nutty

adjective

nut·​ty ˈnə-tē 

nuttier; nuttiest

1

: having or producing nuts

nutty trees

2

: having a flavor like that of nuts

a nutty sauce

3

: eccentric, silly

a nutty professor

nutty ideas

also, sometimes offensive : mentally unsound

nuttily

ˈnə-tə-lē 

adverb

… the movie is so nuttily untethered to any semblance of reality that it's almost enjoyable.

—Elisabeth Vincentelli

nuttiness noun

The menu includes dishes like a rich pecan soup whose nuttiness is offset by chipotle chilies and tomatoes.

—Matt Lee et al.

It's not just Marlon Brando's nuttiness that makes this special—it's the gusto with which he wallows in his own nuttiness.

—Karen Schoemer

Synonyms

• balmy
• barmy [chiefly British]
• bats
• batty
• bedlam
• bonkers
• brainsick
• bughouse [slang]
• certifiable
• crackbrained
• cracked
• crackers
• crackpot
• cranky [dialect]
• crazed
• crazy
• cuckoo
• daffy
• daft
• demented
• deranged
• fruity [slang]
• gaga
• haywire
• insane
• kooky
• kookie
• loco [slang]
• loony
• looney
• loony tunes
• looney tunes
• lunatic
• mad
• maniacal
• maniac
• mental
• meshuga
• meshugge
• meshugah
• meshuggah
• moonstruck
• non compos mentis
• nuts
• psycho
• psychotic
• scatty [chiefly British]
• screwy
• unbalanced
• unhinged
• unsound
• wacko
• whacko
• wacky
• whacky
• wud [chiefly Scottish]

Examples of nutty in a Sentence

candy with a nutty taste

the only other prisoner in the dungeon was a nutty soul who feasted on bugs

Recent Examples on the Web

The words of nutty and hard-nosed former college football coach Bo Pelini come to mind when trying figure out the direction of the UC program. —Jason Williams, The Enquirer, 13 Mar. 2023

Unlike flavor-neutral simple syrup, maple syrup’s contribution to cocktails isn’t just sweetness, but also buttery, nutty, and vanilla flavors. —Jordan MacKay, Outside Online, 27 Feb. 2023

Light, sweet, nutty and well balanced. —Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2023

The soup is delicate, nutty, and simple. —Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 12 Jan. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

nutty

adjective

nut·​ty ˈnət-ē 

nuttier; nuttiest

1

: containing or suggesting nuts (as in flavor)

2

: not showing good sense

also, sometimes offensive : mentally unbalanced

nuttiness noun