Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
pyromaniac

pyromaniac

5 9.7
A person who feels a strong need to set fires
  • noun
  • /ˌpaɪrəˈmeɪniæk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : piromaniaco
  • We notice in the crowd Max, the celebrity-crazed pyromaniac.

Allegedly Ronald McDonald was trying to burn you to death that pyromaniac.

Examples

  • The attention-seeking pyromaniac who Jordy threw out of his office.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • There's a kid on the street that's a pyromaniac.

    Eight Days a Week (1997)

  • I went through a pyromaniac phase as a kid.

    Snakes on a Plane (2006)

  • More specifically, his pathology is that of a pyromaniac.

    Blog text (20)

  • My mother, the pyromaniac, watched as the cellophane flared and died, the bitter odor of burning plastic a sudden, sharp note in the air.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The detective investigated the case of a pyromaniac who had been setting fires throughout the neighborhood.

  • After numerous incidents, the therapist finally recognized that he was treating a pyromaniac with a dangerous obsession.

  • The news reported an arrest of a suspected pyromaniac responsible for multiple arson attacks this summer.

Synonyms

arsonist
vspyromaniac
34 5.8

A person who illegally sets fire to buildings or other property to damage them

is caused by a compulsive psychological disorder rather than mainly criminal intent
pyro
vspyromaniac
  • Slang
5 9.9

A person who is very interested in fire or who sets things on fire

is driven by a clinical compulsion to start fires rather than mere fascination
firebug
vspyromaniac
  • Informal
3 9.3

A person who starts fires on purpose to damage buildings or other property

is motivated by a psychological compulsion rather than primarily by crime
torcher
vspyromaniac
9.9

A person who starts fires on purpose

is specifically driven by an uncontrollable psychological urge rather than mere deliberate action

Surface Forms

pyromaniac singular
pyromaniacs plural

Morphology

pyromaniac = maniac (semi-transparent) = pyro + maniac

The meaning is fairly compositional from 'pyro-' meaning fire and 'maniac' meaning an obsessively driven person, but the term is somewhat specialized.

Etymology

The word pyromaniac comes from two Greek parts: pyro- 'fire', as you see in pyrotechnics, and -mania 'madness' or 'a very strong desire', as you see in Beatlemania. So a pyromaniac is someone who has a strong wish to set fires that they often cannot control.