Mania

/ˈmeɪniə/

nounmedium📊CommonGeneral
2 meanings1 idiom/phrase2 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

Excessive enthusiasm, excitement, or obsession; a condition characterized by intense and often uncontrolled excitement or emotion.

/ˈmeɪniə/

nounneutralmedium
General

A state of extreme excitement or enthusiasm.

The Beatles mania swept the world in the 1960s.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're super excited about something, like a concert or a video game, to the point where you can't stop talking about it or doing it. That super-excited feeling, maybe even a little too much, is kinda like mania! Like, 'Wow, I have a cooking mania! I make the best pasta sauces!

👶 For kids: Mania is like being SUPER excited about something, maybe too much! Like you really, really, REALLY want to do something.

More Examples

2

The public developed a mania for collecting Beanie Babies.

3

He displayed signs of mania, including rapid speech and elevated mood.

How It's Used

General

"There was a media mania surrounding the new celebrity couple."

Psychology

"The patient experienced a manic episode characterized by excessive energy and inflated self-esteem."

2

A state of abnormally elevated arousal, affect, and energy level, or a state of abnormally elevated or irritable mood. Involves a disturbance in the regulation of mood and behavior.

/ˈmeɪniə/

nounnegativeAdvanced
Legal

A mood disorder

The patient was admitted to the hospital during a manic episode.

💡 Simply: In medicine, mania is when someone's mood is too high; they might be talking super fast, feel very energetic, or have trouble sleeping.

👶 For kids: In medicine, mania is when a person feels extremely happy, or they get very irritable.

More Examples

2

Mania is often associated with bipolar disorder.

3

Treatment for mania typically involves medication and therapy.

How It's Used

Psychiatry

"Bipolar disorder often includes manic episodes."

Tip:Mania is a medical term for a state of extreme mood elevation

Idioms & expressions

Beatlemania

The intense fan frenzy surrounding the Beatles.

"The concert was characterized by Beatlemania, with screaming fans and overwhelmed security."

From Greek *manía* ('madness, frenzy'), related to *mainesthai* ('to rage, be mad'). Initially used in medical contexts to describe a mental disorder, later broadened to other contexts.

The term 'mania' has existed in medical literature for centuries, evolving from general descriptions of madness to more specific diagnostic criteria.

Memory tip

Think of a 'man' who is excessively enthusiastic (mania).

Word Origin

LanguageGreek
Original meaning

"madness, frenzy"

manic episodemania forsigns of maniaBeatlemaniaa mania

Common misspellings

maneamanya

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written