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crackpot 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of crackpotnext
as in foolish
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment a crackpot scheme to get rich quick

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

crackpot

2 of 2

noun

ˈkrak-ˌpät How to pronounce crackpot (audio)
as in eccentric
a person of odd or whimsical habits everyone is tolerant of the town crackpot, a man who never hurt anyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 crackpot
Adjective
There's opinion journalism, and then there are crackpot theories that get in the way of legitimacy. — Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2026 And this bawdy crowd-pleaser at least has the courage of its crackpot convictions. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Noun
The crackpots are the mainstream. — David Frum, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025 Rather than offer compassion or understanding, the mayor chose to repost a conspiratorial crackpot and a cruel, inaccurate meme. — Dean Kertesz, Mercury News, 30 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crackpot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for crackpot
  1. foolish
  2. eccentric
  3. stupid
  4. character
  5. silly
  6. wacko
  7. insane
  8. kook
Adjective
  • Cousins made two foolish mistakes, on the interceptions by Trader and Taaffe.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026
  • That game is too important, and holding someone back for a hypothetical Game 3 might be foolish regardless.
    — Matt Gelb, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of foolish
Noun
  • The public reckonings with these figures’ legacies—the troubled former child star gone too soon, the beloved icon, the cult favorite, the complicated eccentric—have come in a cascade.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Make sure to practice a full range of motion with these and emphasize the eccentric (the way down) part of the movement for maximal time under tension and muscle-building stimulus.
    — Jakob Roze, HEALTH, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of eccentric
Adjective
  • The humor is like laughing about something that was just so stupid, or something that was so traumatic.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • That’s the problem with all of your arguments and stupid comments.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of stupid
Noun
  • However, the irregular architecture, surviving wooden beams, and 15th-century chapel lend certain spaces genuine local character.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Those scenes play as if the screenwriters gave up on trying to resolve the twisty plot, instead just making their characters tell all, leaving the film’s denouement much less engrossing than its setup.
    — Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of character
Adjective
  • That being said, the Ravens offense made the Colts look silly.
    — Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Barisone’s proposition was that everything that followed—months of living and working together, silly texts—was done in the shadow of that threat.
    — Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of silly
Noun
  • People who see ghosts tend to see the same ghost wafting down the same staircase, but none of the characters populating Leo’s wacko hallucinations have returned for a repeat perfor-mance.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
  • This wacko crew was one of the greatest things in the history of television.
    — Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Definition of wacko
Adjective
  • That everyone commits so fearlessly — and with such straight faces — to the Zellners’ berserk world-building is a joy to behold, aided by a terrific jukebox soundtrack and a chaotic, entropic plot that builds and builds to insane levels of carnage.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Sure, this sounds insane, but the real insanity is how much New York mismanages its education system and how little attention the problem receives in Albany.
    — Zilvinas "Z" Silenas, New York Daily News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of insane
Noun
  • Halaena can tell that something’s up with mummy, but that kook’s never been too concerned with matters of court.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 22 June 2026
  • After Kent’s resignation, Republican hawks denounced him as a kook and a traitor to the cause, without touching on the delicate question of why Trump appointed such a disreputable figure in the first place.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Definition of kook

Browse Nearby Words

crack (on)
crackpot
crackpots
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Cite this Entry

“Crackpot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/crackpot. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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