antic

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“
They think cleverness an antic, and have a constant though needless horror of being thought to have any of it.

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Definitions (21)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. noun A ludicrous or extravagant act or gesture; a caper.
  2. noun Archaic A buffoon, especially a performing clown.
  3. adjective Ludicrously odd; fantastic.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (11)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (4)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (3)

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Examples (50)

  • The Hobby-Horse performed an extraordinary and rather alarming antic which turned out merely to be the preparatory manoeuvre of Simon Begg divesting himself of his trappings. —  Death of a Fool - Ngaio Marsh - Alleyn 19: 1956
  • Indeed, I am now become an antic, a classical figure of fun, old Sir Ague who languishes upon a pretty wench. —  Died in the Wool - Ngaio Marsh - Alleyn 13: 1944
  • That sets the tone for this antic, occasionally annoying film that nevertheless stands as the best thing Mendes has ever made. —  Home
  • The antic, high-energy Pine and the deadpan Quinto make an effective hot-and-cold comedy team, and the supporting cast contributes mightily to the laughs, especially Simon Pegg as Scotty. —  Home
  • His mischievous antic is meant to convey, in his wry way, that even when honored one shouldn't take oneself too seriously. —  Scientific American
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

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Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. From Italian antico, ancient (used of grotesque designs on some ancient Roman artifacts), from Latin antīquus, former, old; see ant- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. Introduced in the reign of Henry VIII., spelled antick, anticke, antike, antyke, and later antique (with accent on the first syllable), from French antique, ancient, stale, = Provencal antic = Spanish antiguo = Portuguese antigo = Italian antico, ancient, old, from Latin antiquus, former, earlier, ancient, old, from ante, before: see ante-, and cf. ancient. In the 17th century the spelling antique, which then first became common, was gradually restricted to the literal sense, with the accent and pronunciation changed in immediate dependence on the F., while antick, antic was retained in the deflected sense: see antique
  2. from antic, adjective
 

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/ˈæntɪk/
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