cockamamy

adjective

ˌkä-kə-ˈmā-mē How to pronounce cockamamy (audio)
variants or cockamamie
as in ridiculous
so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter a cockamamy plan that could only have been dreamt up by a cartoonish mad scientist

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 cockamamy Eventually, the fake celebrity needs money for some cockamamie reason. — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 2 Oct. 2026 Affleck directs and stars as Tony Mendez, a CIA exfiltration specialist who comes up with a cockamamie scheme to free a group of hostages hiding in the home of a Canadian diplomat. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cockamamy
  1. ridiculous
  2. absurd
  3. silly
  4. pathetic
  5. foolish
  6. stupid
Adjective
  • Just two friends being completely ridiculous and enjoying life.
    — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The casting was essential because the film only works if everyone commits completely to this ridiculous situation.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of ridiculous
Adjective
  • This episode notably lacked any nod to Trump, though mentions of the president as a whole have been brief compared to the previous season, when the president was the show’s focal point for absurd antics.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • And Saturday’s win proved that his plan to pursue championships — something that seemed absurd amid a lost 2025 season — has a real possibility of paying off with one.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of absurd
Adjective
  • The feds gave the state a silly 48-hour deadline to agree to change constitutional law, dump common sense and sequester these 20,000 ballots, if they were even returned, to double-check they were cast by valid voters.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Performed by legends Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, the silly song is a tongue-twister for kiddos, and the titular word, which means ‘extraordinarily good, wonderful’ even made its way into some real deal dictionaries.
    — Stephanie Ganz Published, Parents, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of silly
Adjective
  • There’s nothing more important than defeating his pathetic opponent, Mike Collins.
    — NBC news, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Haloed in distorted guitar and jagged synths, Wolf comes off as a champion of her own avoidance, her heroism charmingly pathetic.
    — Enzo Escober, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of pathetic
Adjective
  • But Ohtani also struck out three times Thursday — made to look foolish in a much-too-familiar way.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • But pretending that their selection of Fudd was based entirely on her basketball skills is foolish.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of foolish
Adjective
  • Doing so would be a stupid move for an Oval Office wannabe, one already hobbled by the progressive persona of the Golden State.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Republican Massachusetts Senate nominee John Deaton is not stupid.
    — Jon Keller, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of stupid

Browse Nearby Words

cockalorums
cockamamy
cock a snook (at)
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Cite this Entry

“Cockamamy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cockamamy. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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