, maniacal, maniacally, manic, manic depression, manic-depressive

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use maniac in a sentence

He was hardly reassured when members of the university’s board of trustees, following a special executive meeting convened by the governor in March, described Wallace as “scared,” “crazy,” and acting “like a raving maniac.”
How Robert F. Kennedy Shaped His Brother's Response to Civil Rights|Patricia Sullivan|August 11, 2021|Time
It would almost be less disturbing if he was showing some kind of sign he was a homicidal maniac.
Exclusive: Inside a Cop-Killer’s Final Hours|Michael Daly|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Of course, Kim Jong-Un takes an image hit as a Katy Perry-obsessed, margarita-drinking maniac with daddy issues.
I Was Honeydicked Into Spending Christmas with ‘The Interview’|Allison McNearney|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For as much as Walter was a maniac, he was at the forefront of printing art.
Tim Burton Talks ‘Big Eyes,’ His Taste For the Macabre, and the ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel|Marlow Stern|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Tom Sizemore is, it seems, no longer a maniac—but he's convinced he can still play one onscreen.
Tom Sizemore’s Revenge: On Tom Cruise’s Scientology Recruitment, Drugs, and Craving a Comeback|Marlow Stern|September 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“It fell out of the window, I think,” says the little maniac.
American Dreams: A Best-Selling Pint-Sized Psychopath|Nathaniel Rich|June 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There, in the crush, he unceremoniously lost her, and sped like a maniac to the entrance gates.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
On each side of the driver of the galloping steeds stood a man, shouting like a maniac of the boatswain type.
The Garret and the Garden|R.M. Ballantyne
We do not blame the maniac who burns a house down and brains a policeman, nor the mad dog who bites a minor poet.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
I regard Lucrezia Borgia as a homicidal maniac, and Torquemada as a religious maniac.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
But Lasseroe was a maniac now and he wanted to take the life away from the jewelry designer.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various

British Dictionary definitions for maniac

maniac

/ (ˈmeɪnɪˌæk) /

noun

a wild disorderly person

a person who has a great craving or enthusiasm for somethinga football maniac

psychiatry obsolete a person afflicted with mania

Word Origin for maniac

C17: from Late Latin maniacus belonging to madness, from Greek

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

maniac

Origin of maniac

Words nearby maniac

Words related to maniac

How to use maniac in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for maniac

Word Origin for maniac