as in insanity
lack of good sense or judgment
what zaniness possessed you to take a mental health day when you knew that the head honcho would be visiting?
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Recent Examples of zaniness
Big events add opportunities for zaniness that’s recognizably comedic, in addition to bringing in some recognizable guest stars.
—
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Mar. 2026
Some critics found the zaniness of Bale’s ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’ number (an homage to Mel Brooks comedy Young Frankenstein) hysterically brilliant, while others didn’t get the joke.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2026
Plenty of moments on The Fall-Off remind of the hunger of his early mixtapes, the purposeful thrills of his 2010s hits, or even the misguided zaniness of KOD, though none materialize in meaningful doses.
—Benny Sun, Pitchfork, 10 Feb. 2026
Those moments allowed O’Hara, in a mostly straight role, to add bits of signature zaniness.
—Jocelyn Noveck, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
The frothy zaniness was, of course, one of Barry’s Hollywood calling cards, but there always were serious themes submerged underneath.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The ensemble comedy garnered critical praise for its steady stream of zaniness and quickly gained a reputation for deftly skewering suburban life while still maintaining a general sweetness of tone.
—Will Harris, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
Animated by an irreverent zaniness, Egger’s poetry fuses elements drawn from contemporary idiom and from lyric tradition to render a surreal world that interrogates existential questions about desire and grief.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Crowds jumped, chanted and leaned into the sense of communal rebellion, all while celebrating the band's zaniness.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Mar. 2026
Some critics found the zaniness of Bale’s ‘Puttin’ on the Ritz’ number (an homage to Mel Brooks comedy Young Frankenstein) hysterically brilliant, while others didn’t get the joke.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2026
Plenty of moments on The Fall-Off remind of the hunger of his early mixtapes, the purposeful thrills of his 2010s hits, or even the misguided zaniness of KOD, though none materialize in meaningful doses.
—Benny Sun, Pitchfork, 10 Feb. 2026
Those moments allowed O’Hara, in a mostly straight role, to add bits of signature zaniness.
—Jocelyn Noveck, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026
The frothy zaniness was, of course, one of Barry’s Hollywood calling cards, but there always were serious themes submerged underneath.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
The ensemble comedy garnered critical praise for its steady stream of zaniness and quickly gained a reputation for deftly skewering suburban life while still maintaining a general sweetness of tone.
—Will Harris, Vulture, 2 Jan. 2026
Animated by an irreverent zaniness, Egger’s poetry fuses elements drawn from contemporary idiom and from lyric tradition to render a surreal world that interrogates existential questions about desire and grief.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Crowds jumped, chanted and leaned into the sense of communal rebellion, all while celebrating the band's zaniness.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zaniness
Noun
-
The film features a slew of genuine performances, which power up the violent insanity into something at once sensational and dramatic.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The worship of greatness leads, at best, to disillusionment and, at worst, to the insanity unleashed by the Wagnerian Hitler.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Our March madness this year comes with a record-breaking Colorado heat wave that will send top temperatures near and above 80 degrees by the middle of the week.—
Dave Aguilera,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The Lodge, while crowded, can be a nice respite from the madness of SXSW if arrive early in the day.—
Deborah Sengupta Stith,
Austin American Statesman,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Rather than sugary simplicity, today’s fruity scents lean layered and nuanced.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Where the original thrived in its simplicity, most of the expansions this sequel makes feel like clutter and take away from the strong core character.—
Chase Hutchinson,
IndieWire,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Outside of moments like this, however, such playful absurdity is often absent.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
13 Mar. 2026
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This is not Margot Robbie eating a giant strawberry in Wuthering Heights, a choice that aims for delightful absurdity but ultimately feels mannered.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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After Thursday night’s Charlotte craziness, in which both ACC Tournament quarterfinals in the evening session were decided by a single point, Friday night instead brought back-to-back blowouts, as Virginia rolled past Miami in the first game.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
14 Mar. 2026
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Mullins has seen just about all of it by now, national games at neutral sites, craziness at Gampel and in Hartford, the most intimidating of environments on the road at Kansas, Creighton, and the Big East Tournament.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Speaking of which, the soundtrack also overdoses a bit on the calculated wackiness of vintage cuts by Bonzo Dog Band, the Monty Python-adjacent 1960s British novelty music act.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
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There’s absolutely skill involved, but there’s also a lot of wackiness there, too, with random bounces deciding which teams get breakaways or odd-man rushes.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zaniness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zaniness. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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