An irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action.

synonyms: cacoethes, passion.

Roget 503: disordered reason, disordered intellect; diseased mind, unsound mind, abnormal mind; derangement, unsoundness; psychosis; neurosis; cognitive disorder; affective disorder^†.    insanity, lunacy; madness etc. adj.; mania, rabies, furor, mental alienation, aberration; paranoia, schizophrenia; dementation^†, dementia, demency^†; phrenitis^†, phrensy^†, frenzy, raving, incoherence, wandering, delirium, calenture of the brain^†; delusion, hallucination; lycanthropy^†; brain storm^†.    vertigo, dizziness, swimming; sunstroke, coup de soleil [Fr.], siriasis^†.    fanaticism, infatuation, craze; oddity, eccentricity, twist, monomania (caprice) 608; kleptodipsomania^†; hypochondriasis [Med.] etc. (low spirits) 837; melancholia, depression, clinical depression, severe depression; hysteria; amentia^†.    screw loose, tile loose, slate loose; bee in one's bonnet, rats in the upper story.    dotage etc. (imbecility) 499.    ... show more

Roget 865: desire, wish, fancy, fantasy; want, need, exigency.    mind, inclination, leaning, bent, animus, partiality, penchant, predilection; propensity etc. 820; willingness etc. 602; liking, love, fondness, relish.    longing, hankering, inkling; solicitude, anxiety; yearning, coveting; aspiration, ambition, vaulting ambition; eagerness, zeal, ardor, empressement [Fr.], breathless impatience, overanxiety; impetuosity, etc. 825.    appetite, appetition^†, appetence^†, appetency^†; sharp appetite, keenness, hunger, stomach, twist; thirst, thirstiness; drouth, mouthwatering; itch, itching; prurience, cacoethes [Lat.], cupidity, lust, concupiscence.    edge of appetite, edge of hunger; torment of Tantalus; sweet tooth, lickerish tooth^†; itching palm; longing eye, wistful eye, sheep's eye.    [excessive desire for money] greed etc. 817.1. voracity etc. (gluttony) 957.    passion, rage, furore^†, mania, manie^†; inextinguishable desire; dipsomania, kleptomania.    [Person who desires] lover, amateur, votary, devotee, aspirant, solicitant, candidate, applicant, supplicant; cormorant etc. 957.    [Object of desire] desideratum; want etc. (requirement) 630; a consummation devoutly to be wished;" attraction, magnet, allurement, fancy, temptation, seduction, fascination, prestige, height of one's ambition, idol; whim, whimsy, whimsey^†; maggot; hobby, hobby-horse.    Fortunatus's cap; wishing cap, wishing stone, wishing well.    ... show more

Polish: mania

A mood disorder; an affective disorder in which the victim tends to respond excessively and sometimes violently.

synonym: manic disorder.

Dutch: manie
Polish: pierdolec