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.

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

Ebola was first discovered in 1976 in what is now DR Congo, and is thought to have spread from bats.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

Valdez had given up 10 runs, including back-to-back solo home runs in the previous two at bats, when Story took the plate in the top of the fourth inning on Tuesday at Comerica Park.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

There is baseball paraphernalia all over the place: framed posters—all signed—tacked up on the slanted walls, a case full of plaques and trophies, and a rack of variously sized old-school Louisville Slugger bats.

From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone

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