wacky

[ wak-ee ]

/ ˈwæk i /

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See synonyms for: wacky / wackiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, wack·i·er, wack·i·est.Slang.

odd or irrational; crazy: They had some wacky plan for selling more books.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also whack·y

[hwak-ee, wak-ee] /ˈʰwæk i, ˈwæk i/ .

Origin of wacky

First recorded in 1935–40; apparently whack (noun, as in out of whack) + -y¹

OTHER WORDS FROM wacky

wack·i·ly, adverbwack·i·ness, noun

Words nearby wacky

wack, wacke, wacked-out, wack job, wacko, wacky, wacky tobacky, Waco, wad, WADA, wadable

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wacky in a sentence

For Pedro Pascal, this is the way to play a villain when you’re also the coolest hero in the galaxyThe TV-sitcom vibe also makes way for wacky friends next door.
‘WandaVision’ on Disney Plus gives Marvel Studios its first true power couple|David Betancourt|January 15, 2021|Washington Post
Plus, as someone who thinks about ingredient combinations for a living, I can see this four quadrant system as an easy tool to test out the at times wacky flavor combinations that pop into my head.
TikTok’s tortilla trend is basically a quesadilla — with extra fun folded in|Aaron Hutcherson|January 14, 2021|Washington Post
Often this is the fun or wacky stuff that will never see the light of the day.
CES loses the touch and feel|Aaron Pressman|January 11, 2021|Fortune
This one follows the adventures of a husband and wife who have turned into dolls and have to navigate all kinds of wacky environments.
‘The Last of Us Part II’ wins game of the year at The Game Awards, alongside new ‘Mass Effect’ and ‘Among Us’ reveals|Elise Favis, Gene Park, Mikhail Klimentov|December 11, 2020|Washington Post

He was known for his management experiments that were hailed both wacky and visionary.
The biggest tech news you missed over Thanksgiving|Lucinda Shen|November 30, 2020|Fortune
Washington, a truly masterful storyteller, grew up in what he calls “a wacky cult”—the Worldwide Church of God.
NPR’s Smooth-Talking Millennial Whisperer|Batya Ungar-Sargon|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The actor showed tremendous range in the role, bouncing between his wacky stand-up persona and gentler dramatic work.
Robin Williams's Greatest Moments on Stage and Screen (Video)|The Daily Beast Video|August 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The onus is on one man to hold this wacky goulash of punditry together: Mike Tirico.
World Cup Anchor Mike Tirico’s Bizarre History: Reports of Stalking and Sexual Harassment|Marlow Stern|July 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The man who holds ABC/ESPN's wacky goulash of World Cup punditry together strikes viewers as a paragon of congeniality.
World Cup Anchor Mike Tirico’s Bizarre History: Reports of Stalking and Sexual Harassment|Marlow Stern|July 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The two wacky candidates combined for just over 5% of the vote with Brown pulling 3.3% and Bayes at 1.8%.
Who Voted For Idaho's Weirdo Candidates For Governor?|Ben Jacobs|May 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It took him half an hour to devise a completely wacky and unorthodox way of hitting the holes in the enemy advance.
The Highest Treason|Randall Garrett
If Jerry started for the swamp at this time of night he must be wacky!
Swamp Island|Mildred A. Wirt
The two biggest one give the old man two wacky, one each, an' the little one wouldn' give any.
Jamaican Song and Story|Walter Jekyll

British Dictionary definitions for wacky

wacky

/ (ˈwækɪ) /

adjective wackier or wackiest

slang eccentric, erratic, or unpredictable

Derived forms of wacky

wackily, adverbwackiness, noun

Word Origin for wacky

C19 (in dialect sense: a fool, an eccentric): from whack (hence, a whacky, a person who behaves as if he had been whacked on the head)

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

wacky

Origin of wacky

OTHER WORDS FROM wacky

Words nearby wacky

Words related to wacky

How to use wacky in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wacky

Derived forms of wacky

Word Origin for wacky