Bonkers — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈbäŋ-kərz/ bon·kers

Meaning & Definition of Bonkers

Bonkers (adjective)

  1. very fond, enthusiastic, or excited
  2. very angry, annoyed, or bothered
  3. surprisingly or shockingly excessive or outrageous

Bonkers (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. showing urgent desire or interest

    "The friends are bonkers about the new video game, and play together for hours at a time."

    similar: agog, antsy, anxious, ardent, athirst, avid, crazy, desirous, eager, enthused, enthusiastic, excited, gaga, geeked (slang), great, greedy, gung ho, hepped up, hopped-up, hot, hungry, impatient, juiced, keen, nuts, pumped, raring, solicitous, stoked (slang), thirsty, voracious, wild, champing at the bit, chomping at the bit
    related: engaged, interested, happy, hung up, obsessed, ambitious, appetent, covetous, craving, hankering, longing, pining, breathless, restive, restless, amenable, disposed, game, glad, inclined, ready, unreluctant, willing
    opposite: apathetic, indifferent, uneager, unenthusiastic
    near: casual, incurious, insouciant, nonchalant, unconcerned, uninterested, aloof, detached, disinterested, impassive, stolid, halfhearted, lackadaisical, languid, languorous, lukewarm, spiritless, averse, disinclined, hesitant, loath, reluctant, unwilling

  2. unable to think in a clear or sensible way

    "She spent her last years as a totally bonkers recluse in a decaying mansion."

    similar: bats, batty, brainsick, certifiable (dated, informal + disparaging), cracked (informal + disparaging), crackers (informal + disparaging), crazed (sometimes offensive), crazy (usually offensive), daft (chiefly British, informal), demented, deranged (often offensive), haywire, insane, loco (slang), mad, maniacal, mental (sometimes offensive), non compos mentis, nuts (informal + sometimes offensive), nutty (sometimes offensive), psycho (informal + disparaging), psychotic (sometimes offensive), unbalanced, unhinged, unsound, wud (chiefly Scottish), around the bend, off one's gourd, off one's head, off one's rocker, out of one's head, out to lunch (slang)
    related: dotty, fey, loopy, off, potty (chiefly British), teched, touched, aberrant, delirious, delusional, delusionary, disordered, disturbed, eccentric, odd, oddball, pixilated, queer, strange, foolish, senseless, witless, irrational, unreasonable, amok, ape, ballistic, bananas, berserk, nuclear, depressed, distracted, distraught, frantic, frenzied, hysterical, raving, wigged-out, fixated, monomaniac, monomaniacal, obsessed
    opposite: balanced, compos mentis, sane, sound, uncrazy
    near: clear, lucid, rational, reasonable, judicious, sensible, wise, healthy, normal, well-adjusted, unneurotic

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bonkers

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bonkers:

Slang: geeked, stoked, loco, out to lunch
Sometimes offensive: crazed, mental, nutty, psychotic
Informal + disparaging: cracked, crackers, psycho
Dated, informal + disparaging: certifiable
Usually offensive: crazy
Chiefly British, informal: daft
agog, antsy, anxious, ardent, athirst, avid, desirous, eager, enthused, enthusiastic, excited, gaga, great, greedy, gung ho, hepped up, hopped-up, hot, hungry, impatient, juiced, keen, pumped, raring, solicitous, thirsty, voracious, wild, bats, batty, brainsick, demented, haywire, insane, mad, maniacal, non compos mentis, unbalanced, unhinged, unsound

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bonkers

Words with the opposite meaning of Bonkers:

apathetic, indifferent, uneager, unenthusiastic, balanced, compos mentis, sane, sound, uncrazy

Related Words for Bonkers

engaged, interested, happy, hung up, obsessed, ambitious, appetent, covetous, craving, hankering, longing, pining, breathless, restive, restless, amenable, disposed, game, glad, inclined, ready, unreluctant, willing, dotty, fey, loopy, off, potty, teched, touched

Near Antonyms of Bonkers

casual, incurious, insouciant, nonchalant, unconcerned, uninterested, aloof, detached, disinterested, impassive, stolid, halfhearted, lackadaisical, languid, languorous, lukewarm, spiritless, averse, disinclined, hesitant, loath, reluctant, unwilling, clear, lucid, rational, reasonable, judicious, sensible, wise

Origin & Etymology of Bonkers

perhaps from bonk + -ers (as in crackers)

First known use: 1945

Frequently Asked Questions about Bonkers

What does "Bonkers" mean?

"Bonkers" means very fond, enthusiastic, or excited. As an adjective, it is defined as: very fond, enthusiastic, or excited. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bonkers"?

Other words for "Bonkers" include agog, antsy, anxious, ardent, athirst, avid, crazy and desirous. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bonkers" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bonkers"?

There are 128 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bonkers". Common alternatives include agog, antsy, anxious, ardent, athirst, avid, crazy, desirous, eager and enthused.

What is an informal or casual word for "Bonkers"?

Casual or informal alternatives for "Bonkers" include certifiable, cracked, crackers, psycho, daft and nuts.

What is a slang word for "Bonkers"?

Slang words for "Bonkers" include geeked, stoked, loco and out to lunch.

What is the opposite of "Bonkers"?

Antonyms of "Bonkers" include apathetic, indifferent, uneager, unenthusiastic, balanced, compos mentis, sane and sound. Near antonyms include casual, incurious, insouciant and nonchalant.

How do you use "Bonkers" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bonkers" in a sentence: "The friends are bonkers about the new video game, and play together for hours at a time."; "She spent her last years as a totally bonkers recluse in a decaying mansion.".

Is "Bonkers" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Bonkers" is an adjective.