zany

• POS: Adjective, Noun
• HYPHEN: za=ny

CIDE DICTIONARY

zany, n. [It. zanni a buffoon, merry-andrew, orig. same as Giovanni John, i. e., merry John, L. Ioannes, Gr. , Heb. Yōkhānān, prop., the Lord graciously gave: cf. F. zani, fr. the Italian. Cf. Jenneting.].

 A merry-andrew; a buffoon.  [1913 Webster]
"Then write that I may follow, and so be
Thy echo, thy debtor, thy foil, thy zany."  [1913 Webster]
"Preacher at once, and zany of thy age."  [1913 Webster]

zany, v. t. 

 To mimic.  [1913 Webster]
"Your part is acted; give me leave at distance
To zany it."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

zany, adj. & n.
--adj. (zanier, zaniest) comically idiotic; crazily ridiculous.
--n.
1 a buffoon or jester.
2 hist. an attendant clown awkwardly mimicking a chief clown in shows; a merry andrew.

Derivative

zanily adv. zaniness n.

Etymology

F zani or It. zan(n)i, Venetian form of Gianni, Giovanni John

DEVIL DICTIONARY

zany

n. A popular character in old Italian plays, who imitated with ludicrous incompetence the _buffone_, or clown, and was therefore the ape of an ape; for the clown himself imitated the serious characters of the play. The zany was progenitor to the specialist in humor, as we to-day have the unhappiness to know him. In the zany we see an example of creation; in the humorist, of transmission. Another excellent specimen of the modern zany is the curate, who apes the rector, who apes the bishop, who apes the archbishop, who apes the devil.

THESAURUS

zany

Columbine, Hanswurst, Harlequin, Pantalone, Pantaloon, Polichinelle, Pulcinella, Punch, Punchinello, Scaramouch, absurd, ament, amusing, ass, banana, born fool, buffo, buffoon, burlesquer, card, caricaturist, clown, clownish, comedian, comic, comical, crackpot, crazy, cretin, cutup, doodle, egregious ass, epigrammatist, exhibitionist, farceur, figure of fun, fool, foolish, frolicsome, funny, funnyman, gag writer, gagman, gagster, gay, goofy, half-wit, harlequin, hilarious, humorist, idiot, ignoramus, imbecile, inane, ironist, jack-pudding, jackass, jester, joker, jokesmith, jokester, kooky, lampooner, loony, ludicrous, lunatic, mad, madcap, merry, merry-andrew, milksop, mooncalf, moron, motley, motley fool, natural, nonsensical, nut, nutty, parodist, perfect fool, pickle-herring, playful, practical joker, prankster, punner, punster, quipster, reparteeist, satirist, schmuck, screwball, show-off, silly, simpleton, slapstick, softhead, sop, sportive, stupid ass, tomfool, trickster, wacky, wag, wagwit, wild, wisecracker, wit, witling

ROGET THESAURUS

zany

Wit

N wit, humor, wittiness, sense of humor, attic wit, attic salt, atticism, salt, esprit, point, fancy, whim, drollery, pleasantry, farce, buffoonery, fooling, tomfoolery, shenanigan, harlequinade, broad farce, broad humor, fun, espieglerie, vis comica, jocularity, jocosity, jocoseness, facetiousness, waggery, waggishness, whimsicality, comicality, banter, badinage, retort, repartee, smartness, ready wit, quid- pro-quo, ridicule, jest, joke, jape, jibe, facetiae, levity, quips and cranks, capital joke, canorae nugae, standing jest, standing joke, private joke, conceit, quip, quirk, crank, quiddity, concetto, plaisanterie, brilliant idea, merry thought, bright thought, happy thought, sally, flash of wit, flash of merriment, scintillation, mot, mot pour rire, witticism, smart saying, bon-mot, jeu d'esprit, epigram, jest book, dry joke, quodlibet, cream of the jest, word-play, jeu de mots, play of words, play upon words, pun, punning, double entente, double entendre, quibble, verbal quibble, conundrum, anagram, acrostic, double acrostic, trifling, idle conceit, turlupinade, old joke, tired joke, flat joke, Joe Miller, witty, attic, quick-witted, nimble-witted, smart, jocular, jocose, humorous, facetious, waggish, whimsical, kidding, joking, puckish, playful, merry and wise, pleasant, sprightly, light, spirituel, sparkling, epigrammatic, full of point, ben trovato, comic, zany, madcap, funny, amusing, jokingly, in joke, in jest, in sport, in play, adhibenda est in jocando moderatio, gentle dullness ever loves a joke, leave this keen encounter of our wits, just joking, just kidding, surely you jest!.

Humorist

N humorist, wag, wit, reparteeist, epigrammatist, punster, bel esprit, life of the party, wit-snapper, wit-cracker, wit- worm, joker, jester, Joe Miller, drole de corps, gaillard, spark, bon diable, practical joker, buffoon, farceur, merry-andrew, mime, tumbler, acrobat, mountebank, charlatan, posturemaster, harlequin, punch, pulcinella, scaramouch, clown, wearer of the cap and bells, wearer of the motley, motley fool, pantaloon, gypsy, jack-pudding, jack in the green, jack a dandy, wiseacre, wise guy, smartass, fool, zany, madcap, pickle-herring, witling, caricaturist, grimacier, persifleur.

Fool

N fool, idiot, tomfool, wiseacre, simpleton, witling, dizzard, donkey, ass, ninny, ninnyhammer, chowderhead, chucklehead, dolt, booby, Tom Noddy, looby, hoddy-doddy, noddy, nonny, noodle, nizy, owl, goose, goosecap, imbecile, gaby, radoteur, nincompoop, badaud, zany, trifler, babbler, pretty fellow, natural, niais, child, baby, infant, innocent, milksop, sop, oaf, lout, loon, lown, dullard, doodle, calf, colt, buzzard, block, put, stick, stock, numps, tony, bull head, dunderhead, addlehead, blockhead, dullhead, loggerhead, jolthead, jolterhead, beetlehead, beetlebrain, grosshead, muttonhead, noodlehead, giddyhead, numbskull, thickskull, lackbrain, shallowbrain, dimwit, halfwit, lackwit, dunderpate, lunkhead sawney, gowk, clod, clod-hopper, clod-poll, clot-poll, clot-pate, bull calf, gawk, Gothamite, lummox, rube, men of Boeotia, wise men of Gotham, un sot a triple etage, sot, jobbernowl, changeling, mooncalf, gobemouche, dotard, driveler, old fogey, old woman, crock, crone, grandmother, cotquean, henhussy, incompetent (insanity), greenhorn, dunce, lubber, madman, one who will not set the Thames on fire, one who did not invent gunpowder, qui n'a pas invente' la poudre, no conjuror, fortuna favet fatuis, les fous font les festinas et les sages les mangen, nomina stultorum parietibus harrent, stultorum plena sunt omnia.