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, -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.
"I find it completely bonkers to be jumping on this wonderful and wild journey," he said.
From BBC
He gives it five stars for its "array of increasingly bonkers skits", saying that watching it "gives the sense of being wrapped in a warm, felt-based comfort blanket".
From BBC
Overall, “it’s absolutely bonkers across the metals space, with copper leading the group in base metals,” said Edward Meir, an analyst at Marex.
From MarketWatch
The accent might have been plummier, but his position has been remarkably consistent, even though he has faced mockery, saying that people thought his views were "bonkers".
From BBC
Isadora kept texting him videos of people’s takes on the military’s involvement in science, which ranged from totally bonkers conspiracy theories to surprisingly informative facts from laypeople, complete with reliable sources.
From Literature
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.
