megalomania

noun

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

Other Words from megalomania More Example Sentences Learn More About megalomania

Other Words from megalomania

megalomaniac \ ˌme-gə-lō-ˈmā-nē-ˌak

\ adjective or noun

megalomaniacal \ ˌme-gə-lō-mə-ˈnī-ə-kəl

\ or less commonly megalomanic \ ˌme-gə-lō-ˈma-nik

\ adjective

megalomaniacally \ ˌme-gə-lō-mə-ˈnī-ə-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

Examples of megalomania in a Sentence

Their CEO has an arrogance that borders on megalomania.

Recent Examples on the Web But such a policy, debatable only a few months ago, now seems almost impossible—destroyed by Putin’s bloody megalomania. — Tom Mctague, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2022 Vladimir Putin’s territorial ambitions, his ruthless crackdowns of any and all dissent, his megalomania and determination to hold onto power at all costs were hardly being concealed. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 25 Feb. 2022 Maybe megalomania is a key requirement for people to start a game-changing company. — Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 21 Feb. 2022 The series, inspired by real events in the financial world, centers on narcissism, megalomania and double standards and was created by producers and showrunners Philipp Käßbohrer and Matthias Murmann. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Feb. 2022 Majorities are almost always composed of two or more parties, which tends to defuse extremism and megalomania. — Ryan Cooper, The Week, 3 Nov. 2021 An afternoon’s stroll could bring you from a quaint neighborhood of neoclassical apartments to an austere postwar housing complex; from the fascist megalomania of Tempelhof Airport to the monumental Soviet grandeur of Karl-Marx-Allee. — New York Times, 30 Nov. 2021 The treatments continued every day for months and may have amplified Hitler’s megalomania and self-delusion as the Allied armies advanced on Germany and tens of millions of soldiers and civilians perished. — Joshua Hammer, The New York Review of Books, 8 Apr. 2021 Like Natasha and Yelena before them, these are Russian orphans who had their minds invaded, their bodies violated and their free will taken, all in service of one man’s megalomania. — Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2021 See More

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.