maniac

ma-ni-ac · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A person exhibiting extremely wild or violent behavior.

  2. 2.

    (rare) Affected with or characteristic of mania.

  3. 3.

    (informal) A person with an extreme enthusiasm for something.

  4. 4.

    (dated, psychology) A person suffering from mania or mental illness.

Forms

plural: maniacs

Related words

See also: fanatic, mania, manic
Synonyms: fanatic, lunatic, madman

Etymology

From Late Latin maniacus, from Greek maniakos ("mad, frenzied"), from mania ("madness"). The informal sense of "enthusiast" developed in the 20th century.