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

Relevance

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

Gacy painted over a thousand pictures, many of clowns, while on death row in the 1980s and 1990s.

— Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
The weekend kicks off in earnest with the annual zombie walk, which this year also features clowns.

— Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of clowns

Noun

Step inside, though, and you’re transported to a bucolic Britain of rolling hills and village greens, bumbling eccentrics and cute, clever farm animals.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
The professionalization worked, but at the expense of the site’s internal culture, Cooke argues, as generous eccentrics were displaced by neurotic lovers of rules.

— Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of eccentrics

Noun

Research shows that people who eat more nuts tend to have a lower risk of various heart diseases and of dying from a stroke as compared to people who don’t eat nuts often.

— Mark Gurarie, HEALTH, 4 Nov. 2026
Focus on whole, nutrient-rich foods—especially fresh produce, whole grains, nuts, and legumes.

— Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of nuts

Noun

There are fewer characters and more focus on Sauron (Charlie Vickers), who is amassing power across Middle-earth.

— Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
What really sets Black Doves apart, though, are its lovable characters and its beguiling mix of laughs and tears, which flirt with existential despair without ever fully tipping into it.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 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.

Browse Nearby Words

zags

zanies

zaniness

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Zanies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zanies. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of zanies

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

defer

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes