bonkers en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˈbɒŋkəz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈbɑŋkɚz/ (General-American)
Etymology
Unknown. Perhaps from bonk (a blow or punch on the head, compare whacky); perhaps related to earlier bonce.
Meanings
-
(UK, especially, informal) Mad; crazy.
"They are turning people off travelling. And the removal of catering on such a long-distance route is just bonkers."
2021 December 29, Paul Clifton, “"Crisis" on the West of England line”, in RAIL, number 947, page 35:Notable examples include The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953), […], and The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery, a slightly bonkers 1965 comedy using the Longmoor Military Railway and obviously sped-up footage.
2025 December 24, Tim Dunn, “Railways and film: the perfect match”, in RAIL, number 1051, page 54:[A]nd we should remind ourselves that it is absolutely bonkers that we elect judges at all; that system is used almost nowhere else on earth[.]
2021, Paul Waldman, Opinion: The Supreme Court won’t stand up for voting rights. But some state courts will, in: The Washington Post, July 6 2021 (emphasis in original)
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more bonkers | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most bonkers | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
bonkersness · bonkersdom · go bonkers
Translations (40)
ru поме́шанный (mad, crazy) · mk ше́кнат (mad, crazy) · ru чо́кнутый (mad, crazy) · mk чу́кнат (mad, crazy) · sv knäpp (mad, crazy) · mk а́кнат (mad, crazy) · ota دلی (mad, crazy) · de bekloppt (mad, crazy) · fr chtarbé (mad, crazy) · fr zinzin (mad, crazy) · it rincoglionito (mad, crazy) · cs praštěný (mad, crazy) · fi hullu (mad, crazy) · fr fou (mad, crazy) · pt maluco (mad, crazy) · es chiflado (mad, crazy) · ota مجنون (mad, crazy) · de malle (mad, crazy) · es majareta (mad, crazy) · de durchgeknallt (mad, crazy) · ca foll (mad, crazy) · pt doido (mad, crazy) · fr délirant (mad, crazy) · nl gek (mad, crazy) · fr irrationnel (mad, crazy) · ca forassenyat (mad, crazy) · nl zot (mad, crazy) · ca orat (mad, crazy) · de plemplem (mad, crazy) · es majara (mad, crazy) · it barbogio (mad, crazy) · ca enfollit (mad, crazy) · ru спя́тивший (mad, crazy) · id gila (mad, crazy) · de bescheuert (mad, crazy) · ca embogit (mad, crazy) · es loco (mad, crazy) · cs střelený (mad, crazy) · pt pirado (mad, crazy) · ca boig (mad, crazy)