Definition

1. Noun:

   • An insane person; a madman: A person who is severely mentally ill, particularly one exhibiting violent or dangerous behavior.
   • A person who has an obsession with or excessive enthusiasm for something: A person who shows extreme and often uncontrollable excitement or zeal for a particular activity or subject.

2. Adjective:

   • Wildly disordered; frenzied: Characterized by or resembling the behavior of a maniac; showing extreme excitement or lack of control.

Usage Examples

• Noun (insane person):

  • The police described the attacker as a dangerous maniac.
  • In the old story, the maniac was kept locked in the attic.

• Noun (person with excessive enthusiasm):

  • My brother is a fitness maniac; he goes to the gym twice a day.
  • She's a maniac when it comes to organizing her bookshelf.

• Adjective:

  • He drove with maniac speed down the empty highway. (Note: This adjectival use is less common than the noun form and often appears as "maniacal".)
  • The crowd erupted in maniac cheering when their team scored.

Advanced Usage

• "Maniac" is often used informally and hyperbolically to describe someone who is very energetic or obsessed, not necessarily mentally ill.
  • You're working like a maniac! You should take a break.
• It can be used attributively (like an adjective) before another noun.
  • He has a maniac focus on details.

Variants and Related Words

• Maniacal (adj): The more standard adjective form meaning "wildly frenzied or excited".
  • He let out a maniacal laugh.
• Mania (n): The condition or state of being a maniac; an excessive enthusiasm or desire.
  • His mania for collecting stamps is well-known.
• -maniac (suffix): Used to form nouns indicating a person with an obsession for something.
  • A pyromaniac (obsessed with fire), a bibliomaniac (obsessed with books).

Synonyms

• Noun (insane person): Lunatic, madman, psychopath.
• Noun (enthusiast): Fanatic, enthusiast, fiend, freak (informal).
• Adjective: Frenzied, frantic, wild, hysterical.

Related Phrases

• Like a maniac: Behaving with extreme energy, speed, or lack of control.
  • She was cleaning the house like a maniac before the guests arrived.
• Maniac driver: A very reckless or dangerous driver.
  • Watch out for that maniac driver changing lanes without signaling!

Idioms

• (To be) a raving maniac: To be completely out of control with anger or excitement.
  • When he saw the broken window, he was a raving maniac.

Adjective

1. wildly disordered
   • a maniacal frenzy

Noun

1. a person who has an obsession with or excessive enthusiasm for something
2. an insane person