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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of zany
A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
The zany magic of the screwballs of the 1930s and 1940s eventually faded, and the 1950s brought more wistful fare, like Roman Holiday.
—Esther Zuckerman, Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2024
Hemsworth relishes his chance here to show another side of his acting chops, and the result is one of the funniest and zaniest villainous performances in recent memory.
—Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
And so concludes another year and another zany season of The Masked Singer.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for zany 
Adjective
Bong being Bong — and judging from the colorfully zany trailer — this adaptation of an Edward Ashton novel will likely make class warfare a key theme.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
The zany magic of the screwballs of the 1930s and 1940s eventually faded, and the 1950s brought more wistful fare, like Roman Holiday.
—Esther Zuckerman, Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2024
Hemsworth relishes his chance here to show another side of his acting chops, and the result is one of the funniest and zaniest villainous performances in recent memory.
—Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024
And so concludes another year and another zany season of The Masked Singer.
—Lauren Huff, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for zany
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zany
Adjective
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Discussing Oscar voters in the context of the American electorate has always struck me as a little silly.—
Steven Zeitchik,
The Hollywood Reporter,
28 Jan. 2025
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Here’s the thing: the three guys were totally down, but convincing Queen Bey to get super silly with them was going to be another matter entirely.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
28 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Some of his friends also collected drawings of clowns on jailhouse envelopes sent by their dads.—
Frank Rojas,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2025
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The buzziest piece unveiled for last year’s show consisted of two large inflatable clown heads squished between two buildings.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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My dedication, to help the waifs and strays and eccentrics of the music world together, continues to this day.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
11 Oct. 2024
-
Robert Redford delivers folksy wisdom as a local eccentric who once had his own dragon encounter, and even Karl Urban’s greedy logger is more of a nuisance than an outright villain.—
Josh Bell,
Vulture,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Ironically, its only real payoff is its surreal magnitude of Drake-centricity (down to casting a look-alike), which largely ends up being absurd and hilarious thanks to events entirely outside of the film’s purview.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2025
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Courts should continue to quickly reject his absurd, insulting, and ahistorical legal arguments, which violate the clear text of the 14th Amendment.—
Elizabeth Wydra and Nina Henry,
Newsweek,
28 Jan. 2025
Noun
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But this harlequin moll can’t match Joker’s lunacy as either lawbreaker or musician.—
Armond White,
National Review,
29 Nov. 2024
-
The doll, which is called the Witch Weaver, wears flared bell-bottoms, a gossamer harlequin blouse, gold waistcoat and crystal headpiece — taking inspiration from Reed’s signature design codes, personal style and even Lady Gaga.—
Violet Goldstone,
WWD,
21 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Then came her incredible movie and authentic leading performace in The Last Showgirl, a prestige film by Gia Coppola that, like The Substance, establishes an inevitable parallel between the arc of the leading character and the actress chosen to play her.—
Blanca de Almandoz,
Glamour,
27 Jan. 2025
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Some residents have complained that the new buildings are out of character and have led to a decrease in parking spots in residential areas.—
Richard Requena,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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There are no more stupid questions and an open, supportive, and curious culture evolves.—
Darpan Munjal,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
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The cliché that Americans are stupid and lazy is as pernicious as the cliché that teenagers are, well, stupid and lazy.—
John Hodgman,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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In other words, the labor market and the economy remain strong and solid on their own, but could be undone by foolish economic policies that our politicians might implement.—
Harry Holzer,
Forbes,
10 Jan. 2025
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The grade partly reflects the inevitable hot streak that would make a lower grade look foolish.—
Allan Mitchell,
The Athletic,
10 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near zany
Cite this Entry
“Zany.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zany. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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