Antic — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective /ˈan-tik/ an·tic

Meaning & Definition of Antic

Antic (noun)

  1. an attention-drawing, often wildly playful or funny act or action, caper —usually plural
  2. a performer of a grotesque or ludicrous part, buffoon

Antic (adjective)

  1. characterized by clownish extravagance or absurdity
  2. whimsically lighthearted, frolicsome
  3. grotesque, bizarre

Antic (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. causing or intended to cause laughter

    "antic shenanigans that made me nearly fall over with laughter"

    similar: chucklesome, comedic, comic, comical, droll, farcical, funny, hilarious, humoristic, humorous, hysterical, killing, laughable, ludicrous, ridiculous, riotous, risible, screaming, sidesplitting, uproarious
    related: amusing, diverting, entertaining, clownish, knockabout, slapstick, slapsticky, zany, facetious, flip, flippant, pert, smart, smart-aleck, smart-alecky, snickery, jocular, playful, waggish, campy, jokey, priceless, rich, whimsical, witty, wry, blithesome, gleeful, jocose, jocund, jolly, jovial, laughing, mad, merry, mirthful
    opposite: humorless, lame, unamusing, uncomic, unfunny, unhumorous, unhysterical
    near: earnest, grave, no-nonsense, sedate, serious, severe, sober, sobersided, solemn, somber, staid, unsmiling, weighty, affecting, moving, poignant, touching, tragic, lachrymose, mournful, sad, sorrowful, tearful, woeful

  2. given to good-natured joking or teasing

    "an antic group of kids at summer camp"

    similar: coltish, elfish, fay, frisky, frolicsome, larky, playful, rollicking, sportful, sportive
    related: coy, kittenish, gay, happy, lighthearted, whimsical, energetic, frolic, jocund, lively, merry, spirited, sprightly, spunky, vivacious, devilish, impish, knavish, mischievous, pixie, rascally, roguish, amusing, diverting, enjoyable, entertaining, fun, pleasurable, dabbling, frivolous, goofy, silly, trifling, delightful, pleasant, pleasing, jesting, jocose, jocular, joking, prankish, teasing
    opposite: earnest, serious-minded, sober, sobersided
    near: dutiful, responsible, grave, grim, serious, solemn, somber, stern, stolid, no-nonsense, priggish, starchy, stuffy, decorous, formal, proper, sedate, staid, guarded, inhibited, restrained

Antic (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke

    "we'll have no more of your antics, so just settle down"

    similar: caper, capriccio, dido, escapade, frolic, gag, jest, knavery, monkeyshine(s), practical joke, prank, rag (chiefly British), roguery, shavie (Scottish), shine(s), trick, waggery
    related: skylarking, adventure, experience, game, lark, time, high jinks, horseplay, play, roughhousing, rowdyism, shenanigan(s), tomfoolery, joking, kidding, teasing, gambit, hoax, maneuver, ploy, deed, feat, mission, performance, stunt, caprice, conceit, fancy, vagary, whim, whimsy, deceit, deception, delusion, fooling, fraud, hanky-panky, hoodwinking, ruse, sham, stratagem, subterfuge, trickery, wile

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Antic

The most common words with a similar meaning to Antic:

Chiefly British: rag
Scottish: shavie
chucklesome, comedic, comic, comical, droll, farcical, funny, hilarious, humoristic, humorous, hysterical, killing, laughable, ludicrous, ridiculous, riotous, risible, screaming, sidesplitting, uproarious, coltish, elfish, fay, frisky, frolicsome, larky, playful, rollicking, sportful, sportive, caper, capriccio, dido, escapade, frolic, gag, jest, knavery, monkeyshine(s), practical joke

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Antic

Words with the opposite meaning of Antic:

humorless, lame, unamusing, uncomic, unfunny, unhumorous, unhysterical, earnest, serious-minded, sober, sobersided

Related Words for Antic

amusing, diverting, entertaining, clownish, knockabout, slapstick, slapsticky, zany, facetious, flip, flippant, pert, smart, smart-aleck, smart-alecky, snickery, jocular, waggish, campy, jokey, priceless, rich, whimsical, witty, wry, blithesome, gleeful, jocose, jocund, jolly

Near Antonyms of Antic

grave, no-nonsense, sedate, serious, severe, solemn, somber, staid, unsmiling, weighty, affecting, moving, poignant, touching, tragic, lachrymose, mournful, sad, sorrowful, tearful, woeful, dutiful, responsible, grim, stern, stolid, priggish, starchy, stuffy, decorous

Word Forms of Antic

Derived words: antically (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Antic

Italian antico ancient thing or person, from antico ancient, from Latin antiquus antique

First known use: 1564

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Antic

Frequently Asked Questions about Antic

What does "Antic" mean?

"Antic" means an attention-drawing, often wildly playful or funny act or action, caper —usually plural. As an a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: an attention-drawing, often wildly playful or funny act or action, caper —usually plural. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Antic"?

Other words for "Antic" include chucklesome, comedic, comic, comical, droll, farcical, funny and hilarious. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Antic" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Antic"?

There are 157 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Antic". Common alternatives include chucklesome, comedic, comic, comical, droll, farcical, funny, hilarious, humoristic and humorous.

What is the opposite of "Antic"?

Antonyms of "Antic" include humorless, lame, unamusing, uncomic, unfunny, unhumorous, unhysterical and earnest. Near antonyms include grave, no-nonsense, sedate and serious.

How do you use "Antic" in a sentence?

Examples of "Antic" in a sentence: "antic shenanigans that made me nearly fall over with laughter"; "an antic group of kids at summer camp"; "we'll have no more of your antics, so just settle down".

Is "Antic" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Antic" can be used as a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Antic" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Antic" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Antic"?

"Antic" is pronounced /ˈan-tik/ and divided into syllables as an·tic.