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 odd thing about this choice is that, although the DSA’s platform is indeed chock-full of maniacal proposals, on this particular idea, the maniacs have a point. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026 Erling Haaland, Norway’s large, maniacal striker, has several exceedingly Norwegian traits. — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 30 June 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for maniacal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for maniacal

Adjective

Unfortunately, his doctor interprets all the screaming about an alien presence in Thomas’ head as a garden-variety psychotic breakdown, and remands him to a more secure facility.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
It may also be used to treat certain other psychotic conditions, such as psychosis arising in Parkinson disease.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of psychotic

Adjective

First and foremost, as a homeowner myself the property taxes are insane and continue to go up.

— Stephen Korka, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
That may be the name of her next album, but Venus’ insane popularity also speaks to the way Metropia is moving forward, constantly looking for the next shiny thing.

— Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of insane

Adjective

Richard Dawkins, the British evolutionary theorist and author of the groundbreaking best seller The Selfish Gene (1976), among many other books, appears to have gone a bit mad.

— James Gleick, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
Mel Brooks’ comedy The Producers also took a poke at that mad man with Springtime for Hitler.

— Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of mad

Adjective

Women naturally store less creatine than men, and during perimenopause and menopause, declining estrogen can take a toll on both muscle health and mental clarity.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 15 Oct. 2026
Steeped in therapy culture and financial literacy content, young Americans are fluent in boundary-setting and open to frank conversations about money and mental load.

— Grace Kelleher, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 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 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of maniacal

adjective

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