cuckoo 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of cuckoonext
as in mad
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment offered a completely cuckoo suggestion for using the defunct strip mall

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

cuckoo

2 of 2

noun

ˈkü-(ˌ)kü How to pronounce cuckoo (audio)
1
as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment one cuckoo at the campground tried to boil soup in a plastic cup

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in goose
a silly flighty person didn't want to be among those cuckoos who race around the mall the day before Christmas

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 cuckoo
Adjective
In the Disney film, Geppetto is a maker of toys and cuckoo clocks living in a vaguely European half-timber house. — Perri Klass, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 May 2022 In the midst of such cuckoo-ness, my son, Isaac, and daughter-in-law, Lennon, had the courage to bring a child into this world. — New York Times, 15 Mar. 2022
Noun
There in Bauhus’s office, a cuckoo springs out of the little house on the wall—that sleek, modern clock, missing the detail of tradition but still gesturing at something. — Kendra Atleework, Longreads, 12 Mar. 2026 Under the current Gateway plan, those repairs don’t happen until 2040, which is cuckoo, especially if imminent failure is feared. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 16 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cuckoo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cuckoo
  1. mad
  2. lunatic
  3. goose
  4. foolish
  5. fool
  6. silly
  7. stupid
  8. maniac
Adjective
  • But Carveout 2160 is a new IP in snowboarding, which was responsible for the fastest and maddest games of the era.
    — Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
  • Tamra is right; Shannon and some of the other cast are looking for things to get mad about, taking tiny things and blowing them up.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 24 July 2026
Definition of mad
Noun
  • While sane Americans were celebrating the MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, the lunatics in Portland, Oregon were cheering along as two men made out on a baseball field during a 'Heated Rivalry' theme night.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 July 2026
  • As a Spurs fan, I was particularly invested in Campbell in an England shirt and recall charging around the living room like a lunatic before the reality that it had been chalked off hit home.
    — The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 18 June 2026
Definition of lunatic
Noun
  • They were provided by a speedy and adventurous black squirrel, who spent the better part of an inning on and around the playing field and at one point led an army of ground crew members on a wild goose — uh, squirrel — chase in right field.
    — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2026
  • The shows featured a continuous storyline surrounding her string of black pearls being lost and found, sending her on a goose chase that began with The Nanny and continued into Can’t Hurry Love, Murphy Brown and High Society.
    — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
Definition of goose
Adjective
  • Doing it for a guy who was closer to average last year and got outplayed by his backup is probably downright foolish.
    — Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 22 July 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
Noun
  • Projecting how a college quarterback will pan out often proves a fool’s errand, despite how many people have dedicated their livelihoods to trying.
    — Antonio Morales, New York Times, 21 July 2026
  • Don’t let the thin sole fool you though, the structure is still quite supportive and keeps your feet cushioned.
    — Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 11 July 2026
Definition of fool
Noun
  • It was shot in portrait because it was shot in Instagram by and for a woman who was losing her mind in quarantine and had fully let the sillies take the wheel.
    — Ego Nwodim, TIME, 12 Feb. 2025
  • Some more sillies from last night’s GRAMMY nominees reception.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
Definition of silly
Adjective
  • Parametric modeling, especially when weighted down with decades of AutoCAD’s stupid UI/UX choices, was even harder than programming.
    — Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 23 July 2026
  • The simplest explanation is that Vance believes his voters are stupid.
    — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
Definition of stupid
Noun
  • The odd thing about this choice is that, although the DSA’s platform is indeed chock-full of maniacal proposals, on this particular idea, the maniacs have a point.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
  • The Destroyer accelerates with the single-minded wilfulness of a homicidal maniac.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 July 2026
Definition of maniac

Browse Nearby Words

cubs
cuckoo
cuckoo clock
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Cite this Entry

“Cuckoo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cuckoo. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on cuckoo

Nglish: Translation of cuckoo for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cuckoo

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