mania

1 of 2

noun

ma·​nia ˈmā-nē-ə How to pronounce mania (audio)
-nyə
1
: excitement manifested by mental and physical hyperactivity, disorganization of behavior, and elevation of mood
specifically : the manic phase of bipolar disorder
2
a
: excessive or unreasonable enthusiasm
a mania for saving things
often used in combination
b
: the object of such enthusiasm
His current mania is football.

-mania

2 of 2

noun combining form

1
a
: mental illness
monomania
b
: excessive or abnormal propensity or desire
pyromania
trichotillomania
2
: absorbing interest : extreme enthusiasm
balletomania
bibliomania

Examples of mania in a Sentence

Noun She would typically experience a period of mania and then suddenly become deeply depressed. The entire city has been gripped by baseball mania.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
An essential difference is that episodes of bipolar mania cause symptoms at any time of the day and usually last for weeks or longer, while sundowning occurs in the evening hours. Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 18 Oct. 2024 Like Martin a decade before it, vampirism is presented as a possible mental illness, and Vampire’s Kiss further deepens the metaphor by making Cage’s increasing mania and lusting for women an extension of the toxic masculinity that dominated offices in the ‘80s and is still a terrible force today. James Grebey, TIME, 18 Oct. 2024 The quick-cutting editing technique paired with one of the greatest scores ever crafted and Norman Bates’s mania have solidified Psycho’s place in not just the horror canon, but the canon of all-time cinematic greats. B.j. Colangelo, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2024 Alcohol can make mania and psychosis even more extreme. Maya Richard-Craven, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mania 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "mental disorder, frenzy," borrowed from Late Latin, borrowed from Greek manía "madness, frenzy," noun derivative (with -ia -ia entry 1) from the base of maínomai, maínesthai "to rage, rave, be frenzied, be out of one's mind," going back to an Indo-European present stem *mn̥-i̯é- (from the verbal base *men- "form a thought"), whence also Old Irish doˑmoinethar "(s/he) supposes, expects," Sanskrit mányate "(s/he) thinks," Avestan mainiieṇte "(they) consider, take for"; also as stative verbs (< *mn̥-h2i̯é-?) Old Church Slavic mĭnjǫ, mĭněti "to think, suppose," Lithuanian miniù, minė́ti "to mention, commemorate" — more at mind entry 1

Noun combining form

borrowed from Greek -mania, combining form from manía "madness, frenzy" — more at mania

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mania was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near mania

Cite this Entry

“Mania.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mania. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

mania

noun
ma·​nia ˈmā-nē-ə How to pronounce mania (audio)
-nyə
1
: excitement that is expressed through excessive physical and mental activity and extreme cheerfulness
2
: excessive enthusiasm : craze
had a mania for saving things

Medical Definition

mania

noun
: excitement of psychotic proportions manifested by mental and physical hyperactivity, disorganization of behavior, and elevation of mood
specifically : the manic phase of bipolar disorder

More from Merriam-Webster on mania

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