Word
manic
Phoneticsman·ic
US/ˈmænɪk/
UK/mˈænɪk/
Definition
adj. behaving in a very excited, busy, or nervous way. It describes someone who has too much energy and cannot stay still or calm.
adj. characterised by or exhibiting extreme excitement, energy, or frantic activity. Often used to describe a state of high-pressure work or a person's erratic behavior during a period of intense stress.
Examples
“The office was manic just before the big deadline.”
“After three days without sleep, he had a manic look in his eyes and spoke far too quickly.”
“The director's manic energy on set was both inspiring and exhausting, as he demanded constant revisions and refused to break for meals until every shot was perfect.”
Examples
simple
“The office was manic just before the big deadline.”
contextual
“After three days without sleep, he had a manic look in his eyes and spoke far too quickly.”
complex
“The director's manic energy on set was both inspiring and exhausting, as he demanded constant revisions and refused to break for meals until every shot was perfect.”
Usage
Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'be', 'become', or 'seem'.
Real-World Examples
“The lead single from her second album, That Day, was a free-verse stream-of-consciousness that sounded like a manic inner monologue.” Etymology
From mania + -ic; Ancient Greek μανικός (manikós). Compare maniac.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.