megalomania

meg·a·lo·ma·nia | \ ˌme-gə-lō-ˈmā-nē-ə

, -nyə \

Definition of megalomania

1 : a mania (see mania sense 2a) for great or grandiose performance an outburst of wildly extravagant commercial megalomania — The Times Literary Supplement (London)

2 : a delusional mental illness that is marked by feelings of personal omnipotence and grandeur

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Examples of megalomania in a Sentence

Their CEO has an arrogance that borders on megalomania.

Recent Examples on the Web These include, according to numerous critics, a tendency to megalomania and authoritarianism, as well as an anti-Muslim bias that had been an open secret for years before the current crisis. — James Griffiths, CNN, "The West turned Aung San Suu Kyi into a saint. She was always going to disappoint," 13 Dec. 2019 Well aware of Wright’s reputation for selfishness and megalomania, Hendrickson does note occasional pockets of humanity: in Wright’s generous treatment of fellow architects fallen on hard times, for example. — Christopher Benfey, Harper's magazine, "Burning Down the House," 25 Nov. 2019 As his megalomania and isolation grew, Mr. Mugabe’s rhetoric became more extravagant and bizarre. — Glenn Frankel, Washington Post, "Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwean leader who helped liberate and destroy his country, dies at 95," 6 Sep. 2019 At first the writers play the joke for pure corniness, but the true extent of Homelander’s lying and megalomania gradually reveals itself. — M.s., The Economist, "“The Boys” is a superhero series for the Trump era," 27 Aug. 2019 Ejiofor is angrier, more malevolent, and more terrifying than Irons, whose Scar has more charisma and more megalomania. — Alex Abad-santos, Vox, "The Lion King remake isn’t a better movie, but it did a few things better than the original.," 17 July 2019 The Soviet leader, like Adolf Hitler, had a tendency to meddle in military decision making, and his megalomania could have persuaded him to pursue such an idea. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The USSR Planned a Super Sub That Launched Rockets and Delivered Tanks," 27 Dec. 2018 Holden is at the vanguard of that new method—and his insights are both its best-case scenario and, as Holden’s megalomania grows, a nightmarish display of everything at risk. — K. Austin Collins, HWD, "Before Jonathan Groff Could Nail Mindhunter, He Had to Stop Smiling," 14 June 2018 Giuliani’s grandiosity and megalomania may have worsened, but those qualities weren’t new even in 2001. — Chris Smith, The Hive, "“A Continuation of Rudy’s Descent into Wackiness”: The Trump-Rudy Bromance May Be the Greatest Lie of All," 4 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'megalomania.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

25 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Megalomania.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/megalomania. Accessed 25 January 2020.

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More Definitions for megalomania

megalomania

noun