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
Lori Stabile2
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
Sharon Cohen3
Synonyms
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
Jake Elliott’s 48-yard field goal attempt bonked off the left upright and over the bar to give the Eagles a 22-14 lead with 13:21 left in the fourth quarter.
—Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023
Meryl bonking herself on the head with a lantern during a dance number?
—Time, 14 Aug. 2023
And in those crazy-long races when, many hours in, everything hurts and the guys who went out way too fast are bonking, and the others are stopping every 30 minutes to suck down an energy gel, women will breeze past them on their way to the finish line.
—Meaghen Brown, Outside Online, 11 Apr. 2017
Chang is not met by Wujing, but instead by Alban Veseli (Daniel Sauli), who bonks Ressler over the head with the briefcase and tries to flee via motorized scooter.
—Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2023
Many runners even bonk towards the end.
—Greg McMillan, Outside Online, 29 July 2019
Our experts appreciate the quick-release leash attachment and locking clip that ensures your pup won't accidentally bonk the carabiner that attaches them to the leash and break free.
—Jamie Spain, Good Housekeeping, 12 Jan. 2023
Some might get bonked on the head by a gigantic balloon shaped like a hammer and fall behind.
—Elise Favis, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2020
Hibbs skied shirtless and helmet-less in a pair of tan overalls and worried at times about blowing out a knee or bonking his head.
—Gregory Thomas, SFChronicle.com, 1 Mar. 2020
See More
Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023
Meryl bonking herself on the head with a lantern during a dance number?
—Time, 14 Aug. 2023
And in those crazy-long races when, many hours in, everything hurts and the guys who went out way too fast are bonking, and the others are stopping every 30 minutes to suck down an energy gel, women will breeze past them on their way to the finish line.
—Meaghen Brown, Outside Online, 11 Apr. 2017
Chang is not met by Wujing, but instead by Alban Veseli (Daniel Sauli), who bonks Ressler over the head with the briefcase and tries to flee via motorized scooter.
—Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2023
Many runners even bonk towards the end.
—Greg McMillan, Outside Online, 29 July 2019
Our experts appreciate the quick-release leash attachment and locking clip that ensures your pup won't accidentally bonk the carabiner that attaches them to the leash and break free.
—Jamie Spain, Good Housekeeping, 12 Jan. 2023
Some might get bonked on the head by a gigantic balloon shaped like a hammer and fall behind.
—Elise Favis, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2020
Hibbs skied shirtless and helmet-less in a pair of tan overalls and worried at times about blowing out a knee or bonking his head.
—Gregory Thomas, SFChronicle.com, 1 Mar. 2020
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bonk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
imitative
First Known Use
1929, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near bonk
Cite this Entry
“Bonk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bonk. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
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