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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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
  • She’s seen during a dance rehearsal, a silly social media clip, and onstage from their Lollapalooza set, the latter of which came before her announcement in February to step away from Katseye.
    — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026
  • Starring British comedy favourites such as Kevin Eldon and Miranda Hart, Hyperdrive is a very silly show that ended up more like a workplace sitcom in space rather than the next Red Dwarf.
    — William Worrall, Space.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of silly
Noun
  • Perhaps most astonishingly, the movie manages to make creepy clowns — that shopworn trope — genuinely frightening again.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
  • The group demonstrated near the Washington Monument and was met by a few counter protestors, one of which played clown music throughout the majority of the demonstration.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of clown
Noun
  • With its loose ends and digressions, Dream Me a Dream stays true to those idiosyncratic instincts while retaining enough of the welcoming glow of Dance of Love to make this an affecting farewell from an endearing eccentric.
    — Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 22 June 2026
  • The eccentric cuz is quick to try and help Bobby solve problems, which often gets him into trouble, but ultimately pushes him out of his shell.
    — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 20 June 2026
Definition of eccentric
Adjective
  • There are plenty of videos from Yellowstone National Park involving tourists doing breathtakingly stupid things around wild animals.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2026
  • Even when Romanzy goes off on how stupid and ugly Caleb is — and gossips that his parents abandoned him because something must be wrong with him — Mary goes along with it.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 11 July 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
  • Wicked Wonderland follows 2024’s The Rise of Red, where Cantrall’s character and Cinderella’s daughter Chloe (Malia Baker) team up to go back in time and reverse the event that resulted in the Queen of Hearts’ evil path.
    — Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026
  • What saves Hyperdrive is the dry humour and the slightly insane set and character design.
    — William Worrall, Space.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of character
Adjective
  • In each social-commentary-teetering-on-horror episode, Nanno is a pupil at a different school, picture perfect and scanning the room for whatever secrets — an abusive teacher, an absurd hierarchical system, petty jealousy — demand to be revealed.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • Cattelan spoke to the Financial Times about the strange afterlife of the work, which has become both a symbol of the art market’s excesses and a reminder of his talent for turning absurd ideas into global spectacles.
    — George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 13 July 2026
Definition of absurd
Noun
  • The Ramones stood on stage not as rock gods or unattainable heroes, but as oddballs, misfits, and fellow outcasts in torn jeans.
    — Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026
  • The Wylkes Society’s members include many of the amiable oddballs Miles has met around town.
    — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 7 July 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 20 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of zany for Spanish Speakers

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