manic-depressive

American  

[man-ik-di-pres-iv] / ˈmæn ɪk dɪˈprɛs ɪv /

adjective

1. having or experiencing bipolar disorder.

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noun

1. a person with this disorder.

manic-depressive British  

adjective

1. denoting a mental disorder characterized either by an alternation between extreme euphoria and deep depression (bipolar manic-depressive disorder or syndrome) or by depression on its own or (rarely) by elation on its own (unipolar disorder)

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noun

1. a person afflicted with this disorder Compare cyclothymia

Etymology

Origin of manic-depressive

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Much has changed since Tiberius and John Law and Jefferson Davis, but not the manic-depressive nature of speculative markets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

I know only that my mother, while still in fourth grade, watched Tomoyo go through a manic-depressive episode.

From Seattle Times • May 14, 2023

Iris, stately in her silk trousers and Nehru jacket, introducing herself in the group meetings as “a manic-depressive of 27 years’ standing.”

From New York Times • Jan. 6, 2021

Also important: This way he doesn’t see me cowering in the corner, ashamed of who and what I am: a manic-depressive, perimenopausal woman.

From Slate • Aug. 4, 2020

Acquaintances remember him as a socially awkward man-child with an outrageous sense of humor and a squirrelly, almost manic-depressive personality.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

Related Words

• demented
• insane
• mad
• unhinged