bonkers

B3O1N1K5E1R1S1
UK/ˈbɒŋkəz/US/ˈbɑŋkɚz/

adjective

Mad; crazy.

UncommonScrabble 13

Meanings

adjectivebonkers (comparative more bonkers, superlative most bonkers)

comparative more bonkers · superlative most bonkers

  1. UKespeciallyinformalMad; 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
    2 more examples

    [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)

    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
noun
  1. pluralplural of bonker

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

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

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan foll, boig
  • follmad, crazy
  • boigmad, crazy
  • oratmad, crazy
  • enfollitmad, crazy
  • embogitmad, crazy
  • forassenyatmad, crazy
Czech praštěný, střelený
  • praštěnýmad, crazy
  • střelenýmad, crazy
Dutch gek, zot
  • gekmad, crazy
  • zotmad, crazy
Finnish hullu
  • hullumad, crazy
French fou, délirant
  • foumad, crazy
  • délirantmad, crazy
  • irrationnelmad, crazy
  • zinzinmad, crazy
  • chtarbémad, crazy
German bekloppt, bescheuert
  • beklopptmad, crazy
  • bescheuertmad, crazy
  • durchgeknalltmad, crazy
  • plemplemmad, crazy
  • mallemad, crazy
Indonesian gila
  • gilamad, crazy
Italian rincoglionito, barbogio
  • rincoglionitomad, crazy
  • barbogiomad, crazy
Portuguese maluco, doido
  • malucomad, crazy
  • doidomad, crazy
  • piradomad, crazy
Russian чо́кнутый, поме́шанный
  • чо́кнутый (čóknutyj)mad, crazy
  • поме́шанный (poméšannyj)mad, crazy
  • спя́тивший (spjátivšij)mad, crazy
Spanish majara, chiflado
  • majaramad, crazy
  • chifladomad, crazy
  • majaretamad, crazy
  • locomad, crazy
Swedish knäpp
  • knäppmad, crazy

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

bonkers. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bonkers

MLA

“bonkers.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bonkers. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bonkers,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bonkers.

Source: bonkers on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.