bonkers
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
Where does the word bonkers come from? Bonkers is a funny-sounding word. It's a goofy, lighter, informal way to say "crazy" or "nuts”—but keep in mind that’s it not so fun to make fun of people’s mental health. Its origins are unclear, but bonkers is first recorded as British naval slang for "a bit drunk" in the 1940s—perhaps acting like someone has bonked, or hit, them on the head. The roots of these other words may get a rise—of laughter or surprise—out of you. Run on over to our roundup of them at "Weird Word Origins That Will Make Your Family Laugh."
Etymology
Origin of bonkers
1945–50; of uncertain origin; for final element, cf. -ers
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.
In the age of electrification, it’s bonkers to still be fiddling with pound-feet, horsepower and miles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026
It drives me absolutely bonkers that the industry hasn’t clamped down on it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
Monday night in the Garden is going to be bonkers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
It would be bonkers, the thinking went, to risk untold millions in career earnings by taking dirty dollars to throw games or manipulate statistical outputs.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
And whatever he was yelling about on the phone, it drove me crazy, because out on the ice everyone went bonkers when a fight broke out in the middle of a game.
From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
