m-a-n-i-a
MANIA is an intense enthusiasm or obsession, ranging from popular crazes to the clinical state of abnormally elevated mood in bipolar disorder. A solid 5-letter word with good vowel balance in Scrabble.
7
Points in Scrabble
Base tile values • No multipliers applied
MANIA encompasses both everyday enthusiasms and serious psychological states. In common usage, it describes intense, often irrational enthusiasm or obsession—from "Beatlemania" to "cryptocurrency mania." These cultural phenomena involve widespread, sometimes frenzied interest that can border on the obsessive.
In clinical psychology, mania is a defining feature of bipolar disorder, characterized by abnormally elevated mood, energy, and activity levels lasting at least one week. During manic episodes, individuals may experience euphoria, grandiosity, decreased need for sleep, racing thoughts, impulsive behavior, and poor judgment. This state differs profoundly from simply feeling happy or energetic—it's a serious condition requiring medical intervention.
The suffix "-mania" has become incredibly productive in English, creating countless compounds: kleptomania (compulsive stealing), pyromania (compulsive fire-setting), bibliomania (obsessive book collecting), and megalomania (obsession with power). These terms range from clinical conditions to playful descriptions of intense interests.
For Scrabble players, MANIA offers balanced scoring potential with its mix of common vowels and the moderate-value M tile (3 points). Its anagram potential and numerous extensions make it strategically flexible.
"Mania" derives from Ancient Greek μανία (manía), meaning "madness, frenzy, or enthusiasm." The Greek root connects to μαίνομαι (mainomai), "to rage or be furious," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *men- (to think), suggesting an agitated mental state.
The word's journey through languages:
In ancient Greece, mania wasn't always negative. Plato distinguished four types of divine mania: prophetic (Apollo), telestic/ritual (Dionysus), poetic (Muses), and erotic (Aphrodite). This positive "divine madness" was thought to bring humans closer to the gods through inspiration and ecstasy.
The medical use emerged in the 14th century, but systematic psychiatric classification began in the 19th century. The compound suffix "-mania" exploded in Victorian times, as psychiatrists and the public coined terms for every conceivable obsession. This productivity continues today—new "-manias" regularly enter the language to describe modern obsessions.
•"Tulip mania" (1637) was history's first recorded speculative bubble
•There are over 100 English words ending in "-mania"
•Ancient Greeks considered some forms of mania as divine gifts
"The city was gripped by World Cup mania as the home team advanced to the finals."
- Cultural phenomenon
"During his manic episode, he stayed awake for three days straight, writing a novel."
- Clinical context
Total base points: 7 (Scrabble)
Vowels: 3 | Consonants: 2
MANIA is an anagram of ANIMA, giving you flexibility based on board position. With three vowels and common consonants, it's easy to build from or extend.
• Anagrams: ANIMA (soul/spirit in psychology)
• Extensions: MANIAC, MANIAS, MANIC
• Compound potential: Can form many -MANIA words
• Hook plays: Add C for MANIC, S for plural
Kleptomania
Compulsive urge to steal without economic motive
Pyromania
Impulse control disorder involving fire-setting
Trichotillomania
Compulsive hair-pulling disorder
Megalomania
Obsession with grandiose or extravagant things
Bibliomania
Obsessive book collecting
Beatlemania
1960s fan frenzy for The Beatles
Pottermania
Harry Potter phenomenon
Cryptomania
Cryptocurrency investment obsession
History's first recorded speculative bubble occurred in the Dutch Golden Age. Tulip bulb prices skyrocketed to extraordinary levels—at peak, a single bulb cost more than a house. The crash devastated the Dutch economy and became a cautionary tale about market hysteria.
Britain's railway construction boom led to massive speculation. Investors poured money into proposed railway lines, many never built. The bubble's burst caused widespread financial ruin but left Britain with an extensive rail network.
These manias share common features: rapid price increases, widespread public participation, media frenzy, and eventual crash. They demonstrate how collective enthusiasm can override rational judgment, creating self-reinforcing cycles of excitement and speculation.
Be sensitive when using "mania." Clinical mania is a serious mental health condition, while cultural manias are enthusiasms. Context matters greatly.
Don't confuse MANIA with MANNA (biblical food). Also remember: MANIAC has a C, not MANIAK. The plural is MANIAS, not MANIAE.
Don't forget MANIA's anagram ANIMA (Jungian psychology term). Having two valid 5-letter arrangements of these letters doubles your placement options.
Practice unscrambling letters to find more high-scoring words like MANIA