as in silly
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
a zany plan to drive cross-country on a motorized scooter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in clown
a comically dressed performer (as at a circus) who entertains with playful tricks and ridiculous behavior
hired a zany to entertain the children at the birthday party
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in eccentric
a person of odd or whimsical habits
one of the challenges of hosting a radio call-in program is preventing the zanies from completely taking over the discussion
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of zany
Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2024
Or as one of nearly 90K followers of her delightful, often zany Instagram.
—Anna Spiegel, Axios, 22 Sep. 2024
Lazy Susan Lazy Susan is renowned for her zany sense of humor and kooky drag aesthetic.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 9 Oct. 2024
Jane Curtin Jane Curtin starred on SNL for five seasons, often playing the straight woman to the zany characters around her.
—EW.com, 5 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for zany 
Adjective
There is a fantastically zany song about the Rainbow Bridge—a kind of mythical gateway to heaven for pets and their owners—which turns unexpectedly profound on its reprise late in the show, and a delightfully counterintuitive number about ghosts and the afterlife.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2024
Or as one of nearly 90K followers of her delightful, often zany Instagram.
—Anna Spiegel, Axios, 22 Sep. 2024
Lazy Susan Lazy Susan is renowned for her zany sense of humor and kooky drag aesthetic.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 9 Oct. 2024
Jane Curtin Jane Curtin starred on SNL for five seasons, often playing the straight woman to the zany characters around her.
—EW.com, 5 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for zany
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zany
Adjective
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But while the 118 is able to save both Celeste and her mother-in-law’s final resting place, a smug Trent trips and drops the vase, an appropriate punchline to a very silly cold open.Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
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Read more Today's talkers Take a break from the election with these silly, happy shows.Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
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It Chapter Two is down to clown, again — in a bloody, silly, overwrought sequel Moving down the tension scale to thrillers, Netflix is offloading a few particularly popular titles.Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 2 Nov. 2024
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An 8-year-old girl fought off a man wearing a clown mask who police in Colorado reported attacked and attempted to kidnap her during a break-in at her family's home last week.Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 23 Oct. 2024
Noun
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The father and the mother are played by two of modern cinema’s most supremely talented eccentrics, Michael Shannon and Tilda Swinton.Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 13 Sep. 2024
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Designers traditionally present themselves in public as preening demigods or fussy, difficult eccentrics, but neither is the vibe that Porte Jacquemus gives off.Nathan Heller, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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This absurd claim is an extension of their relentless obsession to remove checks and balances within our government.Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 5 Nov. 2024
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The three books so far are deeply romantic, gorgeously tragic, smart as hell, and written in this absurd baroque, irreverent language.Constance Grady, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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These days, costumes range from fairy-tale characters, clowns and harlequins to Napoleonic soldiers and celebrities.Matt Ralphs, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Oct. 2024
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This leather pair, covered with jewels arranged in a harlequin pattern, is a unique spin on the trend.Esme Benjamin, Peoplemag, 16 July 2024
Noun
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Some of these data collections, such as character sheets, are for your reference only.PCMAG, PCMAG, 6 Nov. 2024
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His character, Callum Drift, is definitely the head of an organization called ELF, which stands for Enforcement, Logistics, and Fortification (there are multiple cute little acronyms like that in this movie), and which is basically the North Pole’s answer to the Secret Service.Alison Willmore, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Give yourself permission to go see a truly stupid movie.Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US, theweek, 8 Nov. 2024
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Among the show’s many, many, many Twilight Zone spoofs, this one is the funniest and the best, with a conclusion that’s equal parts brilliant and stupid.Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The authors concluded that any attempt to create a synthetic substance to replace the mud — something Major League Baseball has explored — would be foolish.Evan Bush, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2024
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To end its losing tradition, Colorado has to stop making foolish choices with its payroll.Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 2 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near zany
Cite this Entry
“Zany.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zany. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
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