antic

[ an-tik ]

/ ˈæn tɪk /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR antic ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

Usually antics.

a playful trick or prank; caper.
a grotesque, fantastic, or ludicrous gesture, act, or posture.

Archaic.

an actor in a grotesque or ridiculous presentation.
a buffoon; clown.

Obsolete.

a grotesque theatrical presentation; ridiculous interlude.
a grotesque or fantastic sculptured figure, as a gargoyle.

adjective

ludicrous; funny.

fantastic; odd; grotesque: an antic disposition.

verb (used without object), an·ticked, an·tick·ing.

Obsolete. to perform antics; caper.

Nearby words

Origin of antic

1520–30; earlier antike, antique < Italian antico ancient (< Latin antīcus, antīquus; see antique), apparently taken to mean “grotesque,” as used in descriptions of fantastic figures found in Roman ruins

Related formsan·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Can be confusedantic antique

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for antics

They even released a (pretty damn weak) hip-hop song on SoundCloud recounting their antics.
The Attack on the Hidden Internet|Marc Rogers|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Manning's antics have earned him inches in print and occasional spots on television.
‘Crazy’ Harlem Pastor Hates on Obama and Gays|Olivia Nuzzi|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He is known for his edgy, often nude photos of girls out on the town and for documenting his late night antics.
Fashion's Naughtiest Photographer, Olivier Zahm|Justin Jones|September 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many of our classmates related to Robin by doing bits with him, attempting to keep pace with his antics.
Robin Williams and Christopher Reeve's Epic Friendship and the Greatest Williams Story Ever Told|Marlow Stern|August 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And for Ukrainians, such anti-Semitic antics recall a different time that produced far more lethal outcomes.
Passover Week Hate Crimes Evoke Horrible History|Thane Rosenbaum|April 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The friend's antics in a drawing-room are somewhat regrettable, but you would not say of him that his manners were bad.
Literary Taste: How to Form It|Arnold Bennett
Once they came upon a village of prairie dogs and paused to watch their antics for a moment.
The Man of the Desert|Grace Livingston Hill
One baboon had so wearied his pursuers by his antics that they pointed a gun at him, though with no intention of firing.
The Animal Story Book|Various
A physician was driving through a village when he saw a man amusing a crowd with the antics of his trick dog.
Toaster's Handbook|Peggy Edmund and Harold W. Williams, compilers
"Eighty," the young lady jested, looking with a laugh at the antics of the artist as he danced.
The Schoolmistress and Other Stories|Anton Chekhov

British Dictionary definitions for antics

antics

/ (ˈæntɪks) /

pl n

absurd or grotesque acts or postures

antic

/ (ˈæntɪk) /

noun

archaic an actor in a ludicrous or grotesque part; clown; buffoon

adjective

archaic fantastic; grotesque

Word Origin for antic

C16: from Italian antico something ancient, or grotesque (from its application to fantastic carvings found in ruins of ancient Rome); see antique

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for antics

antics

"ludicrous behavior," 1520s; see antic.

antic

1520s, "grotesque or comical gesture," from Italian antico "antique," from Latin antiquus "old" (see antique). Originally (like grotesque) a 16c. Italian word referring to the strange and fantastic representations on ancient murals unearthed around Rome (especially originally the Baths of Titus, rediscovered 16c.); later extended to "any bizarre thing or behavior," in which sense it first arrived in English. As an adjective in English from 1580s, "grotesque, bizarre."

antic

noun

adjective

verb (used without object), an·ticked, an·tick·ing.

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Origin of antic

Examples from the Web for antics

antics

pl n

antic

noun

adjective

Word Origin for antic

antics

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