maniacally

[muh-nahy-uh-klee]

adverb

1. in a way that is reminiscent of a violently insane person.

   A touch on the shoulder would likely be received differently from a smiling person than from a person who is laughing maniacally.

2. in an overzealous or excessively enthusiastic way; fanatically.

   Far from being the maniacally focused, late-night or early-morning types, truly creative innovators and problem solvers have a rich life outside of work.

3. in a way that is related to or typical of manic disorder.

   I can tell I'm maniacally spending if I stop and pay attention to how many purchases I have to return.

Other Word Forms

• submaniacally adverb
• unmaniacally adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of maniacally¹

maniacal ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

The firm describes Oracle as an “AI juggernaut for the information age” that is “maniacally focused on database innovation.”

Read more on Barron's

Game 3 was a one-sided clunker, but Game 1, Game 2 and Game 4 all went to sudden-death OT —hockey’s equivalent of dangling you over a bridge by your shoelaces while laughing maniacally.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

On Aug. 14, according to police reports, Chapman found Sindle maniacally chopping up a piece of binder paper with scissors.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But now and then, one of those demons sneaks into the outside world, plants a red flag and screams out maniacally, “Dwaaaagaahaha!”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Over the weekend, Musk leapt maniacally behind Trump at a Pennsylvania rally.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• madly 
• wildly www.thesaurus.com