screwball

Noun · Adjective
US[skroo-bawl]/ˈskruˌbɔl/2 syllables
Synonyms: crackpotcranknutnut casefruitcakecrazyhalf-bakedsoftheaded

Open English WordNet

Noun (2)

  1. a whimsically eccentric personSynonyms: crackpotcranknutnut casefruitcakeType of eccentric, eccentric person
  2. a pitch with reverse spin that curves toward the side of the plate from which it was thrownType of pitch, delivery

Adjective (1)

  1. foolish; totally unsound“a crazy scheme”“half-baked ideas”“a screwball proposal without a prayer of working”Synonyms: crazyhalf-bakedsoftheadedOpposite practicalSimilar impractical
Word of the day · Oct 6About this word
spuriousadjective

What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz

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Webster's Dictionary (1913)

screw′ball noun

1. An eccentric or crazy person; an oddball.

2. Baseball A baseball pitch that curves in the direction opposite to that of a curve ball.

screw′ball adjective

1. Eccentric; zany; crazy; as, screwball antics; a screwball comedy.

2. Ridiculously unsound; improbable or doomed to failure; — of plans or ideas; as, a screwball plan to raise cocoanuts in Alaska.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54 · with additions: GCIDE editors

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