maniacal

American  

[muh-nahy-uh-kuhl] / məˈnaɪ ə kəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to mania or a maniac.

---

maniacal British  

/ məˈnaɪəkəl, ˈmeɪnɪæk /

adjective

1. affected with or characteristic of mania

2. characteristic of or befitting a maniac

   maniacal laughter

---

Other Word Forms

• maniacally adverb
• postmaniacal adjective
• premaniacal adjective
• submaniacal adjective
• unmaniacal adjective

Etymology

Origin of maniacal

First recorded in 1670–80; maniac + -al ¹

Explanation

This one's easy. If someone is maniacal then they're behaving like a maniac. Add an -ly to make it an adverb, and you get maniacally, as in "she's acting maniacally." The noun maniac is almost always used to describe people who do nutty things—serial killers, insane people on the street, crowds at soccer matches. But the adjective maniacal can be more loosely applied to situations, settings, animals, etc. You can use maniacal to describe almost anything that seems wildly crazy or dangerously out of kilter. I don't even remember what the Beatles played that first time on TV. It's the maniacal screaming from the fans that sticks in my head. No movie villain was ever as maniacal as Jason, in Friday the 13th.

Example Sentences

We should only expect more maniacal threats as time goes on.

From Slate • Apr. 11, 2026

If you’re reading this review of Gore Verbinski’s maniacal farce “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” in newsprint, congratulations on being a Luddite.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

O’Leary, who is maniacal about keeping costs down, didn’t want to add Starlink because of the fuel penalty.

From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026

This latest collection spans from mild to maniacal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

“You don’t get it!” he says, in that same whisper that’s almost maniacal.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Related Words

• delirious