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
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of zany
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
No further details were unveiled but, as always, expect the most zany and dangerous stunts from the Jackass gang.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026
Emily Ratajkowski's interpretation of Marge Simpson from The Simpsons at Klum's 2015 Heidi Halloween was perfectly zany for the occasion.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
The younger characters – the Brown children and Gina – get pushed aside for their zanier elders, and their character development suffers as a result.
—Troy Aidan Sambajon, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for zany
Adjective
The result is a zanier and livelier ride than the cloistered and predictable Harry’s House.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
No further details were unveiled but, as always, expect the most zany and dangerous stunts from the Jackass gang.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026
Emily Ratajkowski's interpretation of Marge Simpson from The Simpsons at Klum's 2015 Heidi Halloween was perfectly zany for the occasion.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
The younger characters – the Brown children and Gina – get pushed aside for their zanier elders, and their character development suffers as a result.
—Troy Aidan Sambajon, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for zany
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zany
Adjective
-
Through the fuzz and the bad camera angles emerges an extraordinary catalogue of dummies, flicks, and feints, a hodge-podge of silly tricks.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
To lose that would be silly now.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
The final Scary Movie trailer opens with a fittingly grotesque send-up of Terrifier, the ultra-bloody, low-budget clown slasher that's built a cult following.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 June 2026
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What appears to be a Unitree G1 humanoid robot wearing a blue clown wig can be seen confidently executing a roundhouse kick — squarely in the stomach of a young child in the audience, causing the kid to double over in pain.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
But what the New Yorker writer left behind is some of the finest prose of the 20th century, focusing primarily on the eccentrics, scalawags, seamen, and other denizens of New York’s dank corners.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
2 May 2026
-
The town’s overflowing with charming Midwest eccentrics, including a cocky mayor (Henry Winkler) and a welcoming barkeep (Lena Headey).—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And that was so arrogant and stupid on my part.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
At some point, Brandon Aiyuk has to learn that stupid decisions come with consequences.—
Armando Salguero OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Colman Domingo wore a colorful custom Valentino look based on the house's harlequin motif.—
Hedy Phillips,
PEOPLE,
5 May 2026
-
Common Pests and Diseases Broccoli plants can be damaged by common insect pests, like caterpillars, aphids, flea beetles, and harlequin bugs, says Minter.—
Blythe Copeland,
Martha Stewart,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Canfield, as proven by her work in Stereophonic, is extremely able at playing a character with a pristine, almost porcelain surface and roiling depths.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
5 June 2026
-
Each of their characters has their foibles but neither ever leans unlikable.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
Adjective
-
There is always the possibility that something absurd might occur — the equivalent of Neymar’s 2017 move to Paris Saint-Germain, for instance — but that’s extremely unlikely.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
Ironically, the fears of two Republicans advancing were driven by Democratic data vendor Paul Mitchell, who built a prediction machine using absurd inputs like betting odds and polls that cannot account for things like rape allegations.—
Matt Fleming,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Then there are oddballs – traction control – pretty rare in this class, alongside ABS, and a belt drive.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 May 2026
-
Wyck is an oddball — every town seems to have one.—
Maira Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zany.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zany. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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