Meaning & use
nuttery
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountableinformalhumorousBritish
Informal and humorous word for behavior or ideas that are crazy, silly or very odd.
Grammar: Uncountable: pure nuttery, not a nuttery.
Patterns
- sheer nuttery
- a bit of nuttery
The plot of that film is pure nuttery from start to finish.
Her plan to cycle across the desert was sheer nuttery.
The meeting was full of nuttery, and nothing got decided.
nouncountablerare
A place, such as an orchard or plantation, where nut trees are grown or where nuts are stored.
Grammar: Countable for a place: a nuttery, several nutteries.
Patterns
- a nuttery on the farm
The old nuttery at the edge of the estate still produces hazelnuts.
They planted a small nuttery behind the barn.
Word forms
| plural | nutteries |
|---|
Common combinations
- pure nuttery
- The conspiracy theory was pure nuttery.
- sheer nuttery
- It was sheer nuttery to drive in that storm.
- hazelnut nuttery
- The estate has a hazelnut nuttery.
- a touch of nuttery
- His speech had a touch of nuttery.
Synonyms and how they differ
- madness
- Madness is a stronger, more general word, while nuttery is playful and suggests silliness rather than real danger.
- silliness
- Silliness is milder and means foolish fun, but nuttery implies something stranger and more extreme.
- craziness
- Craziness is the ordinary equivalent and is more neutral, whereas nuttery has a humorous British flavor.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: nuttery or nursery?
nuttery vs nursery
Nursery is a place where young children or young plants are cared for. Nuttery is a rare word for silly behavior or a place for nuts.
Practice
He called the whole scheme 'pure nuttery'. What did he mean?
Choose one answer.
Nuttery is informal for crazy, silly behavior or ideas. The nut-growing meaning exists but does not fit calling a scheme pure nuttery.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nuttery”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.