as in insanity
lack of good sense or judgment
what zaniness possessed you to take a mental health day when you knew that the head honcho would be visiting?
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of zaniness
Plenty of moments on The Fall-Off remind of the hunger of his early mixtapes, the purposeful thrills of his 2010s hits, or even the misguided zaniness of KOD, though none materialize in meaningful doses.
—
Benny Sun, Pitchfork, 10 Feb. 2026
Those moments allowed O’Hara, in a mostly straight role, to add bits of signature zaniness.
—Jocelyn Noveck, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
The frothy zaniness was, of course, one of Barry’s Hollywood calling cards, but there always were serious themes submerged underneath.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The ensemble comedy garnered critical praise for its steady stream of zaniness and quickly gained a reputation for deftly skewering suburban life while still maintaining a general sweetness of tone.
—Will Harris, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
Animated by an irreverent zaniness, Egger’s poetry fuses elements drawn from contemporary idiom and from lyric tradition to render a surreal world that interrogates existential questions about desire and grief.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Crowds jumped, chanted and leaned into the sense of communal rebellion, all while celebrating the band's zaniness.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025
The ball sailed over the head of Spencer Torkelson, Martínez and Steven Kwan advanced a base and set in motion a flurry of zaniness that flipped the script for the series opener.
—Zack Meisel, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Annually, Wheeler has to demonstrate his manic-zaniness by jumping out the window of a local business.
—Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
Benny Sun, Pitchfork, 10 Feb. 2026
Those moments allowed O’Hara, in a mostly straight role, to add bits of signature zaniness.
—Jocelyn Noveck, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
The frothy zaniness was, of course, one of Barry’s Hollywood calling cards, but there always were serious themes submerged underneath.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The ensemble comedy garnered critical praise for its steady stream of zaniness and quickly gained a reputation for deftly skewering suburban life while still maintaining a general sweetness of tone.
—Will Harris, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
Animated by an irreverent zaniness, Egger’s poetry fuses elements drawn from contemporary idiom and from lyric tradition to render a surreal world that interrogates existential questions about desire and grief.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Crowds jumped, chanted and leaned into the sense of communal rebellion, all while celebrating the band's zaniness.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025
The ball sailed over the head of Spencer Torkelson, Martínez and Steven Kwan advanced a base and set in motion a flurry of zaniness that flipped the script for the series opener.
—Zack Meisel, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025
Annually, Wheeler has to demonstrate his manic-zaniness by jumping out the window of a local business.
—Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zaniness
Noun
-
Replacing those funds with a sales tax would be unfair and regressive while hoping that the state will come up with some other source of funding is an exercise in insanity.—
Judy Mollica,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Defense attorneys hoped to convince the jury that Gacy was not guilty by reason of insanity.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
At the surface, everything about Doug Moe — his teams, his manner, his dress sense — seemed to embody complete madness.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Only four days remain in the regular season before the madness of do-or-die season comes rolling in.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
How Tide evo Works Tide evo was clearly developed with simplicity top of mind.—
Joseph Erbentraut,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Blending simplicity and durability, additional elements include cobranded details and dual‑lace options, allowing for personalization.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Indonesian auteur Edwin has spent much of his career examining the quiet absurdities of modern life with a cool, deadpan detachment.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Eager sycophants run behind him to carry out his directives and repeat his absurdities.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This is a dear friend in a really tricky moment in time, and there just can’t be any of the craziness, and there just wasn’t.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Keeping up with all of this craziness is a full-time job, and then some.—
Brenda Looper,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But wackiness aside, the nuts and bolts of recruiting go far beyond what antics coaches get up to on the road.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Feb. 2026
-
But the few that do have been epic in their sheer wackiness.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zaniness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zaniness. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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