zany

noun

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za·ny | \ ˈzā-nē

plural zanies

Definition of zany

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a subordinate clown or acrobat in old comedies who mimics ludicrously the tricks of the principal : merry-andrew

2 : a slavish follower : toady

3a : one who acts the buffoon to amuse others

b : nut, kook

zany

adjective

zanier; zaniest

Definition of zany (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : being or having the characteristics of a zany

2 : fantastically or absurdly ludicrous a zany movie

Other Words from zany Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about zany

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Did You Know?

Noun

Zanies have been theatrical buffoons since the heyday of the Italian commedia dell’arte, which introduced those knavish clowns. The Italian zanni was a stock servant character, often an intelligent and proud valet with abundant common sense, a love of practical jokes, and a tendency to be quarrelsome, cowardly, envious, vindictive, and treacherous. Zanni, the Italian name for the character, comes from a dialect nickname for Giovanni, the Italian form of John. The character quickly spread throughout European theater circles, inspiring such familiar characters as Pierrot and Harlequin, and by the late 1500s an anglicized version of the noun "zany" was introduced to English-speaking audiences by no less a playwright than William Shakespeare (in Loveas Labouras Lost).

Examples of zany in a Sentence

Noun hired a zany to entertain the children at the birthday party one of the challenges of hosting a radio call-in program is preventing the zanies from completely taking over the discussion Adjective a zany plan to drive cross-country on a motorized scooter

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun At Nickelodeon’s zany Kids Choice Awards, on social media, and in the front rows of Paris, the fashions were optimistic. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, "This Week, the Best Dressed Stars Were Ready for Spring," 15 Mar. 2021 One is a meditative journey to the Oregon frontier; the other a zany, time-bending rom-com. — Nate Jones, Vulture, "Before Cristin Milioti and John Magaro Starred in Two of 2020’s Best Films, There Was This Coke Ad," 15 Jan. 2021 Earlier in the week, the streamer debuted its latest bit of awards show bait, Pieces of a Woman starring The Crown alum Vanessa Kirby, and the zany, Nicolas Cage-hosted, History of Swear Words. — Ariana Romero, refinery29.com, "You Have 7 New Netflix Treats To Binge This Week — Here’s What’s Worth Watching," 10 Jan. 2021 Forget the zany, out-there stuff (for now at least). — Washington Post, "A feel for the game," 2 Nov. 2020 The zaniest of the zanies, and one of Grimm’s favorites to play, is Dahlia Whitney, the murder victim’s wife. — Myrna Petlicki, chicagotribune.com, "'Murder for Two' is a two-man show with one actor playing 12 roles," 3 July 2018 In Tasmania, the idea gradually turned into a bit of a joke: the island’s very own Bigfoot, with its own zany, rivalrous fraternities of seekers and true believers. — Brooke Jarvis, The New Yorker, "The Obsessive Search for the Tasmanian Tiger," 16 Jan. 2012 This is a cast of zanies, all vying for center stage. — David Lyman, Cincinnati.com, "Wanna see 'Clue' onstage? 'Murder For Two' might be for you," 11 May 2018 His zany, foul-mouthed Mayor Adam West first appeared during the second season of the hit Fox show and has been recurring ever since. — Los Angeles Times Staff, latimes.com, "A Star Is Born: Natalie Portman turns 36 today," 9 June 2017 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Pinot Gris also can pair with some chicken dishes, just don’t get too zany with the spices. — Marc Bona, cleveland, "Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris – what’s it about? Wine guide to flavors, prices, facts," 11 Apr. 2021 The crime was reportedly payback for the studio’s 2014 comedy portraying a zany plot to assassinate Kim Jong-un. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, "These are the largest cyber thefts of the past decade—and 80% of them involve Bitcoin," 7 Apr. 2021 Why does Visa care about this fledgling, zany part of the economy at all? — Robert Hackett, Fortune, "That settles it: Visa is making life way easier for crypto businesses," 29 Mar. 2021 Yet the movie spent much of its time simply serving as a zany showcase for Murphy and Arsenio Hall, spending ample time in the makeup chair for their barber-shop characters and more. — Brian Lowry, CNN, "'Coming 2 America' brings Eddie Murphy back, riding a wave of nostalgia," 4 Mar. 2021 The production was an instant hit with Bay Area theatergoers, who were eager to welcome back these zany political satirists at a time when there was so much insanity to skewer. — Charles Mcnulty, Los Angeles Times, "Theaters hit the one-year anniversary of shutdown. How are artists keeping afloat?," 2 Mar. 2021 By the time Novak starts crying on air, trying to explain the sublime pain of eating a melting ice cream cone, POOG feels less like a zany brunch and more like a religion. — Jenny Singer, Glamour, "The 25 Best Podcasts for Women," 3 Mar. 2021 She’s game for all the over-the-top and zany shoots offered to her, and takes every task seriously. — Natalie Morin, refinery29.com, "HBO Made Dominique Druckman A Fake Influencer. What Happens Now That Her Followers Know?," 3 Feb. 2021 And, most memorably, there was Kamala Harris’s twenty-one-year-old stepdaughter, Ella Emhoff, who is studying textile design at Parsons and whose Instagram has become a zany showcase for her raver-meets-cottage core sense of style. — Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, "Jewel Tones and Bernie Sanders’s Mittens: Inauguration Day Fashion 2021," 21 Jan. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'zany.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.