gonzo
[ gon-zoh ]
/ ˈgɒn zoʊ /
adjective
(of journalism, reportage, etc.) filled with bizarre or subjective ideas, commentary, or the like.
crazy; eccentric.
noun
eccentricity, weirdness, or craziness.
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Nearby words
Origin of gonzo
1970–75, Americanism; apparently first used in the phrase Gonzo journalism by U.S. journalist Hunter S. Thompson (born 1939); perhaps < Italian: simpleton, one easily duped (of uncertain origin) or < Spanish ganso a lazy or dull person, literally, goose (< Germanic; see goose)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for gonzo
British Dictionary definitions for gonzo
gonzo
/ (ˈɡɒnzəʊ) /
adjective slang
wild or crazy
(of journalism) explicitly including the writer's feelings at the time of witnessing the events or undergoing the experiences written about
noun plural gonzos
a wild or crazy person
Word Origin for gonzo
C20: perhaps from Italian, literally: fool, or Spanish ganso idiot, bumpkin (literally: goose)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for gonzo
gonzo
1971, American English, in Hunter S. Thompson's phrase gonzo journalism. Thompson in 1972 said he got it from editor Bill Cardosa and explained it as "some Boston word for weird, bizarre." Probably from Italian gonzo "rude, sottish," perhaps from Spanish ganso and ultimately from the Germanic word for "goose."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper