mania
n. C / Un. an extreme interest or excitement for something that many people share for a short time. It can also mean a mental state where someone feels very energetic and active in an unhealthy way.
n. an excessive enthusiasm or obsession with a specific activity or object; in a clinical context, a phase of bipolar disorder characterized by euphoria and hyperactivity.
The new video game caused a mania among teenagers.
During the tulip mania of the 17th century, the price of single bulbs reached extraordinary levels before the market crashed.
The psychiatrist noted that the patient's sudden burst of productivity was actually a symptom of mania, marked by a decreased need for sleep and rapid speech patterns.
Borrowed from Latin mania, from Ancient Greek μανία (manía, “madness”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Uncountable when referring to the clinical mental state; countable when describing a specific social trend or craze.
Last updated May 6, 2026