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?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in silly
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
a zany plan to drive cross-country on a motorized scooter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in clown
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
2
as in eccentric
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of zaniness
Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Watch: Our guide to the best sci-fi movies to stream includes a zany comedy from New Zealand.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2025
Some of us, maybe like Bill Clinton, might wonder what zany anecdote Johnny Miller might have to say about Bill and Hillary during the Little Rock years.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Apr. 2025
Doke plays Eyeball, a mischievous, zany artist who sees the world in her own idiosyncratic way and often lightens a heavy mood with a joke.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for zaniness
Adjective
All of them are more than game to poke fun at themselves and their images — Zoë Kravitz is, in fact, wonderfully zany — but what else would anyone expect?
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Watch: Our guide to the best sci-fi movies to stream includes a zany comedy from New Zealand.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2025
Some of us, maybe like Bill Clinton, might wonder what zany anecdote Johnny Miller might have to say about Bill and Hillary during the Little Rock years.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Apr. 2025
Doke plays Eyeball, a mischievous, zany artist who sees the world in her own idiosyncratic way and often lightens a heavy mood with a joke.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for zaniness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zaniness
Adjective
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But many will, in situations where they’re allowed to stretch out, go deep, get silly, or eat hot wings while trying to answer questions.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2025
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Have a Dance Party Clear the furniture, cue up a playlist with all of Mom's favorite hits (and a few silly, kid-friendly jams), and let loose.—
Laura Broadwell,
Parents,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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This week’s episode tackles the minefield of casting, as execs melt down over the racial politics of casting their absurd Kool-Aid tentpole.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2025
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But Stewart lived at the top of their board when on the clock at No. 17 — not just because of his 10.0 Relative Athletic Score or absurd combine workout.—
Paul Dehner Jr.,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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Making stupid internet fodder has never been easier than now, with the prevalence of AI image generators making everything from deepfakes to memes.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
26 Apr. 2025
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Much like the stupid prions wreaking havoc in his brain.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But the Liberals are an electoral machine—something of a rarity on the center-left—that would be foolish to bet against.—
Daniel Block,
The Atlantic,
29 Apr. 2025
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His cigars weren’t as nasty as his habit of chasing bad money with worse—high living and foolish investments, with second-rate writing meant to plug the gap.—
Lauren Michele Jackson,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Tauruses will go crazy for something chic, functional, and soft to the touch.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
9 Feb. 2023
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Before getting into the chaos of episode 5, that episode 4 cliff hanger was crazy.—
Calie Schepp,
EW.com,
6 Feb. 2023
Adjective
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Gotta start earlier, and maybe involve OG mad Bridges more.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
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Told the victim was mad because the suspect stepped on his shoes, Torre said the right thing to do would have been to wipe his shoes clean and walk away.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Amanda learned in like 10 seconds, which is insane.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
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The emu egg—a two pound, eight-inch ovoid with a sultry teal shell gently speckled in pale green—seemed like just the right absurdist final flourish for an already insane endeavor.—
Helen Rosner,
The New Yorker,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And jingoism, idiotic, is not patriotism.—
Jay Nordlinger,
National Review,
7 Mar. 2025
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But, here, the characters suffer from the horror film syndrome of making one idiotic decision after another because that’s what the film requires to send the action in its intended direction.—
Scott Phillips,
Forbes,
15 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Zaniness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zaniness. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
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