maniac

[ mey-nee-ak ]

/ ˈmeɪ niˌæk /

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.

Words nearby maniac

manhood suffrage, manhunt, mani, mani-pedi, mania, maniac, maniacal, manic, manic depression, manic disorder, manic-depressive

Origin of maniac

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for maniac

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
The maniac suspects then killed another person in a Walmart, and then themselves.
From Las Vegas to Georgia, the NRA Has Created a Monster|Cliff Schecter|June 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
My son and I were sitting there when he was driving away at the end like a maniac.
How I Write: Tracy Chevalier|Noah Charney|November 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST

They crave the spectacular drama of innocent death, and their evil calls to mind names like madman, maniac, fanatic, and monster.
The Army Life, Mundane and Hideously Violent, by Turns|Brian Van Reet|August 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Whirling it like a feather round his head, the maniac rushed on.
The Madman and the Pirate|R.M. Ballantyne
In height and weight we were equally matched; but his maniac strength was superhuman.
The Fortunes of Hector O'Halloran, And His Man Mark Antony O'Toole|W. H. Maxwell
He took his cap off his head waved it in a sort of triumph, and began to dance like a maniac in his chains.
The Chronicles of Crime or The New Newgate Calendar. v. 2/2|Camden Pelham
She really hoped they would be, for the thought of staying through that stormy night with a maniac was not a very pleasant one.
Zula|H. Esselstyn Lindley
Of course, you know a maniac is stronger than three ordinary men?
The Secret Glory|Arthur Machen

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

Medical definitions for maniac

maniac

[ mā′nē-ăk′ ]

n.

An insane person.

maniac

noun

adjective

Content related to maniac

Words related to maniac

Words nearby maniac

Origin of maniac

Examples from the Web for maniac

British Dictionary definitions for maniac

noun

Word Origin for maniac

Medical definitions for maniac

n.