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

For The 1st Time — At Lower Prices The film seeks to cover Reubens’ childhood, the birth of his manic alter-ego Pee-wee and the character’s subsequent rise to fame, as well as the controversial actor’s reputation-destroying brush with the law back in 1991. —Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025

The film chronicles eight days in the tumultuous life of Jack (Schnabel), a beleaguered fitness trainer in Los Angeles who embarks on a manic journey to achieve his version of the American Dream. —Leo Barraclough, Variety, 18 Apr. 2025

The film still stands out as something singular in Scorsese’s immense filmography, with a manic, go-for-broke energy that in part came from his own frustrations with Hollywood filmmaking at the time. —Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2025

The film may be a silly thing, with manic swings from intimate (and pretty rough) violence to abrupt comic relief. —Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 10 Apr. 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

Rhymes for manic

• bannock
• laennec
• panic
• stannic
• tannic
• aldermanic
• inorganic
• magellanic
• messianic
• oceanic
• pozzolanic
• talismanic

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