megalomania

American  

[meg-uh-loh-mey-nee-uh] / ˌmɛg ə loʊˈmeɪ ni ə /

noun

1. Psychiatry. a symptom of mental illness marked by delusions of greatness, wealth, etc.

2. an obsession with doing extravagant or grand things.

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megalomania British  

/ ˌmɛɡələʊməˈnaɪəkəl, ˌmɛɡələʊˈmeɪnɪə /

noun

1. a mental illness characterized by delusions of grandeur, power, wealth, etc

2. informal a lust or craving for power

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megalomania Cultural  

1. Delusions of grandeur; an extreme form of egotism. Adolf Hitler is generally considered to have been a megalomaniac.

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Other Word Forms

• megalomaniac adjective
• megalomaniacal adjective

Etymology

Origin of megalomania

First recorded in 1885–90; megalo- + -mania

Example Sentences

The story relates Laxman’s making as a demagogue, dwelling on the years in which he used his extended family as a kind of training ground for his megalomania.

From The Wall Street Journal

He “has mystical tendencies, no common sense, and a Wagnerian taste for heroics and death. He was born loaded with vanities and has developed megalomania as his final decoration.”

From The Wall Street Journal

As to character, Mr. Brown portrays Roosevelt as a “flaming exhibitionist” with “megalomania” and “Napoleonic swagger.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Some superstars hide their megalomania under humility; Williams shields his tenderness with jokes about being a narcissist, only exposing his wounds in his muscular, vulnerable lyrics.

From Los Angeles Times

He added: “Ultimately I knew it was Cannes’ setting — more than a match for his own megalomania — that would convince him to come.”

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• arrogance
• egotism
• narcissism
• self-confidence
• selfishness