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Jocular vs Zany - What's the difference?

jocular | zany |

As adjectives the difference between jocular and zany

is that jocular is (formal) humorous]], amusing or [[joke|joking while zany is unusual and bizarre in a funny, comical way; outlandish; clownish.

As a noun zany is

(obsolete) a fool or clown especially one whose business on the stage was to imitate foolishly the actions of the principal clown.

jocular

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • (formal) Humorous]], amusing or [[joke, joking.
  • He was in a jocular mood all day.
    All we had was a short and jocular conversation.
  • * 1865 , , chapter IV:
  • From the tone of the speaker, the last words might be understood to be jocular .
  • * 1896 , , chapter 15:
  • Sometimes he would notice it, pat it, call it half-mocking, half-jocular names, and so make it caper with extraordinary delight.
  • * 1910 , :
  • Then papa began to get very tired of Jones, and fidgeted and finally said, with jocular irony, that Jones had better stay all night, they could give him a shake-down.

    Synonyms

    * (humorous) dismissive, jokey, unemotional, silly; see also

    Antonyms

    * (humorous) heartfelt, serious, sincere

    Derived terms

    * jocularly * jocularity * jocularness

    zany

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • unusual and bizarre in a funny, comical way; outlandish; clownish
  • ludicrously or incongruously comical
  • Synonyms

    * wacky

    Derived terms

    * zaniness

    Noun

    (zanies)
  • (obsolete) A fool or clown. Especially one whose business on the stage was to imitate foolishly the actions of the principal clown
  • * John Donne
  • Then write that I may follow, and so be / Thy echo, thy debtor, thy foil, thy zany .
  • * Alexander Pope
  • Preacher at once, and zany of thy age.
  • * 1898 , , (Moonfleet) Chapter 4
  • So there he caught me lying like a zany on the ground. You may guess I stood at attention soon enough, but told him I was looking at the founds to see if they wanted underpinning from the floods.

    References

    * 1949', John Dover Wilson (compiler), ' Life in Shakespeare's England. A Book of Elizabethan Prose , Cambridge at the University Press. 1st ed. 1911, 2nd ed. 1913, 8th reprint. In Glossary and Notes