megalomania

noun

meg·​a·​lo·​ma·​nia ˌme-gə-lō-ˈmā-nē-ə How to pronounce megalomania (audio)
-nyə
1
: a mania (see mania sense 2a) for great or grandiose performance
an outburst of wildly extravagant commercial megalomaniaThe Times Literary Supplement (London)
2
: a delusional mental illness that is marked by feelings of personal omnipotence and grandeur
megalomaniac adjective or noun
megalomaniacal adjective
or less commonly megalomanic
megalomaniacally adverb

Examples of megalomania in a Sentence

Their CEO has an arrogance that borders on megalomania.
Recent Examples on the Web Syphilis has been attributed by modern academics to the megalomania and violence of dictators and thugs and, equally, to the narcissism and creativity of artists and writers. Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 1 Apr. 2016 The ceremony has always been a mix of bad taste, earnest sincerity, theater-kid enthusiasm, and Hollywood megalomania. Vulture, 23 Feb. 2022 That this is offered as an amusing example of flair and determination instead of a warning about subterfuge and megalomania means that Hare has either fallen under the Great Man’s spell or wants to make sure the audience has. Jesse Green, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2022 Some of these clips are obscure; many more are world-famous stunts of rock-star megalomania. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2022 What really changed things was not Trump, but Putin’s megalomania. Tom McTague, The Atlantic, 2 July 2022 But such a policy, debatable only a few months ago, now seems almost impossible—destroyed by Putin’s bloody megalomania. Tom McTague, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2022 Vladimir Putin’s territorial ambitions, his ruthless crackdowns of any and all dissent, his megalomania and determination to hold onto power at all costs were hardly being concealed. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 25 Feb. 2022 Maybe megalomania is a key requirement for people to start a game-changing company. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 21 Feb. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'megalomania.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

megalo- + -mania, after German Megalomanie or French mégalomanie

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 21

Time Traveler
The first known use of megalomania was in 1881

Dictionary Entries Near megalomania

Cite this Entry

“Megalomania.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/megalomania. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

megalomania

noun
meg·​a·​lo·​ma·​nia ˌmeg-ə-lō-ˈmā-nē-ə, -nyə How to pronounce megalomania (audio)
: a delusional mental illness that is marked by feelings of personal omnipotence and grandeur

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