barking mad

Also bark·ing

[bahr-king mad]

adjective

British and Australian Informal.

1. thoroughly insane; crazy.

   Whoever dreamed up this nonsensical storyline was barking mad.

   Not put off by this frankly barking mad conversation, I agreed to hear more about his idea over lunch.

Word History and Origins

Origin of barking mad¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Barking mad: The scrap metal dog returns to Carhenge for another year.

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During the episode, Malone seemed to suggest that public health authorities and pro-vaccine messaging were driving Americans "barking mad" — while referring multiple times to the FDA-approved shots as "experimental" vaccines.

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“What the heck happened to Germany in the 20s and 30s? Very intelligent, highly educated population, and they went barking mad. And how did that happen?” he told Mr. Rogan.

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That track record is one reason why making iron fertilization a research priority is “barking mad,” says Wil Burns, an ocean law expert at Northwestern University.

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How could such a high official in the United States sound so barking mad?

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