Lloyd Rose
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When referring to one of the grotesques—the fanciful, often fantastical mural paintings found in the ruins of ancient Roman buildings—the Italian descendants of the ancient Romans used the word antico, meaning “ancient thing.” In 16th-century English, antico (itself a descendant of the Latin word for “ancient,” antiquus) became antic, and got applied as both a noun and an adjective in contexts related to decorative art—sculptures, painting, architecture, etc.—inspired by the original grotesques. Antic shifted in meaning over time, eventually gaining the senses we use more often today: antic as an adjective describes the absurd or whimsical, and antic as a usually plural noun refers to attention-grabbing, playful or funny acts and actions.
Synonyms of antic
Noun
Adjective
Examples of antic in a Sentence
Adelle Platon, VIBE.com, 2 Apr. 2026
Glen Powell gets his Han Solo moment as the slick pilot Fox McCloud, and mischievous monkeys known as Ukikis threaten to steal the show with their pickpocketing antics.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026
Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
The scenic design by Paul Tate dePOO III savors the show’s Grand Guignol flavors while leaving plenty of flexibility for antic comedy.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for antic
Cite this Entry
“Antic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antic. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
antic
1 of 2 noun
antic
2 of 2 adjective
