maniacal

adjective

ma·​ni·​a·​cal mə-ˈnī-ə-kəl How to pronounce maniacal (audio)
variants or less commonly maniac
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
maniacally adverb

Examples of maniacal in a Sentence

the movie's villain was a just a clichéd axe-wielding nutcase with a maniacal laugh
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
College campuses, after all, cannot and should not be anarchic free speech zones where any maniacal provocateur like Milo Yiannopoulos can come and deliver an outrageous address designed to do nothing other than generate controversy without any pushback. David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025 The twists hit quickly, and you’re left satisfied, an amuse-bouche of life among maniacal rich people. William Earl, Variety, 9 June 2025 Cruise is now 62, and denying it with every maniacal sprint down some faraway city’s waterfront boulevard. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025 Because the character is so absurd and huge, but also dangerous and maniacal. H. Alan Scott, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for maniacal

Word History

Etymology

Middle French maniaque "mad, frenzied" & its source, Late Latin maniacus + -al entry 1 — more at maniac entry 1

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of maniacal was in 1526

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Maniacal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maniacal. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

maniacal

adjective
ma·​ni·​a·​cal mə-ˈnī-ə-kəl How to pronounce maniacal (audio)
variants also maniac
: affected with or suggestive of madness
maniacally adverb

Medical Definition

maniacal

adjective
ma·​ni·​a·​cal mə-ˈnī-ə-kəl How to pronounce maniacal (audio)
variants also maniac
: manic
maniacally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on maniacal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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