adj

maniacal

muh-NEYE-uhkl

Maniacal (adj) means Wildly frenzied or behaving like a madman. Example: “The villain let out a maniacal laugh before slamming the door.”

adj

Wildly frenzied or behaving like a madman.

"The villain let out a maniacal laugh before slamming the door."

How to use maniacal

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishBehaving in a wild, frenzied, crazy way.

Common pairings

maniacal laugh maniacal grin

more maniacal comparative, most maniacal superlative

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Can you complete this real example?

The villain let out a _____ laugh before slamming the door.

Built from maniac plus the adjective suffix -al, ultimately from Greek maniakos.

Origin: Greek

What does “maniacal” mean?

The word “maniacal” means wildly frenzied or behaving like a madman. In plain terms, behaving in a wild, frenzied, crazy way.

How do you pronounce “maniacal”?

“Maniacal” is pronounced muh-NEYE-uhkl (/məˈnaɪək(ə)l/ in IPA).

How do you use “maniacal” in a sentence?

Here is “maniacal” used in a sentence: “The villain let out a maniacal laugh before slamming the door.”

What part of speech is “maniacal”?

“Maniacal” is an adjective.

Where does the word “maniacal” come from?

The word “maniacal” comes from Greek. Built from maniac plus the adjective suffix -al, ultimately from Greek maniakos.