maniaco
/maˈni.a.ko/
The Italian word for "maniac" is maniaco.
maniaco refers to an insane person. In modern Italian, it is frequently used to describe someone with obsessive or compulsive behaviors, such as a maniaco del controllo (control freak).
Meaning: insane person (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of maniaco is maniaci.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /maˈni.a.ko/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- In modern conversational Italian, calling someone a maniaco without a qualifier often implies they are a sexual deviant or a pervert rather than just mentally ill.
- The word maniaco descends from the Ancient Greek word manía, which originally meant 'madness' or 'divine frenzy'.
- Italian uses maniaco in the phrase maniaco della pulizia to describe a 'clean freak', turning a clinical term into a common personality label.
Examples in context
- Lei è un maniaco?Are you a maniac?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is a maniac.Tatoeba #5220393 by Guybrush88, translation #3691073 by deyta
- Tom è un maniaco.Tom is a maniac.This sentence is useful for stating that Tom is a maniac.Tatoeba #6998537 by Guybrush88, translation #1494213 by Spamster
- Chi è quel maniaco?Who's that maniac?This sentence is useful for asking who a certain maniac is.Tatoeba #8376790 by Guybrush88, translation #6004024 by mailohilohi
- Sono un po' pazzo per la musica rock.I'm a bit of a maniac for rock music.
- Quel tizio è un maniaco della pulizia.That guy is a cleaning maniac.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Lorenzo are discussing a strange character in a movie.
- SofiaQuel personaggio è un vero maniaco!That character is a real maniac!
- LorenzoSì, Lorenzo pensa che sia pericoloso.Yes, Lorenzo thinks he is dangerous.
- SofiaNon posso credere che sia un maniaco così.I can't believe he is such a maniac.
- LorenzoÈ proprio un film spaventoso, Sofia.It is really a scary movie, Sofia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “maniac” translations and entries maniaco, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries maniaco, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
