nutcase

noun

ˈnət-ˌkās How to pronounce nutcase (audio)
Definition of nutcasenext
1
as in eccentric
a person of odd or whimsical habits around the condo complex she's known as the nutcase who consistently ignores the rules

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment only a nutcase would try to accelerate a campfire by dousing it with gasoline

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nutcase Video testimony provided other repudiations of Eastman’s nutcase legal theory. — Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 17 June 2022 Ma Seok-do (Ma) is still with the Geumcheon Police Major Crimes Unit, arriving to help his fellow officers deal with a knife-wielding nutcase who’s taken hostages at a corner store. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 3 June 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nutcase
  1. eccentric
  2. lunatic
  3. character
  4. fool
  5. wacko
  6. maniac
  7. crackpot
  8. nutter
Noun
  • The public reckonings with these figures’ legacies—the troubled former child star gone too soon, the beloved icon, the cult favorite, the complicated eccentric—have come in a cascade.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Make sure to practice a full range of motion with these and emphasize the eccentric (the way down) part of the movement for maximal time under tension and muscle-building stimulus.
    — Jakob Roze, HEALTH, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of eccentric
Noun
  • Rabin was killed [in 1995], that was a last straw —seeing an extremist right-wing lunatic in Israel kill Rabin and kill the dreams of peace.
    — Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2026
  • In fact, a lunatic in Houston couldn't wait more than one game before sprinting onto the field.
    — Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of lunatic
Noun
  • Given how Wade is defined by his love of hallucinogenic mushrooms and off-roading in an ATV, the character is designed to be played big, and Heaton appears to be enjoying himself.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Brooklyn Nine-Nine alum Fumero’s character, Teri, is a detective inspector for the New Jersey State Police.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of character
Noun
  • The Trasks encounter a wide swath of citizens, haggling with sneaky cheats, exploiting innocent fools, and befriending big-hearted neighbors.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2026
  • To protest in the street, to be arrested for attacking a police officer or vandalizing private property, or making a fool of yourself in any of a hundred different ways is valuable currency to anyone seeking status within an activist organization.
    — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of fool
Noun
  • People who see ghosts tend to see the same ghost wafting down the same staircase, but none of the characters populating Leo’s wacko hallucinations have returned for a repeat perfor-mance.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
  • This wacko crew was one of the greatest things in the history of television.
    — Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Definition of wacko
Noun
  • David extended a hand toward me (imaginary attacks by slow, handshake-wielding maniacs are a martial arts class staple).
    — Johanna Stein, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Unbeknownst to the visitors, there’s an unhappy fifth party already in the house… and more than one homicidal maniac even within that small populace.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 28 July 2026
Definition of maniac
Noun
  • Musk, as the documentary makes clear, is a genuine if flawed technocratic visionary, a messianic opportunist, and something of a crackpot.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Get the angst out of the games, and the crackpots will move on to some other fashionable cause.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 26 July 2026
Definition of crackpot
Noun
  • Whit’s Frozen Custard is known for its flavor of the day calendar, with rich custards running the decadent range from fluffer nutter cookie, carrot cake, and mint cookies ‘n cream to Biscoff cookie butter and banana nut bread.
    — Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 9 May 2026
  • Lloyd Hansen is his exit strategy, and this nutter will stop at nothing to snuff Six and steal the drive.
    — Peter Debruge, Variety, 14 July 2022
Definition of nutter

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Cite this Entry

“Nutcase.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nutcase. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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