Lloyd Rose
Did you know?
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
Madeline Gunderson,
USA Today,
5 July 2026
Youngsters romped through the crowd, happily indulging in eggthrowing or dunking-machine antics or trying to climb to the pinnacle of a greased pole, where a $20 bill waited.
—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 July 2026
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
26 June 2026
Wilde’s Angela is expressive and antic; Rogen’s Joe is sullen and snarky.
—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 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 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
antic
1 of 2 noun
antic
2 of 2 adjective
