maniac

1 of 2

noun

ma·​ni·​ac ˈmā-nē-ˌak How to pronounce maniac (audio)
plural maniacs
1
informal : someone who is or acts mentally unsound
especially : a person who behaves in a wildly foolish, reckless, or dangerous manner
Don't drive like a maniac.
There was a high wire strung from one shore to the other and some maniac in ballet slippers and tights was walking the wire … E. L. Doctorow
In The Bat Whispers the heroine is sealed in a dark room with a homicidal maniac. Scott MacQueen
2
informal : a person who is extremely enthusiastic about something
a sports maniac
Comic book maniacs and superhero look-alikes gathered at the Cross County Mall in suburban West Palm Beach to buy, sell and talk about the arcane world of comics.Stefan Fatsis

maniac

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adjective

ma·​ni·​ac ˈmā-nē-ˌak How to pronounce maniac (audio)

less common variant of maniacal

1
: affected with or suggestive of madness
maniacal laughter
maniacal energy
a maniacal killer
2
: characterized by ungovernable excitement or frenzy : frantic
a maniacal mob
maniacal fans

Examples of maniac in a Sentence

Noun He's a complete maniac when he's playing football. they should permanently put away the maniac who is responsible for these kidnappings
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Where to watch: Disney+ 'Jaws' (1975) Change Halloween to the Fourth of July and a relentless maniac to a hungry shark, and Steven Spielberg's iconic blockbuster might as well be a seabound slasher. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2024 Why does Yellowstone National Park turn humans—and apparently cats, too—into maniacs? Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 1 Oct. 2024
Adjective
At first glance, Torres’ debut film seems like a quirky, millennial visual feast about a desperate El Salvadorian and a maniac artist. The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2024 None of this pays off in any fashion, as potentially interesting plot threads are rapidly dropped in favor of a typical maniac plot. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 25 Oct. 2023 See all Example Sentences for maniac 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'maniac.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French maniaque "mad, frenzied," (as noun) "madman, lunatic," borrowed from Medieval Latin maniacus (as both noun and adjective), going back to Late Latin, "mad, maniacal," borrowed from Late Greek maniakós, from Greek manía "madness, frenzy, mania" + -akos, variant of -ikos -ic entry 1 before a vowel

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1763, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of maniac was circa 1763

Dictionary Entries Near maniac

Cite this Entry

“Maniac.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maniac. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

maniac

noun
ma·​ni·​ac ˈmā-nē-ˌak How to pronounce maniac (audio)
1
2
: a person wildly enthusiastic about something

More from Merriam-Webster on maniac

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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