wacky

American  

[wak-ee] / ˈwæk i /

Also whacky

adjective

Slang.

wackier, wackiest

1. odd or irrational; crazy.

   They had some wacky plan for selling more books.

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wacky British  

/ ˈwækɪ /

adjective

1. slang eccentric, erratic, or unpredictable

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Other Word Forms

• wackily adverb
• wackiness noun

Etymology

Origin of wacky

First recorded in 1935–40; apparently whack (noun, as in out of whack ) + -y ¹

Explanation

Something that's wacky is weird or nutty or silly. Your goofy uncle who wears a funny hat and does magic tricks at the dinner table is wacky. Use the adjective wacky when you're talking about someone with a ridiculous sense of humor. Clowns are, by definition, wacky, for example. Most people have at least one wacky relative, and some are lucky enough to have entire wacky families. Wacky comes from the nineteenth century British slang term whacky, which arose from whack, specifically the idea of getting whacked on the head so hard that it turns you wacky.

Example Sentences

When Colbert presented a photo of the Emmy-winning actor covered in bees during a Season 1 episode of the wacky family sitcom, Cranston recalled a rather unfortunate injury he suffered while filming the Fox hit.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

It took many years, much hard work, wacky policy stances and plenty of missteps.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Experimental musician Look Mum No Computer, who will represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest, says he's surprised the BBC chose his "completely wacky" song as this year's entry.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

However, their wacky little world is no longer what it once was.

From Salon • Feb. 26, 2026

Then he pushes his glasses back into place and makes a wacky face.

From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya

Related Words

• absurd
• crazy
• eccentric
• foolish
• loony
• nutty
• odd
• silly
• unpredictable
• whacky
• zany