cockamamy

adjective

ˌkä-kə-ˈmā-mē How to pronounce cockamamy (audio)
variants or cockamamie
as in ridiculous
so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter a cockamamy plan that could only have been dreamt up by a cartoonish mad scientist

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cockamamy Affleck directs and stars as Tony Mendez, a CIA exfiltration specialist who comes up with a cockamamie scheme to free a group of hostages hiding in the home of a Canadian diplomat. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cockamamy
  1. ridiculous
  2. absurd
  3. silly
  4. pathetic
  5. foolish
  6. stupid
Adjective
  • In fact, a Texas jury once found that an alligator mascot infringed the beaver, so nobody should assume a judge shares their sense of the ridiculous.
    — Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Throughout the evacuation, Olya fixates on the fact that men aged 18 to 60 are barred from leaving, all the while wearing a ridiculous big fluffy hat that seems to protect her more from the societal meltdown around her than from the cold.
    — Sonya Vseliubska, IndieWire, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of ridiculous
Adjective
  • The show explores the darkly absurd side of modern-day male friendship.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Just absurd, and all happening in his first full season in the majors.
    — Matt Piper, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of absurd
Adjective
  • Every season of Strange New Worlds has featured at least one episode that emphasizes Star Trek’s silly side (and this may not be the last such outing in season four).
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The silly yellow fruit that became a part of their culture was freighted, from the start, with suggestive meaning.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of silly
Adjective
  • North Texas Howard WKU Northwestern Rutgers Nebraska That's a pathetic first six weeks.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026
  • Despite the Warriors operating with a pathetic sense of self-mortification — bending over backward for the mere possibility the King might grace them with his presence — the power of friendship wasn’t enough to lure James to the Bay.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 24 July 2026
Definition of pathetic
Adjective
  • Drawing definitive conclusions from pre-season is foolish — but Lacey has shown his close control, pace, and scored an excellent goal in the previous friendly against Rosenborg.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Johnson continued this week to push for his foolish and counterproductive desire to impose a $33-per-month tax on each Chicago job generated by the city’s largest private-sector employers.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026
Definition of foolish
Adjective
  • The case that American leadership in this technology carries a genuine security dimension has never looked stupid to me.
    — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The women are in stupid costumes (Heather Gay is dressed as a leprechaun at one point) and yelling at one another for yet-unknown reasons.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of stupid

Browse Nearby Words

cockalorums
cockamamy
cock a snook (at)
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Cite this Entry

“Cockamamy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cockamamy. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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