manic

adjective

man·​ic ˈma-nik 

: affected with, relating to, characterized by, or resulting from mania

had a manic personality

his manic work pace

manic noun

manically

ˈma-ni-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of manic in a Sentence

a manic sense of humor

Recent Examples on the Web

Rudolph’s free-form use of onscreen effects and graphics extracts in visual form the manic contents of this inner verbal roar. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2025

From the moment her face lights up as someone off-frame hands her guitar, the Oscar-winner pitches everything at the level of demented, manic glee. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2025

This manic and public antisemitic episode concluded on February 9 with a bizarre Super Bowl ad, only aired in a few select markets, that depicted West filming himself on an iPhone in a dentist chair. —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2025

The manic posting spree, which at times found West firing off dozens of all-caps tweets per hour, prompted former Friends star David Schwimmer to ask Musk on Saturday to ban Ye from the platform. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 10 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Greek manikós "mad, crazy," from manía "madness, frenzy, mania" + -ikos -ic entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1824, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing manic

• manic depression
• manic-depressive
• manic-depressive illness

Medical Definition

manic

1 of 2 adjective

man·​ic ˈman-ik 

: affected with, relating to, or resembling mania

manically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

manic

2 of 2 noun

: an individual affected with mania