zany

[ zey-nee ]
/ ˈzeɪ ni /

adjective, za·ni·er, za·ni·est.

ludicrously or whimsically comical; clownish.

noun, plural za·nies.

Origin of zany

1560–70; (< Middle French) < Italian zan(n)i (later zanno) a servant character in the commedia dell’arte, perhaps orig. the character's name, the Upper Italian form of Tuscan Gianni, for Giovanni John

SYNONYMS FOR zany

3 kook, crazy, lunatic.

OTHER WORDS FROM zany

za·ni·ly, adverb za·ni·ness, za·ny·ism, noun za·ny·ish, adjective

Words nearby zany

zante, zanthoxylum, zanu, zanu pf, zanuck, zany, zanzibar, zanzibari, zap, zap out, zapata

British Dictionary definitions for zanily

zany
/ (ˈzeɪnɪ) /

adjective -nier or -niest

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

noun plural -nies

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

Derived forms of zany

zanily, adverb zaniness, noun zanyism, noun

Word Origin for zany

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