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View synonyms for

screwball

[ skroo-bawl ]

noun

  1. Slang. an eccentric or irrational person; a nut:

    When the FBI first looked into him, they thought he was a harmless screwball.

  2. Baseball. a pitched ball that curves toward the side of the plate from which it was thrown, in a trajectory opposite to that of a curve ball:

    Has the once popular screwball vanished completely from the major leagues?



adjective

  1. Slang. eccentric or irrational; nutty:

    a screwball idea!

screwball

/ ˈːˌɔː /

noun

  1. an odd or eccentric person
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. odd; zany; eccentric
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of screwball1

First recorded in 1865–70; in 1935–40 screwball fordef 2; screw + ball 1
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

They’re the only actors who’ve internalized that this is screwball stuff, despite the realistic cinematography that throws wet burlap on the nonsense.

From

"The Residence" is an "Upstairs, Downstairs" screwball murder mystery set in the East Wing, the residence wing of the White House, during an Australian state dinner.

From

The latest show in her Netflix deal, though, portrays it as a blank collection of staircases and parlors not unlike others where all-star ensembles marry screwball comedy with murder.

From

Better still, she turned the whole performance into a screwball comedy - missing her cues, dropping her cane, and accidentally knocking over her set.

From

It’s like three classic films in one — screwball comedy, home-invasion thriller and a rueful drama of regret.

From

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