maniac - Definitions from Dictionary.com

9 results for: maniac

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

ma·ni·ac

Audio Help [mey-nee-ak] Pronunciation Key

–noun

1.	a raving or violently insane person; lunatic.

2.	any intemperate or overly zealous or enthusiastic person: a maniac when it comes to details.

–adjective

maniacal.

[Origin: 1595–1605; < ML maniacus of, pertaining to madness. See mania, -ac

]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
maniac

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

ma·ni·ac Audio Help (mā'nē-āk') Pronunciation Key
n.

An insane person.
A person who has an excessive enthusiasm or desire for something: a sports maniac.
A person who acts in a wildly irresponsible way: maniacs on the highway.

adj. Variant of maniacal.

[From Late Latin maniacus, maniacal, from Greek maniakos, from maniā, madness; see men-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

ma·ni·a·cal Audio Help (mə-nī'ə-kəl) Pronunciation Key
adj.

Suggestive of or afflicted with insanity: a maniacal frenzy.
Characterized by excessive enthusiasm or excitement: a maniacal interest in gambling.

ma·ni'a·cal·ly adv.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
maniac (adj.)

1604, from Fr. maniaque, from L.L. maniacus, from Gk. maniakos, from mania (see mania). The noun is attested from 1763, from the adj.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

maniac
adjective
1.	wildly disordered; "a maniacal frenzy" [syn: maniacal]
noun
1.	an insane person [syn: lunatic]
2.	a person who has an obsession with or excessive enthusiasm for something

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
ˈmaniac [-ӕk] noun

an insane (and dangerous) person; a madman
Example: He drives like a maniac.

Arabic:	مَجْنون، مَهْووس
Chinese (Simplified):	疯子
Chinese (Traditional):	瘋子
Czech:	maniak
Danish:	sindssyg person
Dutch:	maniak
Estonian:	hull
Finnish:	hullu
French:	maniaque
German:	der, *die Wahnsinnige
Greek:	μανιακός
Hungarian:	dühöngő őrült
Icelandic:	brjálæðingur
Indonesian:	orang gila
Italian:	maniaco, folle

Japanese:	狂人
Korean:	미치광이, …광
Latvian:	maniaks; ārprātīgais
Lithuanian:	maniakas, beprotis
Norwegian:	vanvittig person, (som en) galning
Polish:	szaleniec
Portuguese (Brazil):	maníaco
Portuguese (Portugal):	maníaco
Romanian:	maniac
Russian:	маньяк
Slovak:	maniak
Slovenian:	blaznež
Spanish:	maniaco
Swedish:	galning, dåre, niding
Turkish:	manyak kimse