pyromaniac

[pahy-ruh-mey-nee-ak]

noun

1. someone with a compulsion to set things on fire.

   One theory is that pyromaniacs simply love fires and the damage they cause, and so they start them.

Other Word Forms

• pyromaniacal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pyromaniac¹

pyromani(a) ( def. ) + -ac ( def. )

Example Sentences

True pyromaniacs — people with an impulse disorder characterized by a compulsive need to set things on fire — do exist, but they are a rare breed.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It is unlikely to inspire you to go full pyromaniac like Hendrix, but just in case, you might want to have a fire extinguisher handy.

Read more on New York Times

“And I don’t think the pyromaniacs are going to be satisfied after they burned down one House. I think they’re going to have an itching to go burn down a couple more.”

Read more on Washington Times

More still are convinced that pyromaniacs who want to spark chaos are the behind most blazes.

Read more on BBC

The ban, combined with an existing prohibition on fireworks in unincorporated areas, is meant to discourage would-be pyromaniacs from accidentally laying waste to their neighbors’ houses or setting off wildfires that blacken hundreds of acres.

Read more on Seattle Times