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
OTHER WORDS FROM zany
za·ni·ly, adverb za·ni·ness, za·ny·ism, noun za·ny·ish, adjectiveWords nearby zany
Example sentences from the Web for zaniness
Gingrich Restrains His Zaniness Newt confesses that he's been editing his words in an effort not to appear to be "zany."
But whatever her professions of zaniness, lately Barrymore has seemed awfully grown up.
British Dictionary definitions for zaniness
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, nounWord 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