zany

[zey-nee]

adjective

zanier, zaniest 

1. ludicrously or whimsically comical; clownish.

noun

plural

zanies 

1. one who plays the clown or fool in order to amuse others.

2. a comically wild or eccentric person.

   Synonyms: lunatic, crazy, kook

3. a secondary stock character in old comedies who mimicked his master.

4. a professional buffoon; clown.

5. a silly person; simpleton.

6. a slavish attendant or follower.

zany

/ ˈzeɪnɪ /

adjective

1. comical in an endearing way; imaginatively funny or comical, esp in behaviour

noun

1. a clown or buffoon, esp one in old comedies who imitated other performers with ludicrous effect

2. a ludicrous or foolish person

Other Word Forms

• zanily adverb
• zaniness noun
• zanyism noun
• zanyish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of zany¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of zany¹

C16: from Italian zanni, from dialect (Venice and Lombardy) Zanni, nickname for Giovanni John; one of the traditional names for a clown

Example Sentences

Whitten stood on stage in a top hat and his hair in a zany afro — which was actually a weave installed by four Senegalese women for the price of $2,600, says Sykes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The cartoonist weaves in his own reflections on American history—and includes some zanier episodes more in keeping with the spirit of “Zippy.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The MLB postseason, which begins on Tuesday, is often described as a “crapshoot”—a zany, monthlong gauntlet where chaos reigns supreme and the best team in the regular season rarely wins.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

His rendition, which often presents the president as a zany stand-up comedian slinging joke after joke, has won wide respect in the comedy world, and anchored SNL’s political takes for the last four seasons.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The band was riding high on their new single, the chart-topping “Help!” and the group’s zany new film of the same title was set to open in New York City on August 11.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• campy 
• comical 
• eccentric 
• goofy 
• kooky 
• loony 
• madcap 
• wacky