mania - WordReference.com Dictionary of English (original) (raw)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ma•ni•a /ˈmeɪniə, ˈmeɪnyə/USA pronunciation n., pl. -ni•as.

1. excitement for something;
   craze: [countable]a mania for rock stars.[uncountable]car mania.
2. Psychiatry[uncountable] a mental illness in which the victim suffers from over-excitedness, too much activity and talkativeness, and confused judgment.

-mania, suffix.

1. -mania is attached to roots to form nouns with the meaning "great or strong enthusiasm for (the element of the root)'':biblio- (= book) + -mania → bibliomania (= excessive or strong interest in or enthusiasm for books).

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ma•ni•a (mā′nē ə, mān′yə),USA pronunciation n.

1. excessive excitement or enthusiasm;
   craze:The country has a mania for soccer.
2. PsychiatrySee manic disorder.

• Greek manía madness; akin to maenad, mind
• Latin
• Middle English 1350–1400

Ma•ni•a (mā′nē ə, mān′yə),USA pronunciation n.

1. Mythologyan ancient Roman goddess of the dead.

-mania,

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).

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

mania /ˈmeɪnɪə/ n

1. a disorder characterized by euphoria and excitement
   See also
2. an obsessional enthusiasm or partiality Etymology: 14th Century: via Late Latin from Greek: madness

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

-mania n combining form

1. indicating extreme desire or pleasure of a specified kind or an abnormal excitement aroused by something: kleptomania, nymphomania, pyromania Etymology: from mania

'mania' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):