zany

n., pl., -nies.

1. A ludicrous, buffoonish character in old comedies who attempts feebly to mimic the tricks of the clown.
2. A comical person given to extravagant or outlandish behavior.

adj., -ni·er, -ni·est.

1. Ludicrously comical; clownish.
2. Comical because of incongruity or strangeness; bizarre.

[French zani, from Italian dialectal zanni, from Zanni, variant of Italian Gianni, nickname for Giovanni, John, the name of servants who act as clowns in commedia dell'arte.]

zanily za'ni·ly adv.
zaniness za'ni·ness n.

(ZAY-nee)

adjective
Amusingly strange, comical, or clownish.

Etymology
From French zani, from Italian zanni, a nickname for Giovanni

The term has its origin in the comedy theater commedia dell'arte popular in 16-18th century Italy. Giovanni, Italian form of the name John, was originally the generic name of the servant, a stock character who tried to mimic his master, himself a clown.

Usage
"The ReJoyce 2004 Szombathely Festival with events such as the Leopold Bloom Ikebana (flower poetry contest) promises to be the most zany, spirited, Joycean tribute of all!" — Esther Vécsey; ReJoyce! Dublin on the Danube; The Budapest Sun (Hungary); Jun 10, 2004.

"The free show, designed for children in kindergarten through the sixth grade, is full of zany illusions and silly jokes and plenty of audience participation." — Monica Lander; Former Alcoholic to Share Tragedy With Students; San Ramon Valley Times (California); May 12, 2004.

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noun

A person whose words or actions provoke or are intended to provoke amusement or laughter: clown, comedian, comic, farceur, funnyman, humorist, jester, joker, jokester, quipster, wag², wit. Informal card. See laughter.

adjective

1. Arousing laughter: amusing, comic, comical, droll, funny, humorous, laughable, risible. See laughter.
2. So senseless as to be laughable: absurd, foolish, harebrained, idiotic, imbecilic, insane, lunatic, mad, moronic, nonsensical, preposterous, silly, softheaded, tomfool, unearthly. Informal cockeyed, crazy, loony, loopy. Slang balmy², dippy, dopey, jerky, sappy, wacky. See ability/inability, knowledge/ignorance.

adj

Definition: crazy, funny
Antonyms: serious

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A cynical view of the world by Ambrose Bierce

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.

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Dansk (Danish)
adj. - skær, latterlig, tåbelig, naragtig
n. - tåbe, nar, bajads

Nederlands (Dutch)
gek (komisch), pias, kolderiek

Français (French)
adj. - loufoque, dingue, toqué, cinglé
n. - (Théât) bouffon, zan(n)i

Deutsch (German)
adj. - albern, Wahnsinns-
n. - Clown, Narr

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - θεοπάλαβος
n. - γελωτοποιός, παλαβιάρης

Italiano (Italian)
buffone, sempliciotto

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - cômico
n. - bobo (m), comediante (m)

Русский (Russian)
дурак, клоун, смешной, фиглярский, подражать

Español (Spanish)
adj. - estrafalario, absurdo
n. - bufón, truhán

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - clownaktig, komisk, stollig, tokig
n. - gycklare, dumbom, pajas, narr, dåre

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
滑稽的, 愚蠢的, 小丑, 丑角, 笨人

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 滑稽的, 愚蠢的
n. - 小丑, 丑角, 笨人

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 어릿광대 같은, 짝없이 어리석은, 미치광이 같은
n. - 바보, 어릿광대, 알랑쇠

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - おどけた
n. - 道化役, 道化師

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) احمق, مغفل, ساذج (الاسم) متملق, متزلف, مهرج‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮מצחיק ומטופש או מטורף‬
n. - ‮ליצן, מוקיון‬

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