bonkers

English

Etymology

Unknown. Perhaps from bonk (a blow or punch on the head), perhaps related to earlier bonce.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbɒŋkəz/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbɑŋkɚz/

  • Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɒŋkə(ɹ)z

Adjective

bonkers (comparative more bonkers, superlative most bonkers)

1. (informal, especially British) Mad; crazy.
   • 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)

     [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 December 29, Paul Clifton, “"Crisis" on the West of England line”, in RAIL, number 947, page 35:

     "They are turning people off travelling. And the removal of catering on such a long-distance route is just bonkers."

Derived terms

• bonkersdom
• bonkersness
• go bonkers

 

Translations

mad, crazy

• Catalan: foll (ca), boig (ca), orat (ca), enfollit, embogit (ca), forassenyat
• Czech: praštěný (cs), střelený
• Dutch: gek (nl), zot (nl)
• Finnish: hullu (fi)
• French: fou (fr), délirant (fr), irrationnel (fr), zinzin (fr) (colloquial), chtarbé (fr) m (slang)
• German: bekloppt (de), bescheuert (de), durchgeknallt (de), plemplem (de), malle (de)
• Indonesian: gila (id)
• Italian: rincoglionito (it), barbogio
• Macedonian: чу́кнат (čúknat), ше́кнат (šéknat), а́кнат (áknat)
• Portuguese: maluco (pt), doido (pt), pirado (pt)
• Russian: чо́кнутый (ru) (čóknutyj), поме́шанный (ru) (poméšannyj), спя́тивший (ru) (spjátivšij)
• Spanish: majara (es) (colloquial, Spain), chiflado (es) (colloquial), majareta (colloquial, Spain), loco (es)
• Swedish: knäpp (sv)

Noun

bonkers

1. plural of bonker