3 N‑COUNT If you call someone, for example, a religious maniac or a sports maniac , you are critical of them because they have such a strong interest in religion or sport. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ My mum is turning into a religious maniac. □ …football maniacs.
ma|nia|cal /məna I ək ə l/ ADJ If you describe someone's behaviour as maniacal , you mean that it is extreme, violent, or very determined, as if the person were insane. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He was almost maniacal in his pursuit of sporting records. □ She is hunched forward over the wheel with a maniacal expression. ● ma|nia|cal|ly /məna I əkli/ ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ He was last seen striding maniacally to the hotel reception.
man|ic /mæ n I k/
1 ADJ If you describe someone as manic , you mean that they do things extremely quickly or energetically, often because they are very excited or anxious about something. □ He was really manic. □ He seemed to have an almost manic energy. ● man|ic|al|ly /mæ n I kli/ ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ We cleaned the house manically over the weekend.
2 ADJ If you describe someone's smile, laughter, or sense of humour as manic , you mean that it seems excessive or strange, as if they were insane. □ …a manic grin.
ma nic-depre ssive (manic-depressives ) also manic depressive ADJ If someone is manic-depressive , they have a medical condition in which they sometimes feel excited and confident and at other times very depressed. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ She told them that her daughter-in-law was manic-depressive. ● N‑COUNT A manic-depressive is someone who is manic-depressive. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ Her mother is a manic depressive.
mani|cure /mæ n I kjʊə r / (manicures , manicuring , manicured ) VERB If you manicure your hands or nails, you care for them by softening your skin and cutting and polishing your nails. □ [V n] He was surprised to see how carefully she had manicured her broad hands. ● N‑COUNT Manicure is also a noun. □ I have a manicure occasionally.
mani|cured /mæ n I kjʊə r d/ ADJ [oft adv ADJ ] A manicured lawn, park, or garden has very short neatly cut grass. [WRITTEN ] □ …the manicured lawns of Government House.
mani|cur|ist /mæ n I kjʊər I st/ (manicurists ) N‑COUNT A manicurist is a person whose job is manicuring people's hands and nails.
mani|fest /mæ n I fest/ (manifests , manifesting , manifested )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you say that something is manifest , you mean that it is clearly true and that nobody would disagree with it if they saw it or considered it. [FORMAL ] □ …the manifest failure of the policies. □ There may be unrecognised cases of manifest injustice of which we are unaware. ● mani|fest|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ She manifestly failed to last the mile and a half of the race.
2 VERB If you manifest a particular quality, feeling, or illness, or if it manifests itself , it becomes visible or obvious. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] He manifested a pleasing personality on stage. □ [V pron-refl + in ] Their frustration and anger will manifest itself in crying and screaming. ● ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] Manifest is also an adjective. □ The same alarm is manifest everywhere.
mani|fes|ta|tion /mæ n I feste I ʃ ə n/ (manifestations ) N‑COUNT A manifestation of something is one of the different ways in which it can appear. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] Different animals in the colony had different manifestations of the disease.
mani|fes|to /mæ n I fe stoʊ/ (manifestos or manifestoes ) N‑COUNT [usu sing, usu with poss] A manifesto is a statement published by a person or group of people, especially a political party, or a government, in which they say what their aims and policies are. □ The Tories are currently drawing up their election manifesto.
mani|fold /mæ n I foʊld/ ADJ Things that are manifold are of many different kinds. [LITERARY ] □ Gaelic can be heard here in manifold forms.
ma|nila /mən I lə/ also manilla ADJ [ADJ n] A manila envelope or folder is made from a strong paper that is usually light brown.
ma|nipu|late /mən I pjʊle I t/ (manipulates , manipulating , manipulated )
1 VERB If you say that someone manipulates people, you disapprove of them because they skilfully force or persuade people to do what they want. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V n] He is a very difficult character. He manipulates people. □ [V n to-inf] She's always borrowing my clothes and manipulating me to give her money. □ [V n + into ] They have kids who manipulate them into buying toys. ● ma|nipu|la|tion /mən I pjʊle I ʃ ə n/ (manipulations ) N‑VAR □ [+ of ] …repeated criticism or manipulation of our mind.
2 VERB If you say that someone manipulates an event or situation, you disapprove of them because they use or control it for their own benefit, or cause it to develop in the way they want. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V n] She was unable, for once, to control and manipulate events. ● ma|nipu|la|tion N‑VAR □ …accusations of political manipulation.
3 VERB If you manipulate something that requires skill, such as a complicated piece of equipment or a difficult idea, you operate it or process it. □ [V n] The puppets are expertly manipulated by Liz Walker. ● ma|nipu|la|tion N‑VAR □ …science that requires only the simplest of mathematical manipulations.
4 VERB If someone manipulates your bones or muscles, they skilfully move and press them with their hands in order to push the bones into their correct position or make the muscles less stiff. □ [V n] The way he can manipulate my leg has helped my arthritis so much. ● ma|nipu|la|tion N‑VAR □ A permanent cure will only be effected by acupuncture, chiropractic or manipulation.