zany

1 of 2

adjective

za·​ny ˈzā-nē How to pronounce zany (audio)
zanier; zaniest
1
: very eccentric (see eccentric entry 1 sense 1a) or absurd (see absurd entry 1 sense 1) often in an amusing way
a zany comedy
the movie's zany characters/antics/humor
another one of his zany ideas
2
archaic : being or having the characteristics of a zany
zanily adverb
zaniness noun

zany

2 of 2

noun

plural zanies
1
: a subordinate clown or acrobat in old comedies who mimics ludicrously the tricks of the principal : merry-andrew
2
archaic : a person who fawns over another person : a servile follower : toady
… must have known the falsehood of the slander which they encouraged their zanies to propagate.William Gifford
3
a
: one who acts the buffoon to amuse others
b
: nut, kook

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

Adjective a zany plan to drive cross-country on a motorized scooter Noun hired a zany to entertain the children at the birthday party one of the challenges of hosting a radio call-in program is preventing the zanies from completely taking over the discussion
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
From Ripa donning a faux python romper to Consuelos rocking flip-flops, the couple poked fun at some of their zaniest style moments throughout the years. Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 The worse things get, the more the company makes zany jokes; the 1491s started out posting videos of weird sketches online, and even now a loose, we’ll-fix-it-in-the-edit spirit pervades the piece. The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2024 The screenwriting duo combine the slapstick comedy of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplain with the zany antics of Road Runner and Bugs Bunny cartoons in a 19th-century cracked fable about a cider entrepreneur turned furrier trying to outsmart a pack of much brighter beavers and rabbits. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2024 But his devotion is also a reflection of Lisa learning to love her zanier personality traits. Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024 From the Gumball to the Ugly Sweater, these seem to be some of the zaniest costumes on the show to date. Lauren Huff, EW.com, 1 Feb. 2024 The judge tried to curtail the shenanigans at play, but the zany Wild West feverish clamoring was difficult to keep within the bounds of proper courtroom decorum. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 Hough plays one of three husbands in a zany, whirlwind wedding sequence. Rachel Desantis, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 Iffy messages in zany but very violent monster rom-com. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'zany.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Italian zanni, a traditional masked clown, from Italian dialect Zanni, nickname for Italian Giovanni John

First Known Use

Adjective

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of zany was in 1596

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Dictionary Entries Near zany

Cite this Entry

“Zany.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zany. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

zany

1 of 2 noun
za·​ny ˈzā-nē How to pronounce zany (audio)
plural zanies
1
2
: a silly or foolish person

zany

2 of 2 adjective
zanier; zaniest
1
: being, typical of, or resembling a zany
2
: fantastically crazy
a zany movie
zanily
ˈzā-nə-lē How to pronounce zany (audio)
ˈzān-ᵊl-ē
adverb
zaniness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on zany

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