manic

adjective

man·​ic ˈma-nik 

: affected with, relating to, characterized by, or resulting from mania

had a manic personality

his manic work pace

manic noun

manically

ˈma-ni-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of manic in a Sentence

a manic sense of humor

Recent Examples on the Web

This dark and somewhat manic depiction features Lee Cleveland, a congenital amputee, as Abe, a one-armed farmer, and Sarah Beth Budd as his wife Edie. —Gus Alexiou, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025

Newark’s latest round of headaches comes on the tail of a manic Monday that saw 287 delays and 127 cancellations at the airport by 6 p.m. An equipment outage was blamed for that debacle. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 1 May 2025

Freeing him sends Hazel on a quest that involves a scared and manic shell of a man living in an old shack in the swamp. —Justin Porter, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025

While Boiling Point might have pushed the possibilities for just how manic a single take could be, Adolescence opts to use the technique for a greater range of emotional realities. —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Greek manikós "mad, crazy," from manía "madness, frenzy, mania" + -ikos -ic entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1824, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing manic

• manic depression
• manic-depressive
• manic-depressive illness

Rhymes for manic

• bannock
• laennec
• panic
• stannic
• tannic
• aldermanic
• inorganic
• magellanic
• messianic
• oceanic
• pozzolanic
• talismanic

Medical Definition

manic

1 of 2 adjective

man·​ic ˈman-ik 

: affected with, relating to, or resembling mania

manically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

manic

2 of 2 noun

: an individual affected with mania