wacky
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of wacky
First recorded in 1935–40; apparently whack (noun, as in out of whack ) + -y 1
Explanation
Something that's wacky is weird or nutty or silly. Your goofy uncle who wears a funny hat and does magic tricks at the dinner table is wacky. Use the adjective wacky when you're talking about someone with a ridiculous sense of humor. Clowns are, by definition, wacky, for example. Most people have at least one wacky relative, and some are lucky enough to have entire wacky families. Wacky comes from the nineteenth century British slang term whacky, which arose from whack, specifically the idea of getting whacked on the head so hard that it turns you wacky.
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.
US director Boots Riley's signature absurdism is all over his latest film "I Love Boosters," which opens in US theaters this week, but the wacky visuals are all in service of an "optimistic" social commentary.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
Then the advice got a bit wacky, suggesting I shift into shorter-dated bonds and lower exposure to stocks that are more sensitive to the economy.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
When Colbert presented a photo of the Emmy-winning actor covered in bees during a Season 1 episode of the wacky family sitcom, Cranston recalled a rather unfortunate injury he suffered while filming the Fox hit.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
The wacky 1994 film where Robert De Niro grunts his way through playing the Monster?
From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026
“Really, she’s used to wacky outfits and loud music. She was married to me, wasn’t she?”
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
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.
