Maniac — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective /ˈmā-nē-ˌak/ ma·ni·ac

Meaning & Definition of Maniac

Maniac (noun)

  1. someone who is or acts mentally unsound; especially, a person who behaves in a wildly foolish, reckless, or dangerous manner
  2. a person who is extremely enthusiastic about something

Maniac (adjective)

  1. affected with or suggestive of madness
  2. characterized by ungovernable excitement or frenzy, frantic

Maniac (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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."

    similar: berk (British), booby, charlie (British), cuckoo, ding-a-ling, ding-dong, dingbat, dipstick, doofus (slang), featherhead, fool, git (British), goose, half-wit, jackass, lunatic (informal), mooncalf, nincompoop, ninny, ninnyhammer, nit (chiefly British), nitwit, nut, nutcase, simp, simpleton, turkey, yo-yo
    related: daredevil, madman, airhead, birdbrain, blockhead, dodo, dolt, donkey, dope, dork (slang), dumbbell, dummy, dunce, fathead, gander, goon, idiot, ignoramus, imbecile, know-nothing, knucklehead, moron, numskull, pinhead, schlub (slang), schlump (slang), schnook (slang), stock, featherbrain, scatterbrain, butt, dupe, laughingstock, mockery, monkey, chump, loser, schlemiel, character, codger, crackbrain, crackpot, crank, kook, oddball, screwball, weirdo
    near: sage, thinker, brain, genius

  2. a person with a strong and habitual liking for something

    "I'm a maniac for anything flavored with peppermint"

    similar: addict, aficionado, buff, bug, devotee, enthusiast, fan, fanatic, fancier, fiend, fool, freak, habitué, head, hound, junkie, lover, maven, nut, sucker
    related: groupie, admirer, amateur, collector, connoisseur, dilettante, authority, expert, adherent, convert, cultist, disciple, follower, hanger-on, votary, advocate, apostle, backer, champion, evangelist, exponent, friend, patron, promoter, proponent, supporter, partisan, zealot, booster, rooter, well-wisher, faddist
    opposite: nonfan
    near: nonadmirer, belittler, carper, critic, detractor

Related Entry: Maniacal (adjective)

Maniacal is a different word from Maniac. The synonyms below are for maniacal, not for maniac.

  1. unable to think in a clear or sensible way

    "The show's maniacal villain has no method to his madness."

    similar: bats, batty, bonkers (informal + sometimes offensive), brainsick, certifiable (dated, informal + disparaging), cracked (informal + disparaging), crackers (informal + disparaging), crazed (sometimes offensive), crazy (usually offensive), daft (chiefly British, informal), demented, deranged (often offensive), haywire, insane, loco (slang), mad, mental (sometimes offensive), non compos mentis, nuts (informal + sometimes offensive), nutty (sometimes offensive), psycho (informal + disparaging), psychotic (sometimes offensive), unbalanced, unhinged, unsound, wud (chiefly Scottish), around the bend, off one's gourd, off one's head, off one's rocker, out of one's head, out to lunch (slang)
    related: dotty, fey, loopy, off, potty (chiefly British), teched, touched, aberrant, delirious, delusional, delusionary, disordered, disturbed, eccentric, odd, oddball, pixilated, queer, strange, foolish, senseless, witless, irrational, unreasonable, amok, ape, ballistic, bananas, berserk, nuclear, depressed, distracted, distraught, frantic, frenzied, hysterical, raving, wigged-out, fixated, monomaniac, monomaniacal, obsessed
    opposite: balanced, compos mentis, sane, sound, uncrazy
    near: clear, lucid, rational, reasonable, judicious, sensible, wise, healthy, normal, well-adjusted, unneurotic

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Maniac

The most common words with a similar meaning to Maniac:

British: berk, charlie, git
Slang: doofus
Informal: lunatic
Chiefly British: nit
booby, cuckoo, ding-a-ling, ding-dong, dingbat, dipstick, featherhead, fool, goose, half-wit, jackass, mooncalf, nincompoop, ninny, ninnyhammer, nitwit, nut, nutcase, simp, simpleton, turkey, yo-yo, addict, aficionado, buff, bug, devotee, enthusiast, fan, fanatic, fancier, fiend, freak, habitué, head, hound, junkie, lover, maven, sucker

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Maniac

Words with the opposite meaning of Maniac:

nonfan

Related Words for Maniac

daredevil, madman, airhead, birdbrain, blockhead, dodo, dolt, donkey, dope, dork, dumbbell, dummy, dunce, fathead, gander, goon, idiot, ignoramus, imbecile, know-nothing, knucklehead, moron, numskull, pinhead, schlub, schlump, schnook, stock, featherbrain, scatterbrain

Near Antonyms of Maniac

sage, thinker, brain, genius, nonadmirer, belittler, carper, critic, detractor

Word Forms of Maniac

Inflections: maniacs

Origin & Etymology of Maniac

borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French maniaque "mad, frenzied," (as noun) "madman, lunatic," borrowed from Medieval Latin maniacus (as both noun and adjective), going back to Late Latin, "mad, maniacal," borrowed from Late Greek maniakós, from Greek manía "madness, frenzy, mania" + -akos, variant of -ikos -ic:1 before a vowel

First known use: circa 1763

Words & Phrases Containing Maniac

maniacal, like a maniac

Frequently Asked Questions about Maniac

What does "Maniac" mean?

"Maniac" means someone who is or acts mentally unsound; especially, a person who behaves in a wildly foolish, reckless, or dangerous manner. As an a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: someone who is or acts mentally unsound; especially, a person who behaves in a wildly foolish, reckless, or dangerous manner. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Maniac"?

Other words for "Maniac" include berk, booby, charlie, cuckoo, ding-a-ling, ding-dong, dingbat and dipstick. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Maniac" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Maniac"?

There are 125 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Maniac". Common alternatives include berk, booby, charlie, cuckoo, ding-a-ling, ding-dong, dingbat, dipstick, doofus and featherhead.

What is the opposite of "Maniac"?

Antonyms of "Maniac" include nonfan. Near antonyms include sage, thinker, brain and genius.

How do you use "Maniac" in a sentence?

Examples of "Maniac" in a sentence: "It was some surprise to see such chill person become a complete maniac when he got behind the wheel."; "I'm a maniac for anything flavored with peppermint".

Is "Maniac" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Maniac" can be used as a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Maniac"?

"Maniac" is pronounced /ˈmā-nē-ˌak/ and divided into syllables as ma·ni·ac.

What is the origin of the word "Maniac"?

"Maniac" comes from borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French maniaque "mad, frenzied," (as noun) "madman, lunatic," borrowed from Medieval Latin maniacus (as both noun and adjective), going back to Late Latin, "mad, maniacal," borrowed from Late Greek maniakós, from Greek manía "madness, frenzy, mania" + -akos, variant of -ikos -ic:1 before a vowel. First known use: circa 1763.