zany
[ zey-nee ]
/ ˈzeɪ ni /
adjective, za·ni·er, za·ni·est.
ludicrously or whimsically comical; clownish.
noun, plural za·nies.
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Origin of zany
1560–70; (<Middle French ) <Italian zan(n)i (later zanno) a servant character in the commedia dell’arte, perhaps originally the character's name, the Upper Italian form of Tuscan Gianni, for Giovanni John
OTHER WORDS FROM zany
za·ni·ly, adverbza·ni·ness, za·ny·ism, nounza·ny·ish, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for zany
Gingrich Restrains His Zaniness Newt confesses that he's been editing his words in an effort not to appear to be "zany."
But whatever her professions of zaniness, lately Barrymore has seemed awfully grown up.
British Dictionary definitions for zany
zany
/ (ˈzeɪnɪ) /
adjective -nier or -niest
comical in an endearing way; imaginatively funny or comical, esp in behaviour
noun plural -nies
a clown or buffoon, esp one in old comedies who imitated other performers with ludicrous effect
a ludicrous or foolish person
Derived forms of zany
zanily, adverbzaniness, nounzanyism, nounWord Origin for zany
C16: from Italian zanni, from dialect (Venice and Lombardy) Zanni, nickname for Giovanni John; one of the traditional names for a clown
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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