maniacal
adjective
ma·ni·a·cal
mə-ˈnī-ə-kəl 
variants
or less commonly maniac
1
: affected with or suggestive of madness
maniacal laughter
maniacal energy
a maniacal killer
2
: characterized by ungovernable excitement or frenzy : frantic
a maniacal mob
maniacal fans
Examples of maniacal in a Sentence
the movie's villain was a just a clichéd axe-wielding nutcase with a maniacal laugh
Recent Examples on the Web
Natalia Grace isn’t some maniacal scammer hellbent on tearing a family apart; Natalia is a child, desperate to be part of a family after a lifetime of longing to be loved.
—
Barry Levitt, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
With his occasionally brusque manner, his maniacal secrecy about team selection and his refusal to explain his tactical decisions, Luis Enrique put a few noses out of joint in the French media.
—Tom Williams, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
The audience never knows what might happen, but there’s also little chance of something truly maniacal going on.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025
To those used to seeing Mescal shine as the quiet and caring boyfriend on Normal People, watching the Irish heartthrob play a wife-beater and rapist stalking his prey with a maniacal grin is certainly a somewhat disturbing (and impressive) transformation.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for maniacal
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Barry Levitt, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
With his occasionally brusque manner, his maniacal secrecy about team selection and his refusal to explain his tactical decisions, Luis Enrique put a few noses out of joint in the French media.
—Tom Williams, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
The audience never knows what might happen, but there’s also little chance of something truly maniacal going on.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 7 Apr. 2025
To those used to seeing Mescal shine as the quiet and caring boyfriend on Normal People, watching the Irish heartthrob play a wife-beater and rapist stalking his prey with a maniacal grin is certainly a somewhat disturbing (and impressive) transformation.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for maniacal
Cite this Entry
“Maniacal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maniacal. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
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maniacal
adjective
ma·ni·a·cal
mə-ˈnī-ə-kəl
variants
also maniac
: affected with or suggestive of madness
Medical Definition
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