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zany 1 of 2

adjective

ˈzā-nē How to pronounce zany (audio)
Definition of zanynext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

zany

2 of 2

noun

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

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of zany
Adjective
And for those with a hankering for afternoon tea, the Upside Down tea party on Sundays is a zany take on a British tradition. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 May 2026 Nothing can top utterly zany inspiration of the postscript, which somehow involves a nuclear power plant and radioactive albino crocodiles. — Eric Kohn, IndieWire, 24 Apr. 2026 Neville is there for pitch meetings, where the current cast sits on the floor of Michaels’ office and throws out their zaniest ideas. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026 All of the characters are beautifully zany, which keeps this series from imploding. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 9 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for zany
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zany
  1. silly
  2. clown
  3. eccentric
  4. stupid
  5. harlequin
  6. character
  7. absurd
  8. oddball
Adjective
  • That being said, the Ravens offense made the Colts look silly.
    — Ted Nguyen, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Barisone’s proposition was that everything that followed—months of living and working together, silly texts—was done in the shadow of that threat.
    — Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of silly
Noun
  • Target recently received backlash for 'offensive' Halloween costume This comes on the heels of Target apologizing in late August for a Halloween circus clown costume that critics said appeared to conjure Blackface and 19th-century minstrel shows.
    — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Cam Schlittler, no stranger to Boston beef, used an emoji to call Flemming a clown on an Instagram post.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of clown
Noun
  • The public reckonings with these figures’ legacies—the troubled former child star gone too soon, the beloved icon, the cult favorite, the complicated eccentric—have come in a cascade.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Make sure to practice a full range of motion with these and emphasize the eccentric (the way down) part of the movement for maximal time under tension and muscle-building stimulus.
    — Jakob Roze, HEALTH, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of eccentric
Adjective
  • The humor is like laughing about something that was just so stupid, or something that was so traumatic.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • That’s the problem with all of your arguments and stupid comments.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of stupid
Noun
  • Colorado potato beetles target potato plants, while harlequin beetles do damage to brassica family plants like kale, cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli.
    — Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 3 June 2026
  • For the event, Kaling donned a strapless Elie Saab gown covered in crystal embroidery, which included a harlequin pattern and a sheer skirt.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 27 May 2026
Definition of harlequin
Noun
  • However, the irregular architecture, surviving wooden beams, and 15th-century chapel lend certain spaces genuine local character.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Those scenes play as if the screenwriters gave up on trying to resolve the twisty plot, instead just making their characters tell all, leaving the film’s denouement much less engrossing than its setup.
    — Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of character
Adjective
  • The English dialogue for these films was often absurd and barely coherent, written to conform to the movements of the actors’ mouths.
    — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Correa’s contract contains a full no-trade clause, though any thought of the Astros moving him seems absurd.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of absurd
Noun
  • This made him, along with Córdoba, his doctoral adviser, an oddball in the area.
    — Konstantin Kakaes, Quanta Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026
  • These sisters were not your average oddballs, especially as Herzog reimagines them.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of oddball

Browse Nearby Words

zaniness
zany
zap
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Cite this Entry

“Zany.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zany. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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