Let’s grow our vocabularies together! I’ve decided to launch a monthly post called Word Of The Month so we can gain more knowledge on words. The chosen word may be one already commonly known, or it could be a completely new one that we can learn about and start using in our day-to-day conversations.

October’s word of the month is:

Z A N Y

I haven’t heard this word before — well, I probably have but I haven’t paid it any attention.

Definition

amusingly unconventional and idiosyncratic

Synonyms

Eccentric / Bizarre / Weird / Peculiar / Quirky / Comic / Silly

Published Use Of The Word

Taika Waititi has brought his zany humour to the latest Tourism NZ promo video.

The Kiwi director shows off his fighting skills in the campaign aimed at overseas travellers as he reprises his role as Blackbeard from the show Our Flag Means Death.

1news.co.nz

My Examples

Hailey normally enjoyed her mother’s zany personality, but she was experiencing the worst migraine of her life and did not have the energy to deal with it in this moment. She was about to yell at her mum to put a sock in it when the doorbell rang.

I can’t believe I have to stay in tonight to look after a cat and a gerbil. Admittedly, the cat is the zaniest feline I’ve ever come across and I reckon we’ll have some fun. But a gerbil? What am I supposed to do with a gerbil?!

A zany fairy sat on a leaf outside the tree den after being cast out from the oh-so-important meeting. She was only trying to make light of the situation at hand. Oh, how she wished the other fairies would stop being so serious all the time. She’d never felt lonelier than she did right now.

“The zanier the person, better the act,” was the circus manager’s motto when it came to hiring new talent. And the man sitting opposite him in nothing but tight gold hotpants and a neon pink bowtie would do well here.

Writing Prompt

Write a sentence or paragraph that includes the word of the month, and comment your work below. Or give an example of another author’s use of the word that you enjoyed reading.

Is zany a word that was already in your vocabulary?

Here’s last month’s word if you missed it!