Standard Lemma guide

maniacal

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /məˈnaɪək(ə)l/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪəkəl
  • CMU ARPABET: M AH0 N AY1 AH0 K AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Like a maniac; insane; frenzied.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

wildly disordered

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a maniacal frenzy

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: maniac(p)

Antonyms: none provided

History

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 -ία (-ía) Ancient Greek μανίᾱ (maníā) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ακός (-akós) Ancient Greek μανιακός (maniakós)bor. Late Latin maniacuslbor. French maniaquebor. English maniac English -al English maniacal From maniac + -al.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: маниакален (maniakalen) — like a maniac
  • Catalan: maníac — like a maniac
  • French: maniacal — like a maniac
  • Italian: maniacale — like a maniac
  • Italian: maniaco — like a maniac
  • Spanish: maníaco — like a maniac
  • Spanish: maniaco — like a maniac
  • Spanish: maniático — like a maniac
  • Spanish: ríspido — like a maniac