MANIACAL Synonyms: 95 Similar and Opposite Words

maniacal

adjective

mə-ˈnī-ə-kəl

variants also maniac

Definition of maniacal

as in psychotic

unable to think in a clear or sensible way The show's maniacal villain has no method to his madness.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of maniacal The president as a maniacal urban planner is a white-knuckle ride, with Washington — and Washingtonians — just holding on for dear life. — Maureen Dowd, Mercury News, 23 June 2026 One of Anthropic’s great strengths compared to its archrival OpenAI is its maniacal focus. — Rob Toews, Forbes.com, 22 June 2026 Gilmore said before unleashing a maniacal laugh. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 11 June 2026 Bardem is captivating and formidable, grinning with maniacal glee at his every act of depravity and the fear and anguish of his victims. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for maniacal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for maniacal

Adjective

But a poor reaction to her recovery medication kicked off a psychotic episode.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
Psychiatric disorders are generally divided into mood disorders and psychotic disorders, Osborne said; postpartum psychosis is a mood disorder, in which mood symptoms accompany psychotic symptoms.

— Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of psychotic

Adjective

The new season has been absolutely insane through four episodes as the hunt to save Joe (Zoe Saldaña) from her kidnappers is underway.

— David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
If Gigi is malintentioned and insane and a homewrecker, there’s no story, right?

— Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of insane

Adjective

But throughout that, and much more important than the rivalry and being mad at each other or whatever, is just this absolute unending love.

— Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
What mad honey does to the human body When a human eats more than about a teaspoon of this honey, the toxin interferes with how the heart muscle generates its electrical signals.

— Prayan Pokharel, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of mad

Adjective

Subsequent research actually backed him up, finding that habitual calculator use before students had internalized basic arithmetic weakened their mental fluency and fact retrieval.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026
When discussing his current mental state, Jake was forthcoming about how difficult this time period has been.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of mental

Browse Nearby Words

maniac

maniacal

maniacs

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“Maniacal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maniacal. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of maniacal

adjective

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