as in eccentric
a person of odd or whimsical habits
if you insist on painting your house bright orange, everyone will assume you are a kook
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 kook
What so many of these talking heads have in common—legitimate experts, well-meaning journalists, and kooks alike—is how costly their recommendations are.
—
CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
The kooks of that age believed that Iran-Contra was only just an inkling of the secret government behind the scenes that was preparing to herd Americans into prison camps.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 7 Oct. 2025
At the rose ceremony, Mel hands roses to Roxanne, Debbie, Gerri, Monica P., Monica B., Carol, Peg, Nicolle (of course), Robin, Amy and Terri, with Alexandra the kook among those going home.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 24 Sep. 2025
Not the crazy aunt/spell-casting kook who’s going to be film fans’ top Halloween costume this year.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kook
CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026
The kooks of that age believed that Iran-Contra was only just an inkling of the secret government behind the scenes that was preparing to herd Americans into prison camps.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 7 Oct. 2025
At the rose ceremony, Mel hands roses to Roxanne, Debbie, Gerri, Monica P., Monica B., Carol, Peg, Nicolle (of course), Robin, Amy and Terri, with Alexandra the kook among those going home.
—Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 24 Sep. 2025
Not the crazy aunt/spell-casting kook who’s going to be film fans’ top Halloween costume this year.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kook
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kook
Noun
-
Dippold has populated the show with lovable eccentrics played by great character actors—Dale Dickey, Jeff Hiller, Tim Baltz.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
18 June 2026
-
Inbred eccentrics and bumbling detectives have populated the seaside villages of Bruno Dumont’s absurdist comedies.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
The sumptuous production, directed by LaTanya Richardson Jackson with solidarity for Cleage’s characters, provides a marvelous showcase for Woodward to slink around on Beowulf Boritt’s glamorous five-star set in costume designer Emilio Sosa’s inspired Pucci-esque outfits.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Families with young children could ride all the rides, see the shows and meet multiple characters in a day, if lines aren’t too long, but the park isn’t meant to be treated like a checklist.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Artists have always used music to question authority and expose the cracks (and the crackpots) in the American story.—
Time,
Time,
6 May 2026
-
In one corner, the heartless girlboss; in the other, the crackpot conspiracy theorist (who just happens to be more sympathetic and charismatic than such types usually are).—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
31 Jan. 2026
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
Noun
-
Richard Dreyfuss stars as an Indiana electric lineman/dad who gets discombobulated after a light from a passing UFO compels him to do weirdo things — like build a mountain replica inside of his home.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
8 June 2026
-
Himes’ novels, like Riley’s films, also run on a bench of eccentric weirdos.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Rock Harbor to Daisy Farm Campground This trail almost entirely follows the coast for 7 miles, with a soundtrack of lapping waves, trilling loons, and the occasional outboard motor.—
Robert Annis,
Midwest Living,
7 June 2026
-
Tony nominee Marla Mindelle, who plays Céline, is an estimable loon — a loon with enviable comedic chops and glorious vocals.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
That is enough to prompt scheduling a video chat with a purported demonologist (Laura Heisler) who does not seem a nutcase or charlatan.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
10 Aug. 2022
-
Although My Donkey, My Lover & I (Antoinette dans les Cévennes) was made in 2020, before Libs of TikTok exposed school-teacher lunacy, writer-director Caroline Vignal proves prescient about the eccentricity that goes deeper than the profession’s nutcase radicalism.—
Armond White,
National Review,
27 July 2022
Noun
-
Whit’s Frozen Custard is known for its flavor of the day calendar, with rich custards running the decadent range from fluffer nutter cookie, carrot cake, and mint cookies ‘n cream to Biscoff cookie butter and banana nut bread.—
Terry Ward,
Travel + Leisure,
9 May 2026
-
Its founder was not a member of Congress but Paul Weyrich, a hard-right nutter with theocratic leanings with a fair claim to being the Johnny Appleseed of the New Right, having also co-founded the Heritage Foundation, the Moral Majority, and the American Legislative Exchange Council.—
Timothy Noah,
The New Republic,
27 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Kook.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kook. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
