1
as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
only a ninny would try to cross a swollen, raging river
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in idiot
a stupid person
was such a ninny that he kept forgetting my name, even though I was wearing a name tag
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of ninny
Jane Austen wrote takedowns of this kind of ninny two centuries ago — how fun to see Pike update her twit to the post-Y2K era.
—
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
Kopas, who wisely eschews hamming, makes Frank a spry, eloquent presence, although more dourness in the play’s initial scenes might help his character stand out from the salon’s cheerful ninnies.
—Celia Wren, Washington Post, 4 May 2023
Sure enough, the team at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, an organization that provides food to more than 700 pantries throughout the Chicago area, contacted me and said a conservative donor who thinks me quite the ninny had donated $10,000.
—Rex Huppke, chicagotribune.com, 16 Dec. 2021
Because some ninny has not read the user manual.
—Sarah Barker, Outside Online, 19 Mar. 2021
This part of a snow bath is: Yas ninny' bee táádigis bil ádi didiilchil dóó ádaah nidinííldah, or rub your face and body with snow and dust it off.
—Kiliii Yüyan, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2020
This Macbeth is something of a ninny, a lightweight who lounges on a throne that seems far too big for him.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 2 Nov. 2019
But the story goes that mall proponents had to overcome three tremendous obstacles: the Great Depression, World War II, and the city’s anti-growth ninnies.
—oregonlive.com, 1 Aug. 2019
Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
Kopas, who wisely eschews hamming, makes Frank a spry, eloquent presence, although more dourness in the play’s initial scenes might help his character stand out from the salon’s cheerful ninnies.
—Celia Wren, Washington Post, 4 May 2023
Sure enough, the team at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, an organization that provides food to more than 700 pantries throughout the Chicago area, contacted me and said a conservative donor who thinks me quite the ninny had donated $10,000.
—Rex Huppke, chicagotribune.com, 16 Dec. 2021
Because some ninny has not read the user manual.
—Sarah Barker, Outside Online, 19 Mar. 2021
This part of a snow bath is: Yas ninny' bee táádigis bil ádi didiilchil dóó ádaah nidinííldah, or rub your face and body with snow and dust it off.
—Kiliii Yüyan, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2020
This Macbeth is something of a ninny, a lightweight who lounges on a throne that seems far too big for him.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 2 Nov. 2019
But the story goes that mall proponents had to overcome three tremendous obstacles: the Great Depression, World War II, and the city’s anti-growth ninnies.
—oregonlive.com, 1 Aug. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ninny
Noun
-
The lunatics are running the asylum.—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Michael Cera, Will Arnett and other lunatics round out the cast.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Mantzoukas was willing to look like a maniac and a moron in equal measure.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
-
Lluís then calls Puig Antich a moron.—
Colm Tóibín,
The Atlantic,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Don’t let the cream’s $8 price tag fool you; the anti-aging find tackles fine lines, wrinkles, and clogged pores, all while being gentle enough for all skin types.—
Isabel Bekele,
InStyle,
21 June 2026
-
This is an ignoble war making monsters and fools out of its participants, and against the uncontrollable weapons that are dragons, everyone’s resolve is crumbling.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
My dad has always said the lottery is a tax on the stupid.—
Alex Crippen,
CNBC,
4 Apr. 2026
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The scale of the headloss was best summed up by Luis Suarez attempting to reason with Messi, before the Argentine did anything on the Suarez scale of stupid.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Each morning, the city's street-flusher truck cleans goose droppings from the riverfront concrete walkway, but officials said the equipment cannot remove droppings left on grassy areas.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
-
Was there pressure on you as this goose whose golden eggs were all going to Apple?—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Mantzoukas was willing to look like a maniac and a moron in equal measure.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
-
The Martin Lawrence vehicle Martin, which ran for five glorious seasons, offered a terrific platform for Lawrence to run around like a maniac as an energetic radio DJ.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ninny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ninny. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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