gonzo

[gon-zoh]Slang.

See more synonyms for gonzo on Thesaurus.com

adjective

(of journalism, reportage, etc.) filled with bizarre or subjective ideas, commentary, or the like.
crazy; eccentric.

noun

eccentricity, weirdness, or craziness.

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

Related Words for gonzo

crazy, far-fetched, insane, odd, strange, unconventional, weird, wild

Examples from the Web for gonzo

Contemporary Examples of gonzo

The season finale, which aired July 14, saw the gonzo story come to a close.
‘24: Live Another Day’ Showrunners on the Finale, the Dangers of Drones, and Jack Bauer’s Future
Marlow Stern
July 15, 2014
The Gonzo Option Marin Cogan, National Journal Brian Schweitzer is a one-man challenge to the scripted nature of modern politics.
The Daily Beast’s Best Longreads, June 21, 2014
June 21, 2014
Then he put his acting career on hold for two years to make a gonzo mockumentary with his brother-in-law, Joaquin Phoenix.
Casey Affleck, Star of ‘Out of the Furnace,’ on His Hollywood Struggles
Marlow Stern
December 2, 2013
VHS and the revolutionary ability to fast forward to the scene you want to see birthed the gonzo shooting style.
Video Killed the Porn Star: The VHS and Fast Forwarding Revolution
Aurora Snow
October 19, 2013
But precious little has been said about this reckless cadre of gonzo docu-journos.
VICE Filmmaker Andy Capper on Snoop Lion Doc, Chief Keef Series, More
Marlow Stern
March 15, 2013

British Dictionary definitions for gonzo

gonzo

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for gonzo

adj.

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."