wacko

[ wak-oh ]

/ ˈwæk oʊ /

Slang.

Save This Word!

See synonyms for wacko on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural wack·os.

Also wack. an eccentric, strange, or odd person.

adjective

wacky.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also whack·o

[hwak-oh, wak-oh] /ˈʰwæk oʊ, ˈwæk oʊ/ .

Origin of wacko

First recorded in 1970–75, Americanism;see wacky, -o

Words nearby wacko

Wace, wack, wacke, wacked-out, wack job, wacko, wacky, wacky tobacky, Waco, wad, WADA

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use wacko in a sentence

At first this plays like some sort of bizarre SNL sketch: the wacko physician.
Why Is Louis C.K. So Funny? He Uses Humor as a Moral Compass.|Andrew Romano|May 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
McCain called Cruz a “wacko bird” and later took it back, about as insincerely as possible.
Why the GOP Needs a Return to the Bush Leagues|Robert Shrum|April 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The hysteria and hostage taking of Wacko Bird Inc. is not reasonably matched to the current situation.
Heckuva Job, Wacko Birds: You’ve Shut Down the U.S. Government|Kirsten Powers|October 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The GOP “suicide caucus”, led by proud “wacko bird” Sen. Ted Cruz, was, not surprisingly, spawned from a faulty premise.
Heckuva Job, Wacko Birds: You’ve Shut Down the U.S. Government|Kirsten Powers|October 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST

In a country where six of 10 voters already think the government is too big, the wacko bird caucus has got a lot of room to fly.
Ted Cruz Might Just Have Won the Future for the GOP|Nick Gillespie|September 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for wacko

wacko

/ (ˈwækəʊ) informal /

adjective

mad or eccentric

noun plural wackos

a mad or eccentric person

Word Origin for wacko

C20: back formation from wacky

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

wacko

Origin of wacko

Words nearby wacko

Words related to wacko

How to use wacko in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wacko

Word Origin for wacko