bonk

verb

ˈbäŋk 

ˈbȯŋk

bonked; bonking; bonks

1

transitive informal : hit

Johnson isn't the only one who has noticed the glut of acorns this fall. Walkers are getting bonked on the head, and cars are getting pelted by the falling nuts.

—Lori Stabile

2

intransitive informal : to experience sudden, severe fatigue during strenuous activity

Two hours into the ride, you encounter a sudden loss of energy that leaves you weak, dizzy and nauseated. You've hit the wall, or "bonked."

—Sharon Cohen

3

transitive chiefly British, informal : to have sexual intercourse with (someone)

Synonyms of bonk

• hit
• smack
• slap
• knock
• bang
• punch
• whack
• clap
• slam
• strike
• clip
• pound
• crack

Examples of bonk in a Sentence

He bonked him on the head.

The golf ball bonked the hood of the car.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the commotion, Jun-hyeon manages to bonk heads with real-life K-pop star Ryujin of ITZY, who happens to be walking by with her team. — Kayti Burt, Time, 6 July 2026

Scientists are actually still piecing together what leads a runner to bonk. — Claire Maldarelli, Scientific American, 2 July 2026

Nikola Vlašić bonked one of the posts earlier in the half, and Modric's cross on a free kick into the box was headed over the bar by Marin Pongračić. — CBS News, 27 June 2026

Those misses rarely occurred in season two, but three episodes into this season, the bat is flying wildly around the stadium, bonking people in the head in a freak mass-casualty bat-event. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 22 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

imitative

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bonk

• bronk
• cronk
• honk
• tonk