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.

See Examples For:

bats

Our dads bought us hats and bats to occupy our summer, not kits and cleats.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

The collection also will include baseballs, bats and a limited run of Topps trading cards that promise to feature KAWS’ interpretation of Dodgers and Yankees iconography.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

It normally infects animals, typically fruit bats, but outbreaks among humans can sometimes start when people handle infected animals.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

The virus responsible for the disease, SARS-CoV-2, is closely related to coronaviruses found in bats.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 24, 2026

Stacy throws a Cheeto at Lynn, and Lynn bats it back at her.

From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée

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