zany
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za·ny
(zā′nē)adj. za·ni·er, za·ni·est
Comical or ludicrous because of incongruity or strangeness.
n. pl. za·nies
1. A comical person given to extravagant or outlandish behavior.
2. A ludicrous, buffoonish character in old comedies who attempts feebly to mimic the tricks of the clown.
[French zani, from Italian dialectal zanni, from Zanni, variant of Italian Gianni, nickname for Giovanni, John, the name of servants who act as clowns in commedia dell'arte.]
za′ni·ly adv.
za′ni·ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
zany
(ˈzeɪnɪ)adj, -nier or -niest
comical in an endearing way; imaginatively funny or comical, esp in behaviour
n, pl -nies
1. (Theatre) a clown or buffoon, esp one in old comedies who imitated other performers with ludicrous effect
2. a ludicrous or foolish person
[C16: from Italian zanni, from dialect (Venice and Lombardy) Zanni, nickname for Giovanni John; one of the traditional names for a clown]
ˈzanily adv
ˈzaniness n
ˈzanyism n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
za•ny
(ˈzeɪ ni)adj. -ni•er, -ni•est, adj.
1. absurdly or whimsically comical: a zany comedian.
n. 2. a comically wild or eccentric person.
3. a secondary character in old comedies, usu. a bungling imitator, derived from the male servant figures of commedia dell'arte.
4. a buffoon; clown.
[1560–70; (< Middle French) < Italian zan(n)i a servant character in the commedia dell'arte, perhaps orig. the character's name, Gianni, for Giovanni John]
za′ni•ly, adv.
za′ni•ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Noun | 1. |  zany - a buffoon in one of the old comedies; imitates others for ludicrous effect |
| 2. |  zany - a man who is a stupid incompetent fool | |
| Adj. | 1. | zany - ludicrous, foolish; "gave me a cockamamie reason for not going"; "wore a goofy hat"; "a silly idea"; "some wacky plan for selling more books" colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech foolish - devoid of good sense or judgment; "foolish remarks"; "a foolish decision" |
| 2. |  zany - like a clown; "a buffoonish walk"; "a clownish face"; "a zany sense of humor" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
zany
adjective comical, crazy, nutty (slang), funny, eccentric, wacky (slang), loony (slang), oddball (informal), madcap, goofy (informal), kooky (U.S. informal), out there (slang), clownish, wacko or whacko (informal) the zany humour of the Marx Brothers
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
zany
nounadjective
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005