maniac
nounUS, UK /ˈmeɪ.niˌæk/
Etymology From mania + -ac. Borrowed from French maniaque, from Late Latin maniacus, from Ancient Greek μανιακός (maniakós), adjectival form of μανία (manía, “madness”). Compare manic.
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.1958 February 23, David Gunston, “Railways on the Screen”, in Railway Magazine, page 88:
2 more examples
- 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.2017 October 18, Seth Kubersky, “A weekend full of puppetry-themed entertainment is just the ticket, unless you’re pupaphobic”, in Orlando Weekly:
- “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.”2017, J. C. Staudt, Children of the Wastes:
2
Figuratively A 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 before1983, Michael Sembello, Dennis Matkosky, “Maniac”:
3
Philippines, Abbreviation, Ellipsis Ellipsis of sex maniac.
- Synonyms
- madling
- Derived terms
27 terms
anthomaniac, Beatlemaniac, brainiac, Caniac, Cobainiac, ecumaniac, greeniac, humaniac, insaniac, Maine-iac, Mainiac, Mayniac, McCainiac, miniac, Muslimaniac, narcomaniac, orchidomaniac, Pokémaniac, railwayac, Remainiac, Tasmaniac, technomaniac, trainiac, trichomaniac, typomaniac, Whitmaniac, Yakimaniac