bats

American

[bats] / bæts /

adjective

Slang.

insane; crazy.

He's gone bats.

bats British

/ bæts /

adjective

informal crazy; very 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

Etymology

Origin of bats

First recorded in 1915–20; see origin at bat ², -s ³

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

South Carolina right-handed pitcher Jori Heard allowed only one hit through two innings, keeping UCLA’s potent bats relatively quiet.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

An infection with Bundibugyo virus can occur when someone comes in contact with infected bats or primates, according to the WHO.

From MarketWatch • May 17, 2026

Ebola, believed to have originated in bats, is a deadly viral disease spread through direct contact with bodily fluids.

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

Morens and the co-conspirators hoped to restore funding for research into whether it originated from bats, prosecutors said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

I found him asleep twice when I awoke; but I did not fear to go to sleep again, although the boughs or bats or something napped almost angrily against the window-panes.

From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023