mania

1 of 2

noun

ma·​nia ˈmā-nē-ə 

-nyə

1

: excitement manifested by mental and physical hyperactivity, disorganization of behavior, and elevation of mood

specifically : the manic phase of bipolar disorder

2

a

: excessive or unreasonable enthusiasm

a mania for saving things

—often used in combination

b

: the object of such enthusiasm

His current mania is football.

-mania

2 of 2

noun combining form

1

a

: mental illness

monomania

b

: excessive or abnormal propensity or desire

pyromania

trichotillomania

2

: absorbing interest : extreme enthusiasm

balletomania

bibliomania

Synonyms

Noun

• aberration
• dementia
• derangement
• insanity
• lunacy
• madness
• rage [archaic]

Examples of mania in a Sentence

Noun

She would typically experience a period of mania and then suddenly become deeply depressed.

The entire city has been gripped by baseball mania.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

What distinguishes bipolar disorder from major depressive disorder is the presence of mania. —Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 18 Apr. 2024

Contemporary critics tend to breeze through the last two decades of Schwartz’s life, hitting only the saddest events: the second divorce; the increasing alcoholism; the unpublishable poems, many written during bouts of mania; the money problems; the undignified death. —Maggie Doherty, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024

The shares have become an expensive way for speculators to treat the stock market as a casino, raising memories of 2021’s meme stock mania. —Bailey Lipschultz, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2024

Puns about Trump staring into the sun are once again circulating on social media ahead of Monday's eclipse mania. —USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024

Tom Shadyac’s amiable classic excels in giving Carrey a reason for his on-screen mania, something too many of his other vehicles failed to do. —EW.com, 2 Mar. 2024

Its stock has shot well beyond what critics say is reasonable for the money-losing company, driven by fans of Trump and investors hoping to cash in on the mania. —Elaine Kurtenbach, Quartz, 29 Mar. 2024

In the early 2000s, logo mania swept through many other brands. —Billboard Italy, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024

Sam Kerr mania heats up as Australia readies to co-host soccer World Cup Kerr hasn’t commented publicly on the allegations. —Rachel Pannett, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "mental disorder, frenzy," borrowed from Late Latin, borrowed from Greek manía "madness, frenzy," noun derivative (with -ia -ia entry 1) from the base of maínomai, maínesthai "to rage, rave, be frenzied, be out of one's mind," going back to an Indo-European present stem *mn̥-i̯é- (from the verbal base *men- "form a thought"), whence also Old Irish doˑmoinethar "(s/he) supposes, expects," Sanskrit mányate "(s/he) thinks," Avestan mainiieṇte "(they) consider, take for"; also as stative verbs (< *mn̥-h₂i̯é-?) Old Church Slavic mĭnjǫ, mĭněti "to think, suppose," Lithuanian miniù, minė́ti "to mention, commemorate" — more at mind entry 1

Noun combining form

borrowed from Greek -mania, combining form from manía "madness, frenzy" — more at mania

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

mania

noun

ma·​nia ˈmā-nē-ə 

-nyə

1

: excitement that is expressed through excessive physical and mental activity and extreme cheerfulness

2

: excessive enthusiasm : craze

had a mania for saving things

Medical Definition

mania

noun

ma·​nia ˈmā-nē-ə, -nyə 

: excitement of psychotic proportions manifested by mental and physical hyperactivity, disorganization of behavior, and elevation of mood

specifically : the manic phase of bipolar disorder