Probably from Italian antico (“ancient”), used to describe ancient wall paintings from classical times, from Latin antiquus (“venerable”). See also Italian grottesco (“grotesque”). Doublet of antique.
Meanings
Playful, funny, absurd.
In recounting the story of Lenny and Eunice in his antic, supercaffeinated prose, Mr. Shteyngart gives us his most powerful and heartfelt novel yet — a novel that performs the delightful feat of mashing up an apocalyptic satire with a genuine supersad true love story. 2010 July 26, Michiko Kakutani, “Love Found Amid Ruins of Empire”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
My men like Satyres grazing on the lawnes,
Shall with their Goate feete daunce an antick hay, 1594, Christopher Marlow[e], The Troublesome Raigne and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England: […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press] for Henry Bell, […], published 1622, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
Grotesque, incongruous.
The amusement park environment of seaside resorts such as Venice and the antic eclecticism of Greene & Greene's pre-Craftsman work all preceded the establishment of the movie colony in Hollywood. 2004, John Chase, Glitter Stucco and Dumpster Diving: Reflections on Building Production in the Vernacular city, page 58:
(archaic) Grotesque, bizarre
[…] we all three enter'd the Gate of the Palace between two Rows of Guards, armed and dreſſed after a very antick manner, and ſomething in their Countenances that made my Fleſh creep with a Horror I cannot expreſs. 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Author Leaves Lagado, Arrives at Maldonada. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume II, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part III (A Voyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdribb, Luggnagg, and Japan), page 97:
Fetch me my Rapier Boy, what dares the ſlaue / Come hither, couer'd with an antique face, / To fleere and ſcorne at our Solemnitie? c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene v], page 58:
[…]a fourth would fondly kiss and paw his companions, and sneer in their faces, with a countenance more antic than any in a Dutch droll. 1865, Henry D[avid] Thoreau, “Stage-coach Views”, in [Sophia Thoreau; William Ellery Channing], editors, Cape Cod, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor and Fields, →OCLC, page 25:
antiquary (terms related to antic (adjective)) · Antiqua (terms related to antic (adjective)) · antique (terms related to antic (adjective)) · ancient (terms related to antic (adjective)) · antiquarian (terms related to antic (adjective)) · antiquity (terms related to antic (adjective)) · antiquated (terms related to antic (adjective))
Translations (39)
de bizarr (grotesque) · es absurdo (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · nl absurd (grotesque) · gl doudice (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · pt grotesco (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · nl bizar (grotesque) · de unpassend (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · nl grotesk (grotesque) · pt grotesco (grotesque) · ro învechit (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · it obbrobrioso (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · es grotesco (grotesque) · es incongruente (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · cs směšný (grotesque) · ro neadecvat (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · it grottesco (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · sv grotesk (grotesque) · de unvereinbar (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · de grotesk (grotesque) · fi naurettava (grotesque) · gl atrangallado (grotesque) · ro demodat (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · es grotesco (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · de inkongruent (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · fi liioiteltu (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · gl brutesco (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · fi groteski (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · nl grotesk (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · nl onpassend (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · de seltsam (grotesque) · fi vääristynyt (grotesque) · fi ruma (grotesque) · de absurd (grotesque) · de grotesk (architecture: grotesque, incongruous) · cs groteskní (grotesque) · gl brutesco (grotesque) · bg странен (grotesque) · fi irvokas (grotesque) · de albern (grotesque)
Probably from Italian antico (“ancient”), used to describe ancient wall paintings from classical times, from Latin antiquus (“venerable”). See also Italian grottesco (“grotesque”). Doublet of antique.
Meanings
(obsolete) A grotesque representation of a figure; a gargoyle.
A caricature.
(in-plural, often) A ludicrous gesture or act; ridiculous behaviour; caper.
Toad ceased his frivolous antics at once. He became grave and depressed, and a dull pain in the lower part of his spine, communicating itself to his legs, made him want to sit down and try desperately not to think of all the possibilities. 1908 October, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC:
The woman opened the cover now and then, whereupon the kitten would put out its head, and indulge in playful antics. 1894 December – 1895 November, Thomas Hardy, Jude the Obscure, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], published 1896, →OCLC:
She put Rosebud through his paces in the ring, and received her share of applause at the antics of the clever horse. 1916, Vance Barnum, Joe Strong on the Trapeze:
I've 'ad about enough of you and your antics. I been thinking you over, you and your war and your Empire and all the rot of it. 1907, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “On Goat Island”, in The War in the Air: […], London: George Bell and Sons, published 1908, →OCLC, § 7, pages 299–300:
Of their elders some, by imitating the antics of youth, strive to persuade themselves that their day is not yet over; they shout with the lustiest, but the war cry sounds hollow in their mouth;[…] 1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, chapter II, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC:
I'm fed up with your constant antics in class. Please behave yourself!
Pintsize: Wait, don’t you want to know why I’m tied up and hanging from the ceiling? / Faye: Not really. Nighty night! / Pintsize: Shit! My wacky antics have jumped the shark! 2007, Jeph Jacques, Time To Add A Cute Kid To The Cast Questionable Content Number 951
I saw the barren horror of your people's leisure with the million entertained by the antics of a tiny few […] 1953, John Christopher, Blemish:
Two sets of manners, could the youth put on; / And, fraught with antics as the Indian bird / That writhes and chatters in her wiry cage, / Was graceful, when it pleased him, smooth and still / As the mute Swan that floats adown the stream, […] c. 1806–1809 (date written), William Wordsworth, “Book the Sixth. The Church-yard among the Mountains.”, in The Excursion, being a Portion of The Recluse, a Poem, London: […] Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […], published 1814, →OCLC, page 263:
A grotesque performer or clown, buffoon.
