megalomaniac

[meg-uh-loh-mey-nee-ak]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR megalomaniac ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person afflicted with megalomania.

adjective

Also meg·a·lo·ma·ni·a·cal

[meg-uh-loh-muh-nahy-uh-kuh l] /ˌmɛg ə loʊ məˈnaɪ ə kəl/, meg·a·lo·man·ic

[meg-uh-loh-man-ik] /ˌmɛg ə loʊˈmæn ɪk/. of, relating to, or suggesting megalomania or a person who is afflicted with it.

Nearby words

Origin of megalomaniac

First recorded in 1885–90; megalo- + maniac

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

Examples from the Web for megalomaniac

In the movie, T.E. Lawrence becomes a megalomaniac, a killer, and finally a mystery even to himself.
Spending a Day With Peter O’Toole|Malcolm Jones|December 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Recognizing that Messier was simply a corporate charlatan, Bronfman stepped up and led the charge to remove the megalomaniac.
Music's Misunderstood Genius|Peter Lauria|July 4, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Leading the megalomaniac set in the NFL is Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones.
Out-Rushing Rush|Samuel P. Jacobs|October 7, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Palin is the rare female politician who is as much a megalomaniac as her male peers.
Palin Has Really Gone Rogue|Michelle Goldberg|July 2, 2009|DAILY BEAST

That is the point overlooked by the megalomaniac school of Nietzsche and Shaw.
War and the Future|H. G. Wells
Was he a megalomaniac, or was his ego an effect of drugs upon a nerve-wracked constitution?
I Walked in Arden|Jack Crawford
Pascal violently rejected the megalomaniac pride of the Stoic philosopher.
The Enchiridion|Epictetus
But whisky transformed him from a twitching neurotic into a megalomaniac.
Captivity|M. Leonora Eyles
Before the war he liked to imitate the English, and posed as a German megalomaniac.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 150, March 29, 1916|Various

Word Origin and History for megalomaniac

1882 (n.), 1883 (adj.), from megalomania (q.v.).

The megalomaniac differs from the narcissist by the fact that he wishes to be powerful rather than charming, and seeks to be feared rather than loved. To this type belong many lunatics and most of the great men of history. [Bertrand Russell, "The Conquest of Happiness"]