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megalomania

megalomania

5 9.9
A strong false belief that you are more powerful and important than you are
  • noun
  • /ˌmɛɡəloʊˈmeɪniə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : megalomanía
  • The politician's megalomania led him to believe he could control everything in the country.
  • megalomania and paranoia

Examples

  • I, Lussein, who is clearly in the grip of two identifiable psychiatric conditions: megalomania and paranoia.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • And our home has, in fundamental ways, been polluted by avarice and political megalomania.

  • Perhaps it is something like megalomania, but of a kind that helps one become a better person.

    Academic text (2007)
  • Such a belief, you might say, would be a form of megalomania, and you would be right; but there is a lot of it about.

    Academic text (1991)
  • There was none of the megalomania she had expected, no arrogance.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The young man's aberration may be a mild megalomania.

  • Your lack of curiosity is merely an extension of your narcissism, your megalomania, your egotistical view of the world.

  • Alexander's wisdom and rationality won out over the megalomania of the young architect.

    Academic text (2005)
  • When it comes to delusion, denial, and megalomania, India is certainly the sole superpower.

    Blog text (27)
  • Elaida clearly suffered from megalomania, both of the power-hungry and the delusions of grandeur type.

    Blog text (9)

Synonyms

delusions of grandeur
vsmegalomania
  • Specialized
9 9.0

A false belief that someone is much more important or powerful than they really are

is a broader clinical condition centered on persistent delusional fantasies of power
grandiosity
vsmegalomania
  • Specialized
1 7.9

Thinking that you are more important or powerful than others

is a clinical state involving fixed delusional beliefs rather than mere attitude
egomania
vsmegalomania
1 9.1

A very strong focus on yourself and your needs

is centered on delusional fantasies of power and omnipotence

Antonyms

105 3.8

Being modest and not thinking you are better than other people

21 4.6

Not feeling sure about what you can do or your decisions

How Grandiose

megalomania
  • Specialized
5 9.9
grandiosity
  • Specialized
1 7.9
egotism
7 6.1
arrogance
133 4.8

Surface Forms

megalomania singular
megalomanias plural

Morphology

megalomania = mania (semi-transparent) = mega + mania

The word is built transparently from mega- plus mania, but the psychiatric sense is specialized and somewhat more specific than the literal combination suggests.

Etymology

Megalomania comes from Greek parts mega- meaning 'great' and -mania meaning 'madness' or a strong obsession, the same 'mania' you see in 'maniac'. So megalomania literally means 'great madness' and explains why it describes an extreme, often unreal belief in your own power and importance.