The Grave-maker, like the professional fools and Falstaff, and like Hamlet himself, is an antic, a grotesque, one who demonstrates to men how foolish and 1978, Walter C. Foreman, The Music of the Close: The Final Scenes of Shakespeare’s Tragedies, page 90:
es bufonada (ludicrous act or behaviour) · sv upptåg (ludicrous act or behaviour) · da spade (grotesque performer or clown) · ca pallassada (ludicrous act or behaviour) · cs šaškárna (ludicrous act or behaviour) · hu bohóckodás (ludicrous act or behaviour) · it caricatura (caricature) · ca estupidesa (ludicrous act or behaviour) · de Albernheit (ludicrous act or behaviour) · ru клоун (grotesque performer or clown) · de Laune (ludicrous act or behaviour) · fi pelleily (ludicrous act or behaviour) · gl bufón (grotesque performer or clown) · fi karikatyyri (caricature) · nl zotternij (ludicrous act or behaviour) · ru фортель (ludicrous act or behaviour) · da eskapade (ludicrous act or behaviour) · de Narretei (ludicrous act or behaviour) · de Karikatur (caricature) · da fjols (grotesque performer or clown) · izh petruška (grotesque performer or clown) · pt palhaço (grotesque performer or clown) · pt palhaçada (ludicrous act or behaviour) · de Hanswurst (grotesque performer or clown) · da klovn (grotesque performer or clown) · es payasada (ludicrous act or behaviour) · da klovneri (ludicrous act or behaviour) · es grotesco (architecture: grotesque representation of a figure) · es gracia (ludicrous act or behaviour) · pt travessuras (ludicrous act or behaviour) · ca bufonada (ludicrous act or behaviour) · da løjer (ludicrous act or behaviour) · pt reinações (ludicrous act or behaviour) · nl karikatuur (caricature) · fi ilveily (ludicrous act or behaviour) · de Fratze (architecture: grotesque representation of a figure) · ru выходка (ludicrous act or behaviour) · fi groteski (architecture: grotesque representation of a figure) · gl felo (grotesque performer or clown) · fi narri (grotesque performer or clown) · de Possenreißer (grotesque performer or clown) · da pjatteri (ludicrous act or behaviour) · gl pallasada (ludicrous act or behaviour) · de Fratze (caricature) · fr pitrerie (ludicrous act or behaviour) · ru паяц (grotesque performer or clown) · it pagliaccio (grotesque performer or clown) · fi irvikuva (caricature) · hu idétlenség (ludicrous act or behaviour) · de Marotte (ludicrous act or behaviour) · it buffone (grotesque performer or clown) · fi pilakuva (caricature) · it pagliacciata (ludicrous act or behaviour) · ru петрушка (grotesque performer or clown) · fr bouffon (grotesque performer or clown) · ru проделка (ludicrous act or behaviour) · hu sületlenség (ludicrous act or behaviour) · da nar (grotesque performer or clown) · de Posse (ludicrous act or behaviour) · fi pelle (grotesque performer or clown) · cs opičárna (ludicrous act or behaviour) · gl carantoña (ludicrous act or behaviour) · pt grotesco (architecture: grotesque representation of a figure) · pt caricatura (caricature) · pl błazenada (ludicrous act or behaviour) · gl pallaso (grotesque performer or clown) · es grustesco (architecture: grotesque representation of a figure) · fi ilveilijä (grotesque performer or clown) · de Kasperei (ludicrous act or behaviour) · fr caricature (caricature) · gl monada (ludicrous act or behaviour) · fr pitre (grotesque performer or clown) · de Gekasper (ludicrous act or behaviour) · de Eskapade (ludicrous act or behaviour) · fr bouffonnerie (ludicrous act or behaviour) · da karikatur (caricature) · lt cirkas (ludicrous act or behaviour) · pl błazeństwo (ludicrous act or behaviour) · ru скоморох (grotesque performer or clown) · de Alberei (ludicrous act or behaviour) · ru балагур (grotesque performer or clown) · hu karikatúra (caricature) · de Kapriole (ludicrous act or behaviour) · es ridículo (ludicrous act or behaviour) · izh temppu (ludicrous act or behaviour) · de Mätzchen (ludicrous act or behaviour) · cs skopičina (ludicrous act or behaviour) · it buffonata (ludicrous act or behaviour) · fr clown (grotesque performer or clown) · nl kuur (ludicrous act or behaviour) · nl clown (grotesque performer or clown) · ru шут (grotesque performer or clown)
Probably from Italian antico (“ancient”), used to describe ancient wall paintings from classical times, from Latin antiquus (“venerable”). See also Italian grottesco (“grotesque”). Doublet of antique.
Meanings
(intransitive) To perform antics, to caper.
Jerry no more than cocked a contemptuous quizzical eye at the mainsail anticking above him. He knew already the empty windiness of its threats, but he was careful of the mainsheet blocks, and walked around the traveller instead of over it. 1917 April, Jack London, chapter IV, in Jerry of the Islands, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC, page 54:
(obsolete) To make a fool of, to cause to look ridiculous.
Whether one's surroundings were anticked up or not, one often felt one was living in another century at Roque. 1964, Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts:
Surtees became a friend of Walter Scott and played a very "anticking" joke upon the author. 1982, The Picturesque Tour, page 25:
Gentle lords, let's part; / You see we have burnt our cheeks: strong Enobarb / Is weaker than the wine; and mine own tongue / Splits what it speaks: the wild disguise hath almost / Antick'd us all. c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vii]:
(rare, transitive) To perform (an action) as an antic; to mimic ridiculously.
She unfastened her dress, her arms arched thin and high, her shadow anticking her movements. 1931, William Faulkner, Sanctuary, Vintage, published 1993, page 70: