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.
Watch an unhinged new thriller: Verity, starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson, and Josh Hartnett, brings Colleen Hoover’s most bonkers book to the big screen.
From Slate ● Oct. 5, 2026
John, Croydon: That is one of those decisions that pundits will insist is correct, but people in pubs up and down the country know is bonkers.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
The Earth all but shifted on its axis following this, due to the breathtakingly bonkers discourse that followed the incident.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
The crowd, on her side since the first bounce, went bonkers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
“Yo, man,” Vega said, “I hope that girl don’t go bonkers on you up in the center, man.”
From "The Stars Beneath Our Feet" by David Barclay Moore
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.
