loony
1 Americannoun
plural
looniesadjective
-
lunatic; insane
-
foolish or ridiculous
noun
Other Word Forms
- looniness noun
Etymology
Origin of loony
Explanation
Someone who's loony is nutty or wacky — it's a slang term for "crazy." Your loony aunt Mabel might prefer wearing a teddy bear costume when she goes to the grocery store. Loony is an informal, derogatory term for mentally ill, but it can also mean silly or outrageous. You could say, "My parents are loony — they call me three times a day and are always sending me photos of their little dog dressed in doll clothes," or talk about the loony story you read for your book group. Loony is an American-coined word, short for lunatic and also referencing the cry of the bird called a loon.
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 surtitles intentionally refrain from translating much of what he says, leaving the audience to rely on his loony spoken tone and loony tunes to carry meaning.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026
Here, Lively capably wears each piece of Feig’s loony story as elegantly as she does Emily’s increasingly absurd outfits.
From Salon • May 3, 2025
This tension helps hold together the disparate parts, and “Deepe Darknesse” develops its own loony logic.
From New York Times • Jan. 14, 2024
Volberding: The fragrance thing was kind of loony.
From Washington Post • Mar. 12, 2023
Maybe Bat Lady was now getting ready for her loony day, changing out of her white dress, heading to the shower .
From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
