Synonyms

carny

American

[kahr-nee] / ˈkɑr ni /

Or carney

noun

a person employed by a carnival.
carnival.

adjective

of or relating to carnivals.

carny slang.

carny ¹ British

/ ˈkɑːnɪ /

noun

short for carnival
a person who works in a carnival

"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

carny ² British

/ ˈkɑːnɪ /

verb

informal to coax or cajole or act in a wheedling manner

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

carnies

plural

Etymology

Origin of carny

First recorded in 1930–35; carn(ival) + -y ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The man is rhapsodically shameless—oafishly charismatic, memorably strange-looking—a cynic at heart, and a carny in spirit.

From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026

He eventually ended up in Florida, where he became a jack-of-all-trades carny and developed a sharp instinct for advance publicity and promotion.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 3, 2025

Professional wrestling and carny culture can be great fun.

From Salon • Jun. 12, 2025

I’m a carny, and I’ve left the tent.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 20, 2023

And his standing with the carny was all he had left.

From Charley de Milo by Janifer, Laurence M.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023