Zany

adj.joyful, energeticplayful

What it means

Amusingly unconventional, exaggerated, or unpredictable.

Reach for it when praising comic oddness when it feels intentional and harmless

The zany costume turned the parade marshal into a walking teapot.

playful
goofy
when endearing silliness matters more than originality
not when Goofy can sound juvenile and may imply clumsiness.
playful
screwball
when farcical, fast-moving comedy is the exact style
not when Screwball carries genre baggage and can insult someone whose humor is merely zany.
playful
wacky
when broad silly oddness suits very informal speech
not when Wacky can dismiss a person or serious idea as irrational.
everyday
outrageous
when exaggeration boldly crosses ordinary expectations
not when Outrageous can mean offensive or unacceptable and does not guarantee humor.
warm
offbeat
when unusual style creates gentle appeal
not when Offbeat is subtler and less chaotic than zany.
professional
absurdist
when deliberate illogic belongs to an artistic comic mode
not when Absurdist is a specific technique or tradition, not a synonym for any zany behavior.
formal
eccentric
when departure from convention is the factual trait
not when Eccentric is not necessarily funny and can other a real person's harmless habits.
literary
madcap
when fast, reckless-seeming comedy drives the scene
not when Madcap is more frantic and can romanticize unsafe behavior.

zany humor
The show's zany humor never makes disability the punchline.
zany character
A zany character enters carrying twelve carefully labeled umbrellas.
zany idea
The zany idea became useful after the team removed its unsafe step.

Zany can dismiss a person as irrational or unstable. Use it for consensual comic style or behavior, not mental health.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.