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.
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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
Benicio del Toro as Sergio Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Penn plays Lockjaw as a tense, lumbering maniac with more than a few similarities to RFK Jr.
—
Rory Doherty, Time, 26 Sep. 2025
Newsweek contributors David Faris and Mark Davis debate: David Faris:
Once again, elementary school children have been gunned down by a maniac wielding an assault weapon.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 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
Rory Doherty, Time, 26 Sep. 2025
Newsweek contributors David Faris and Mark Davis debate: David Faris:
Once again, elementary school children have been gunned down by a maniac wielding an assault weapon.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 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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Parents know these woke lunatics are bullies.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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But as Plemons so deftly plays him, Teddy doesn’t seem like a lunatic.—
Jake Coyle,
Boston Herald,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Letterboxd is a social-media platform dedicated to film lovers, allowing users to log movies, review them, create lists, and follow other cinephiles.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
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The show’s second season, based on Mona Kasten’s book Save You, follows the first installment, which found James Beaufort (Damien Hardung) and Ruby Bell (Harriet Herbig-Matten) go from enemies to lovers as the both worked hard to get into Oxford.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The mind wants desperately to connect with a person—and fools itself into seeing one in a machine.—
Damon Beres,
The Atlantic,
5 Nov. 2025
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Since medieval times, the colorful fool—from court jesters to Shakespeare’s characters—has used playful wit to critique authority and buffoonery to whip up excitement.—
Time,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As the humpback plunges back below the surface the remoras, also known as sucker fish, return to the whale, sticking their landings with the timing and precision of Olympic gymnasts.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
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Remove any canes that are crossing or rubbing against each other, as well as any suckers that have formed.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The artist’s way, of course, is sincere, even if in the case of Dracula, sincerity begets just under three hours of unsparing cultural commentary and full goose bozo vulgarity.—
Andy Crump,
Time,
31 Oct. 2025
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Plus, their fabric and fill are less likely to accrue that ever-darkening yellowish stain that tired goose down pillows acquire over time, thanks to sweat, oils, lotion residues, etc.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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That, combined with a decisive second-half performance, represented the good in Sunday’s matchup, the part that may give fans hope about a return trip to the NCAA Tournament.—
Scott Chasen,
Kansas City Star,
10 Nov. 2025
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When Posa slammed Washington quarterback Demond Williams to the ground for a game-clincher on fourth-and-6, some 70,000 fans erupted as if thawed from a long freeze.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The region’s beauty enthusiasts have increasingly embraced skin care-first routines, moving away from heavy makeup — a shift that aligns perfectly with Sorbé’s philosophy.—
Ritu Upadhyay,
Footwear News,
6 Nov. 2025
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With only forty units produced, the Divo appeals to enthusiasts who want extreme performance in a highly exclusive package.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Another Halloween fanatic, Janelle Monáe fully committed to the bit by dressing as the Cat in the Hat for her Jennifer Hudson Spirit Tunnel walk.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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Red Seat also operates CrimeCon, a convention for true crime and mystery fanatics.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Maniac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maniac. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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