maniac en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈmeɪ.niˌæk/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- (Southern-England) audio
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 -ῐ́ᾱ f (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek μᾰνῐ́ᾱ (mănĭ́ā) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ᾰκός (-ăkós) Ancient Greek μανιακός (maniakós)bor. Late Latin maniacuslbor. French maniaquebor. English maniac From mania + -ac. Borrowed from French maniaque, from Late Latin maniacus, from Ancient Greek μανιακός (maniakós), adjectival form of μανία (manía, “madness”). Compare manic.
Meanings
-
An insane person, especially one who suffers from a mania.
Hey kids, the word of the week is "pupaphobia"! Others may enjoy being frightened by chainsaw-wielding maniacs and cannibal clowns, but my Halloween is never complete without a murderous Muppet or two. Thankfully, a pair of events last Friday the 13th provided a perfect double feature of puppet perversity.
2017 October 18, Seth Kubersky, “A weekend full of puppetry-themed entertainment is just the ticket, unless you’re pupaphobic”, in Orlando Weekly:She was driving like a maniac.
In these early days of silent pictures, the accent was chiefly on thrills and danger as provided by supposedly unstoppable locomotives with crooks or maniacs on the footplate.
1958 February 14, David Gunston, “Railways on the Screen”, in Railway Magazine, page 88:“It gives me the dithers, thinking of the damage that maniac could do if he ever took the headship. He could reinstate the cycle of chosen births, or enact any of a hundred other terrible laws.”
2017, J. C. Staudt, Children of the Wastes:
-
(figuratively) A fanatic, a person with an obsession.
She's a maniac, maniac on the floor / And she's dancing like she's never danced before
1983, Michael Sembello, Dennis Matkosky, “Maniac”:He's a manga maniac.
-
(Philippines, abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) Ellipsis of sex maniac.
alt of sex maniac
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| maniack | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| maniacs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Caniac · maniaclike · Mayniac · Yakimaniac · trichomaniac · Cobainiac · anthomaniac · Beatlemaniac · Muslimaniac · Chinamaniac · Remainiac · ecumaniac · humaniac · miniac · Pokémaniac · technomaniac · railwayac · Tasmaniac · typomaniac · trainiac · Whitmaniac · brainiac · narcomaniac · McCainiac · Maine-iac · greeniac · insaniac · Mainiac · orchidomaniac
Descendants
manyakis · maniak · manyak · マニアック · manyakis · manyak
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (83)
pl maniak (insane person) · ca maníac (insane person) · fa-ira اُسْکُل (insane person) · hu -őrült (fanatic, obsessive) · ru манья́чка (fanatic, obsessive) · de Verrückte (fanatic, obsessive) · gl maniático (insane person) · uk манія́к (insane person) · nl maniak (insane person) · hu -mániás (fanatic, obsessive) · ar مَمْسُوس (insane person) · fi fanaatikko (fanatic, obsessive) · hy մոլագար (fanatic, obsessive) · el μανιακός (fanatic, obsessive) · sh ма̀нија̄к (insane person) · gl maníaco (fanatic, obsessive) · it maniaco (fanatic, obsessive) · ru манья́к (fanatic, obsessive) · pl maniak (fanatic, obsessive) · es maniático (fanatic, obsessive) · fi maanikko (insane person) · fr cinglée (fanatic, obsessive) · uk манія́чка (insane person) · fi kiihkoilija (fanatic, obsessive) · cmn 瘋子 /疯子 (insane person) · ja マニアック (fanatic, obsessive) · be манья́к (insane person) · ka მანიაკი (insane person) · ar مَهْوُوس (insane person) · hy մանյակ (fanatic, obsessive) · nl maniak (fanatic, obsessive) · pl maniaczka (insane person) · ko 미치광이 (insane person) · pl maniaczka (fanatic, obsessive) · gl maniático (fanatic, obsessive) · ko 매니악 (fanatic, obsessive) · hy մանյակ (insane person) · fa-ira دیوانِه (insane person) · sv maniker (insane person) · cmn 狂熱分子 /狂热分子 (fanatic, obsessive) · bg маниа́к (insane person) · cmn -迷 (fanatic, obsessive) · de Irrer (insane person) · ko 광인 (insane person) · ar مَمْسُوسَة (insane person) · he משוגע \ מְשֻׁגָּע (insane person) · ja 狂人 (insane person) · fr maniaque (insane person) · it maniaco (insane person) · cmn 狂人 (insane person) · ca maniàtic (fanatic, obsessive) · gl obseso (fanatic, obsessive) · ru манья́к (insane person) · cs maniak (fanatic, obsessive) · sh mànijāk (insane person) · de Verrückter (fanatic, obsessive) · ro maniac (insane person) · ru манья́чка (insane person) · pt maníaco (fanatic, obsessive) · he מַנְיַאק (fanatic, obsessive) · es maniaco (insane person) · nl dolleman (insane person) · gl maníaco (insane person) · hu -bolond (fanatic, obsessive) · sk maniak (insane person) · gl obseso (insane person) · pt maníaco (insane person) · hy մոլագար (insane person) · tr manyak (insane person) · ar مَهْوُوسَة (insane person) · fr maniaque (fanatic, obsessive) · fr cinglé (fanatic, obsessive) · cs maniak (insane person) · nl waanzinnige (insane person) · sl manijak (insane person) · eo maniulo (insane person) · es maníaco (insane person) · ki mũgũrũki (insane person) · el μανιακός (insane person) · he מַנְיַאק (insane person) · de Irre (insane person) · mk манијак (insane person) · be манья́чка (insane person)