variants
also maniac
as in psychotic
unable to think in a clear or sensible way
The show's maniacal villain has no method to his madness.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of maniacal
There’s one sound on earth that will never get old, and that’s Johnny Knoxville’s maniacal cackle when someone has been injured.
—
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
Bones is a pretty stellar action heroine, if only for her rah-rah speeches and her maniacal laughter in the face of men who seek to control her.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Back then, in the musical adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis‘ best-seller — with music and lyrics by Duncan Sheik and a book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa — Doctor Who star Matt Smith took on New York yuppie and increasingly maniacal investment banker Patrick Bateman.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Americans should look to that history in setting expectations for what happens next in Iran now that another batch of maniacal Middle East murderers have been sent hurtling through the gates of hell.
—Nolan Finley, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for maniacal
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026
Bones is a pretty stellar action heroine, if only for her rah-rah speeches and her maniacal laughter in the face of men who seek to control her.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Back then, in the musical adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis‘ best-seller — with music and lyrics by Duncan Sheik and a book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa — Doctor Who star Matt Smith took on New York yuppie and increasingly maniacal investment banker Patrick Bateman.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Americans should look to that history in setting expectations for what happens next in Iran now that another batch of maniacal Middle East murderers have been sent hurtling through the gates of hell.
—Nolan Finley, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for maniacal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maniacal
Adjective
-
There’s something extremely psychotic about him.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
1 June 2026
-
Mary, our thirtysomething narrator, has recently boomeranged back to her hometown (York) after experiencing a break with reality that may or may not be psychotic.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
After eighteen months of crisis that saw historic urban fires, harassment by federal immigration authorities, and the generalized anxiety that attends a place where rents are high and services low, public transit inadequate and gas prices insane, the city’s vitality is flagging.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
-
Lots of wires, lots of insane stunts.—
Entertainment Weekly,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
The next morning, my feet began to itch like mad.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
None of that would've been possible without the vision that Clay Travis laid out to me early in 2020 as the world was about to go mad.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
The awards and their accompanying speeches are the best promotional tools potential winners have in their arsenal, especially in an era when Broadway economics have gotten crazier by the year.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
-
The world is crazy right now, so how does Paul Rudd unwind?—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
That atmosphere was felt by the crew throughout the 140-day shoot, which required intense physical and mental endurance from everyone.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
8 June 2026
-
Mark Zuckerberg and Barack Obama, for example, both became known for paring down everyday decisions—famously, their wardrobes—to conserve mental energy for the calls that matter.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Maniacal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maniacal. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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