maniac
nouncommon in dialogue
- United States//ˈmeɪ.niˌæk//
An insane person, especially one who suffers from a mania.
noun
- 1
An insane person, especially one who suffers from a mania.
She was driving like a maniac.
In these early days of silent pictures, the accent was chiefly on thrills and danger as provided by supposedly unstoppable locomotives with crooks or maniacs on the footplate.
Hey kids, the word of the week is "pupaphobia"! Others may enjoy being frightened by chainsaw-wielding maniacs and cannibal clowns, but my Halloween is never complete without a murderous Muppet or two. Thankfully, a pair of events last Friday the 13th provided a perfect double feature of puppet perversity.
“It gives me the dithers, thinking of the damage that maniac could do if he ever took the headship. He could reinstate the cycle of chosen births, or enact any of a hundred other terrible laws.”
- 2
figurativeA fanatic, a person with an obsession.
He's a manga maniac.
She's a maniac, maniac on the floor / And she's dancing like she's never danced before
- 3
Variant of sex maniacEllipsis of sex maniac.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *men- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *mn̥yétorder. Proto-Hellenic *məňňómai Ancient Greek μαίνομαι (maínomai) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ f (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek μᾰνῐ́ᾱ (mănĭ́ā) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ᾰκός (-ăkós) Ancient Greek μανιακός (maniakós)bor. Late Latin maniacuslbor. French maniaquebor. English maniac From mania + -ac. Borrowed from French maniaque, from Late Latin maniacus, from Ancient Greek μανιακός (maniakós), adjectival form of μανία (manía, “madness”). Compare manic.
Forms
- plural
- maniacs
maniac · An insane person, especially one who suffers from a mania.
manic · Characterized by mania or craziness; wicked.Manic · A member of the Manic Street Preachersmanicure · A cosmetic treatment for the fingernails.