pyromaniac
noun
py·ro·ma·ni·ac
ˌpī-rō-ˈmā-nē-ˌak 
plural pyromaniacs
: a person who has an uncontrollable impulse to start fires : a person affected by pyromania
A psychological assessment commissioned by the defence came to the conclusion that Schalm was not a pyromaniac, nor was he bipolar, making the risk of recidivism minimal.—
Jeremy Appel
—sometimes used in an exaggerated or joking way to refer to a person who enjoys firesJeremy AppelThe self-described pyromaniac said she is excited about the pellet fire pits that will frame the front entrance.—Sarah Self-Walbrick
Sarah Self-Walbrick
pyromaniacal
adjective
… his earliest pyromaniacal urges … seem to have developed in 1862 … Sherman ordered the torching of all towns, villages, farms and homes for 15 miles up and down the river.
—Winston Groom
Winston Groom
Examples of pyromaniac in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lest anyone think that this is not a deliberate homage to the legend of rock pyromaniac Jerry Lee Lewis, the singer let out what sure sounded like a couple of wildcat Jerry Lee trills.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 29 Apr. 2025
Fortunately, as an artistic toddler, Lambert was a pyromaniac.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2025
Something similar could be said for Kevin Hart, who plays a rogue soldier named Roland who’s tasked himself with protecting Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), the pyromaniac daughter of the galaxy’s most powerful man, the ruthless Atlas (Edgar Ramírez).
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Aug. 2024
Remember their names On Wednesday, California’s 12 GOP House members put tribal loyalty above the country’s best interests and heedlessly cast their votes to make Jim Jordan — election denier, Jan. 6 instigator, political pyromaniac — the next House speaker.
—Laurel Rosenhall, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2023
On Tuesday, 11 of California’s 12 GOP House members put tribal loyalty above the country’s best interests and heedlessly cast their votes to make Jim Jordan — election denier, Jan. 6 instigator, political pyromaniac — the next House speaker.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2023
Urban pyromaniac?
—Gaia Squarci, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Sep. 2020
Until now, little has been disclosed about the show’s version of the dark side characters, though recently EW revealed that King’s crazed pyromaniac Trashcan Man would be played by Erza Miller (Fantastic Beasts 3).
—James Hibberd, EW.com, 7 Dec. 2020
Or try the pyromaniac method of browning your topping: crumble it directly onto the cooked fruit, then use a pair of tongs to pick up a medium-sized ember and hold it an inch or two above your cobbler to brown the topping.
—Outside Online, 17 Nov. 2020
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Chris Willman, Variety, 29 Apr. 2025
Fortunately, as an artistic toddler, Lambert was a pyromaniac.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2025
Something similar could be said for Kevin Hart, who plays a rogue soldier named Roland who’s tasked himself with protecting Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), the pyromaniac daughter of the galaxy’s most powerful man, the ruthless Atlas (Edgar Ramírez).
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Aug. 2024
Remember their names On Wednesday, California’s 12 GOP House members put tribal loyalty above the country’s best interests and heedlessly cast their votes to make Jim Jordan — election denier, Jan. 6 instigator, political pyromaniac — the next House speaker.
—Laurel Rosenhall, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2023
On Tuesday, 11 of California’s 12 GOP House members put tribal loyalty above the country’s best interests and heedlessly cast their votes to make Jim Jordan — election denier, Jan. 6 instigator, political pyromaniac — the next House speaker.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2023
Urban pyromaniac?
—Gaia Squarci, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Sep. 2020
Until now, little has been disclosed about the show’s version of the dark side characters, though recently EW revealed that King’s crazed pyromaniac Trashcan Man would be played by Erza Miller (Fantastic Beasts 3).
—James Hibberd, EW.com, 7 Dec. 2020
Or try the pyromaniac method of browning your topping: crumble it directly onto the cooked fruit, then use a pair of tongs to pick up a medium-sized ember and hold it an inch or two above your cobbler to brown the topping.
—Outside Online, 17 Nov. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Pyromaniac.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pyromaniac. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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