1
as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
It was some surprise to see such chill person become a complete maniac when he got behind the wheel.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lover
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something
I'm a maniac for anything flavored with peppermint
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Recent Examples of maniac
Change Halloween to the Fourth of July and a relentless maniac to a hungry shark, and Steven Spielberg's iconic blockbuster might as well be a seabound slasher.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
Terror struck in the UK on Yom Kippur, when a maniac attacked people outside a Manchester synagogue, killing at least two and critically injuring four more.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Sure enough, the quiet is shattered when a new villain rolls into town in the form of Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa), a chaotic, fashion-forward maniac with a personal vendetta and a flair for over-the-top drama.
—EW.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Produced by Latefox Pictures, High Rise Studio, and Chrono Visor Images, Death Cycle follows a woman grieving the death of her sister, who is visited by a man investigating a series of brutal murders committed by a motorcycle maniac.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for maniac
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
Terror struck in the UK on Yom Kippur, when a maniac attacked people outside a Manchester synagogue, killing at least two and critically injuring four more.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2025
Sure enough, the quiet is shattered when a new villain rolls into town in the form of Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa), a chaotic, fashion-forward maniac with a personal vendetta and a flair for over-the-top drama.
—EW.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Produced by Latefox Pictures, High Rise Studio, and Chrono Visor Images, Death Cycle follows a woman grieving the death of her sister, who is visited by a man investigating a series of brutal murders committed by a motorcycle maniac.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for maniac
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maniac
Noun
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Even then, though, the popular take — the story of the lunatics taking over asylum — didn’t sit right with me.—
Paul Fischer,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
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Beating these lunatics was incredible, right?—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Years of steadily climbing coffee prices have some in this country of coffee lovers upending their habits by nixing cafe visits, switching to cheaper brews or forgoing it altogether.—
Matt Sedensky,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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Fennell cast Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie plays Cathy in this tale of childhood friends turned tortured lovers, kept apart by heartbreaking misunderstandings and their own destructive decisions.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Mad Monarch of Mar-a-Lago is ridiculed worldwide as the babbling fool and face of Satan whose venom is deadly and far-reaching.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
15 Feb. 2026
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But don’t let the humble exterior fool you.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Pisces are suckers for anything romantic.—
Katherine J Igoe,
InStyle,
19 Feb. 2026
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Why to Prune Viburnums Viburnums seldom need pruning other than to remove damaged, diseased, and dead branches, or sucker shoots that grow straight up from the roots but don’t flower.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Two firefighters in ice rescue suits navigated the icy conditions and removed the goose from the ice.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Maara is a silly goose who knows how to switch it up.—
Kiana Mickles,
Pitchfork,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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On a holiday celebrating love and affection, thousands of enthusiastic basketball fans showed up at Intuit Dome to cheer for their favorite NBA players in a trifecta of skills competitions on the eve of the league’s 75th annual All-Star Game.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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Her primarily millennial fans are rabid to see her in concert.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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While some astrology enthusiasts emblazon their sun signs on Instagram bios, others go the permanent route, tattooing eternal odes to the celestial bodies on their actual bodies.—
Micaela English,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Feb. 2026
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Perhaps some enthusiasts will hold out, but plenty won’t.—
Adam Ismail,
The Drive,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Runs also tend to draw as many running fanatics as music fans, bringing a new demographic into each artist’s orbit.—
Katie Bain,
Billboard,
11 Feb. 2026
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But the crowds of pastry fanatics and Maxime Frédéric fans descend on the weekends.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Maniac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maniac. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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