nutty

adjective

nut·​ty ˈnə-tē 

nuttier; nuttiest

1

: having or producing nuts

nutty trees

2

: having a flavor like that of nuts

a nutty sauce

3

: eccentric, silly

a nutty professor

nutty ideas

also, sometimes offensive : mentally unsound

nuttily

ˈnə-tə-lē 

adverb

… the movie is so nuttily untethered to any semblance of reality that it's almost enjoyable.

—Elisabeth Vincentelli

nuttiness noun

The menu includes dishes like a rich pecan soup whose nuttiness is offset by chipotle chilies and tomatoes.

—Matt Lee et al.

It's not just Marlon Brando's nuttiness that makes this special—it's the gusto with which he wallows in his own nuttiness.

—Karen Schoemer

Synonyms of nutty

• silly
• stupid
• insane
• crazy
• foolish
• absurd
• mad
• idiotic
• lunatic
• irrational
• loony
• zany
• wacky

Examples of nutty in a Sentence

candy with a nutty taste

the only other prisoner in the dungeon was a nutty soul who feasted on bugs

Recent Examples on the Web

By Day 5 your starter should be bubbly, double in size in a day, and smell nutty and sour. — Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Aug. 2026

Classic notes are also growing up this season—tonka is vanilla’s more interesting older sister, able to shift from woody to dry to nutty, depending on the present company. — Loren Savini, Allure, 22 Aug. 2026

But … There’s one nutty little difference between Romano’s saves and what those other men did. — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Some eggs are clean and bright (say, Siberian caviar); others are creamy, nutty, deeply savory, or more persistent (à la golden osetra). — Felipe Riccio, Robb Report, 15 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for nutty

• cutty
• putty

Kids Definition

nutty

adjective

nut·​ty ˈnət-ē 

nuttier; nuttiest

1

: containing or suggesting nuts (as in flavor)

2

: not showing good sense

also, sometimes offensive : mentally unbalanced

nuttiness noun