looney

[loo-nee]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR looney ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, loon·i·er, loon·i·est, noun, plural loon·eys, loon·ies.

loony¹.

loonie

[loo-nee]

noun

Canadian Informal. a dollar coin.

Also loony.

Origin of loonie

from the image of a loon on the reverse

loony

or loon·ey, lun·y

[loo-nee]Informal.

adjective, loon·i·er, loon·i·est.

lunatic; insane.

extremely or senselessly foolish.

noun, plural loon·ies.

a lunatic.

Origin of loony

First recorded in 1860–65; lun(atic) + -y²

Related formsloon·i·ness, noun

loony

[loo-nee]

noun, plural loon·ies.

loonie.

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

Related Words for loonies

bigot, freak, lunatic, fanatic, loony, zealot, fiend, psycho, psychopath, idiot, boob, nerd, maniac, enthusiast, kook, screwball, crackpot, nut, flake, loon

Examples from the Web for loonies

Contemporary Examples of loonies

And even if that did succeed, if the loonies want to replace Boehner with someone to his right, they need, again, 217 votes.
The Shutdown and Boehner’s Future
Michael Tomasky
October 1, 2013
At first, they were dismissed as a Postal Service problem, as if loonies had suddenly been recruited to work there.
Going Postal
Mark Ames
November 7, 2009
Today a new generation of loonies has taken over the asylum.
The Year in Palin
The Daily Beast
August 28, 2009

Historical Examples of loonies

I say, Reggie, old thing—present company excepted—have there been any loonies in your family?
Indiscretions of Archie
P. G. Wodehouse

British Dictionary definitions for loonies

loonie

noun

Canadian slang

a Canadian dollar coin with a loon bird on one of its faces
the Canadian currency

loony

looney or luny

slang

adjective loonier, looniest, lunier or luniest

lunatic; insane

foolish or ridiculous

noun plural loonies, looneys or lunies

a foolish or insane person

Derived Formslooniness or luniness, noun

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 loonies

loony

adj.

also loonie, looney, 1853, American English, short for lunatic, but also influenced by loon (n.2) and perhaps loon (n.1), the bird being noted for its wild cry and method of escaping from danger. As a noun by 1884, from the adjective. Slang loony bin "insane asylum" is from 1919. Looney left in reference to holders of political views felt to be left-wing in the extreme is from 1977. Looney Tunes, Warner Bros. studios' animated cartoon series, dates from 1930.