ZANIES Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

zanies

noun

plural of zany

as in clowns

a comically dressed performer (as at a circus) who entertains with playful tricks and ridiculous behavior hired a zany to entertain the children at the birthday party

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in eccentrics

a person of odd or whimsical habits one of the challenges of hosting a radio call-in program is preventing the zanies from completely taking over the discussion

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for zanies

Noun

Yusef Toubassi sits with his grandson Masa, looking on as children run by with cheeks painted bright colors and others howling with joy as clowns spin them around.

— Dina Kraft, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Aug. 2026
One morning during my stay, there were even clowns buzzing about—a thrill to receive a balloon poodle alongside my morning flat white.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026

Definition of clowns

Noun

No documentarian has a better eye for intriguing oddballs than Errol Morris, who built his feature film career on drawing them out in conversation, from pet-cemetery owners in Gates of Heaven to small-town eccentrics in Vernon, Florida.

— Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of eccentrics

Noun

The entire ensemble of cast led by Manoj, Divya, and Boman bring an incredible depth to their characters.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026
The diversity of the core ensemble—a far cry from Hannah Horvath’s all-white friend group—is rarely remarked upon by the characters, except as part of a bit.

— Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of characters

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.

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zags

zanies

zaniness

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“Zanies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zanies. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of zanies

noun

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