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Quirky vs Zany - What's the difference?

quirky | zany |

As adjectives the difference between quirky and zany

is that quirky is given to quirks or idiosyncrasies; strange in a somewhat silly, awkward manner, potentially cute 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.

quirky

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Given to quirks or idiosyncrasies; strange in a somewhat silly, awkward manner, potentially cute.
    • She has a quirky laugh.

    Derived terms

    * quirkily * quirkiness * quirkyalone * quirky subject * unquirky

    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