1
as in psychotic
having or showing a very abnormal or sick state of mind
a cuckoo woman who wandered around town carefully gathering up useless trash
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in foolish
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cuckoo
Frank Pallotta, CNN, 27 Sep. 2022
By peeping on cuckoo chicks during development, McClelland and her colleagues have homed in on one of the major strategies these birds, and several others like them, use to achieve their super-swole status at such a young age.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 26 Oct. 2021
Jared Del Rosso, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024
Two individual cuckoos were sighted or recorded in two separate locations on July 6 and July 25.
—Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 14 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cuckoo
Adjective
If that wasn’t enough, the internet went deeply cuckoo trying to figure out if Styles spat on co-star Chris Pine’s lap during the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
—Frank Pallotta, CNN, 27 Sep. 2022
By peeping on cuckoo chicks during development, McClelland and her colleagues have homed in on one of the major strategies these birds, and several others like them, use to achieve their super-swole status at such a young age.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 26 Oct. 2021
Noun
The loss of common cuckoos, meanwhile, means that spring arrives in the U.K. without its iconic song.
—Jared Del Rosso, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024
Two individual cuckoos were sighted or recorded in two separate locations on July 6 and July 25.
—Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 14 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cuckoo
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cuckoo
Adjective
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The counselor also told police Trotman had had a previous psychotic break in which he was found wandering the woods.—
Peter Hermann,
Washington Post,
7 Feb. 2023
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Lewis prescribed Price anti-psychotic medication after a mental health referral Sept. 1.—
Thomas Saccente,
Arkansas Online,
17 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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And this is not a story of corporate greed run amok, because Walmart would be foolish to try to gouge its customers at a time when economic anxiety is high (more on that in a moment).—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
16 May 2025
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Peters said the training from Wayne State's Institute of Gerontology has helped credit union employees to better frame probing questions that will get a positive response without making members feel foolish.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
Noun
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And a guinea pig, chickens, ducks, finches, a goose, rabbits, donkeys, pigs, a cow, goats, horses… Our family consisted of a menagerie of species.—
Chi Varnado,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2025
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On Easter Sunday, Duhamel took to Instagram and shared a video of himself in a blue suit removing a goose from the grille of his SUV.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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With his shock of spiky hair and adrenaline rushes, Smith turns a corporate villain into a lunatic new-wave frontman.—
Charles McNultyTheater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2023
-
The first personality is the lunatic, chaotic artist, with no limits.—
John Bleasdale,
Variety,
8 Dec. 2022
Adjective
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In one sense, this isn’t an entirely stupid proposition.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
3 May 2025
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Vel rails against the offender, saying her lover was the kind of warrior the Ghor rebels are trying to be and that her loss is both incalculable and stupid.—
Noel Murray,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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There’s a holy fool quality to the boy, who is the subject of teasing.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2025
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Hardly anyone would prefer to be made the fool — healthy skepticism can prevent you from clicking on a phishing link in an email or joining a multilevel marketing scheme — but a life of cynicism isn’t preferable either.—
Allie Volpe,
Vox,
7 May 2025
Noun
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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
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Some more sillies from last night’s GRAMMY nominees reception.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
4 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Contrary to popular belief, peanuts are actually not nuts.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA TODAY,
30 Mar. 2023
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Nonetheless, April 5, 2022, was nuts.—
Childs Walker,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Cuckoo.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cuckoo. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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