Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Suggestive of or afflicted with extreme mental derangement.
  • adjective Characterized by excessive enthusiasm or excitement.
  • adjective Wildly irresponsible.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Pertaining to madness; marked by or manifesting mania; insane; mad: as, a maniacal tendency; maniacal ravings.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Affected with, or characterized by, madness; maniac.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Like a maniac; insane; frenzied.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective wildly disordered

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

maniac +‎ -al

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word maniacal.

Examples

  • Allred, who served 16 years in the House and four years in the Senate, said he was disturbed by the lawmakers self imposed cross over deadline and what he called a maniacal way to pass legislation.

    News - MyNC.com 2009

  • This hostel in Eixample has also got immaculately clean dorms, comfortable beds with decent mattresses and reading lights, and what the owners term "maniacal attention to the soundtrack" witness the LP covers adorning the walls.

    10 of the best hostels in Barcelona 2011

  • This hostel in Eixample has also got immaculately clean dorms, comfortable beds with decent mattresses and reading lights, and what the owners term "maniacal attention to the soundtrack" witness the LP covers adorning the walls.

    10 of the best hostels in Barcelona 2011

  • I used to frequent a certain maniacal toy site and noticed that several people there would go see whatever movie debuted that week EVERY WEEKEND.

    Rant: How Does This Shit Get Made?! Disaster Movie Trailer « FirstShowing.net 2008

  • He was asked if he and the rest of the band would ever consider singing the national anthem before a Canadians game he's know as a maniacal fan.

    We have a weiner! CC 2008

  • Tears were streaming down his face and his expression was maniacal.

    Blue Rage, Black Redemption Stanley Tookie Williams 2007

  • Tears were streaming down his face and his expression was maniacal.

    Blue Rage, Black Redemption Stanley Tookie Williams 2007

  • Tears were streaming down his face and his expression was maniacal.

    Blue Rage, Black Redemption Stanley Tookie Williams 2007

  • Tears were streaming down his face and his expression was maniacal.

    Blue Rage, Black Redemption Stanley Tookie Williams 2007

  • He's been called maniacal and he may now possess nuclear weapons.

    CNN Transcript Oct 12, 2006 2006

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • a descriptive for traffic in certain countries

    June 21, 2009

  • It was Used in my writing class as an example.

    A maniacal laugh esacped his lips.

    maniacal:characteristic of or befitting a maniac

    October 4, 2010