William Gifford
Did you know?
The oddballs among us are likely familiar with zany as an adjective, meaning "eccentric." But did you know the word originated as a noun—one that has withstood the test of time? Zanies have been theatrical buffoons since the heyday of the Italian commedia dell’arte, in which a "zanni" was a stock servant character, often an intelligent and proud valet with abundant common sense and a love of practical jokes. Zanni comes from a dialect nickname for Giovanni, the Italian form of John. The character quickly spread throughout European theater circles, inspiring such familiar characters as Pierrot and Harlequin, and by the late 1500s an anglicized version of the noun zany was introduced to English. The adjective appeared within decades, and eventually both adopted more general meanings to refer to or describe those of us who are quipsters and weirdos.
Examples of zany in a Sentence
Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 6 May 2025
The two stars of the Emmy-winning 1990s romantic comedy series Northern Exposure, set in the zany fictitious town of Cicely, Alaska, are adding their names to the avalanche of television stars binging their old shows, offering commentary about the storylines and sharing behind-the-scenes tales.
—Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 6 May 2025
That his pants are always a bit too long adds to the character’s zany, addled vibe.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 4 May 2025
The zany comedian appeared in every episode of the popular variety show that ran for five seasons, playing characters such as the frumpy, hairnet-wearing Gladys Ormphby.
—Pat Saperstein, Variety, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for zany
Cite this Entry
“Zany.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zany. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
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zany
2 of 2 adjective
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