# maniac

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmeɪ.niˌæk/ · frequency rank #21,854

## Definitions
1. An insane person, especially one who suffers from a mania.
2. A fanatic, a person with an obsession.
3. Ellipsis of sex maniac.

## Etymology
From mania + -ac. Borrowed from French maniaque, from Late Latin maniacus, from Ancient Greek μανιακός (maniakós), adjectival form of μανία (manía, “madness”). Compare manic.

## Easily confused with
- **Maria** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/maniac-vs-maria)
- **manic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/maniac-vs-manic)
- **Matic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/maniac-vs-matic)
- **manta** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/maniac-vs-manta)
- **manna** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/maniac-vs-manna)
- **manual** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/maniac-vs-manual)
- **Manila** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/maniac-vs-manila)
- **Marian** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/maniac-vs-marian)
- **Mariah** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/maniac-vs-mariah)
- **menial** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/maniac-vs-menial)
- **maniacal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/maniac-vs-maniacal)
- **mana** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mana-vs-maniac)
- **mani** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mani-vs-maniac)
- **Maia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/maia-vs-maniac)
- **magic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/magic-vs-maniac)
- **manga** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manga-vs-maniac)
- **Mafia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mafia-vs-maniac)
- **mania** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mania-vs-maniac)
- **Malia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malia-vs-maniac)
- **Malian** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/malian-vs-maniac)

## Common misspellings (8)
`amniac`, `mainac`, `manaic`, `maniacc`, `manica`, `manniac`, `mmaniac`, `mnaiac`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/maniac