noun

antic

AN-tik

Antic (noun) means a piece of foolish, playful or attention-seeking behaviour; usually used in the plural. Example: “The crowd loved the goalkeeper's antics on the goal line.”

noun

A piece of foolish, playful or attention-seeking behaviour; usually used in the plural.

"The crowd loved the goalkeeper's antics on the goal line."

"His antics at the wedding are still being talked about."

adjective

literary Grotesque or absurd in an oddly theatrical way.

"He struck an antic pose and swept off his hat."

How to Use Antic

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSilly behaviour that draws attention.

When to use it

The plural noun is everyday and neutral; the adjective is literary and now uncommon.

Easily confused with

shenanigans → antique → frolics

Common pairings

up to his old antics childish antics on-field antics tired of the antics

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The crowd loved the goalkeeper's _____ on the goal line.

Etymology

From Italian antico, ancient, from Latin antiquus. The word was first applied to the grotesque human and animal figures found in excavated Roman remains, and passed from those strange images to strange behaviour.

Origin: Italian

Synonyms

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shenanigans capers tomfoolery escapades larks grotesque fantastical clownish bizarre

Related Words

beautiful weird strange fantastic odd ugly bizarre rum

Rhymes for antic

frantic semantic pedantic gigantic Atlantic romantic unromantic transatlantic

See all rhymes for antic →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is antic used in the singular?

Very rarely as a noun. In modern English the noun is almost always plural — "his antics" — and a singular "an antic" sounds wrong to most ears.

What is the difference between antics and shenanigans?

Antics are usually visible, physical and silly, the sort of thing a child or a clown does. Shenanigans leans more towards mischief and underhand dealing, and can imply something dishonest as well as playful.

What does "antic disposition" mean in Hamlet?

Hamlet's phrase refers to the mad, clownish manner he intends to put on as a disguise. It uses the older adjective sense of antic, meaning grotesque or theatrically strange, not the modern sense of playful mischief.

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