mania

¹

[mey-nee-uh, meyn-yuh]

noun

1. excessive excitement or enthusiasm; craze.

   The country has a mania for soccer.

2. Psychiatry.,  manic disorder.

Mania

²

[mey-nee-uh, meyn-yuh]

noun

1. an ancient Roman goddess of the dead.

-mania

³

1. a combining form of mania (megalomania ); extended to mean “enthusiasm, often of an extreme and transient nature,” for that specified by the initial element (bibliomania ).

mania

¹

/ ˈmeɪnɪə /

noun

1. a mental disorder characterized by great excitement and occasionally violent behaviour See also manic-depressive

2. an obsessional enthusiasm or partiality

   a mania for mushrooms

-mania

²

combining form

1. indicating extreme desire or pleasure of a specified kind or an abnormal excitement aroused by something

   kleptomania

   nymphomania

   pyromania

mania

1. Violent, abnormal, or impulsive behavior. In psychological terms, mania is wild activity associated with manic depression.

A “mania” in popular terms is an intense enthusiasm or craze.

Other Word Forms

• hypermania noun
• submania noun
• -maniac combining form

Word History and Origins

Origin of mania¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin, from Greek manía “madness”; akin to maenad, mind

Word History and Origins

Origin of mania¹

C14: via Late Latin from Greek: madness

Origin of mania²

from _mania

Example Sentences

Baron comes not to bury the Mars mania, but to examine the reasons why we choose to believe what we believe.

From Los Angeles Times

With just over two weeks before full Oasis mania descends on Los Angeles, if this warm-up act is any indication, September’s sure to be electric.

From Los Angeles Times

Gunn’s brother Sean, who plays Maxwell Lord in the movie, was a bit more open with his criticisms of right-wing mania.

From Salon

"Families fall apart because of the mania more than the depression," says Prof Geddes.

From BBC

A dependable upsetter of expectations, Ramsay tries something completely different here, pushing an actor to the very edge of mania and dislocation.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• craving 
• craze 
• craziness 
• enthusiasm 
• fad 
• fascination 
• frenzy 
• infatuation 
• lunacy 
• obsession 
• passion 
• rage 

When To Use

What does -mania mean?

The combining form -mania is used like a suffix meaning literally “mania,” often in the sense of "enthusiasm, often of an extreme or transient nature." It is often used in scientific and technical terms, especially in psychology.The form -mania comes from Greek manía, meaning “madness.” Latin has three translations for manía: dēmentia, furor, and rabiēs, all meaning “madness.” Find out more at our entries for dementia, furor, and rabies.