BONKERS Synonyms: 179 Similar and Opposite Words

bonkers

adjective

ˈbäŋ-kərz

Definition of bonkers

as in excited

informal showing urgent desire or interest The friends are bonkers about the new video game, and play together for hours at a time.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in insane

informal + sometimes offensive unable to think in a clear or sensible way She spent her last years as a totally bonkers recluse in a decaying mansion.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of bonkers There were indelible clutch moments and absolutely bonkers endings. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026 Tanyard Hill, located next to Coy Hill, is home to four warehouses built in the early ’60s that also apparently yield barrels with truly bonkers levels of alcohol. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 9 Nov. 2025 Graffiti historian Roger Gastman—who helped orchestrate MOCA’s record-setting Art in the Streets show in 2011—takes over a 40,000-square-foot warehouse on the edge of Chinatown for a totally bonkers street art experience. — Marielle Wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, 21 June 2018 Hulu’s new show from the creator of Luther is a totally bonkers melange of sci-fi scenarios, global doom, and stabbiness. — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2018 See All Example Sentences for bonkers

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bonkers

Adjective

As her wedding quickly approached, Natalie recalls being excited but also emotional at wearing the dress in front of her grandmother.

— Hannah Sacks, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
Like Knicks fans watching the greatest comeback in NBA playoff history excited.

— Craig Carton OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of excited

Adjective

Crowder would not have been that mad if the guy had just fessed up and said something normal in his own voice.

— Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
But, as mad as the idea may have seemed back then, the tradition is still going strong 40 years later with participants coming from around the world to cast their dignity aside — along with a warm robe — and take the plunge into the freezing water.

— Rob Tanner, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of mad

Adjective

And the audience for those games skews young, with more than half of all avid soccer viewers aged 18-to-34, a demographic highly sought by advertisers and one that suggests NBC’s numbers could stay strong for years.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Pretti was an avid mountain biker, and the two had been planning to go biking together once the weather turned warm.

— Emily Witt, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of avid

Adjective

Prosecutors, on the other hand, have attempted to prove that Clancy was not psychotic and that the killings were deliberate.

— Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Mack testified last Friday and this past Monday that Clancy was not psychotic at the time of the killings and retained her capacity to understand right from wrong and control her behavior.

— Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of psychotic

Adjective

Time will tell how immediate Kroenke’s impact will be, though the Angels are eager to find out.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
But lawmakers of both parties are eager to avoid another impasse and would prefer to get back to their districts to campaign before the election.

— Bart Jansen, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of eager

Adjective

These machines—the maniacal Maverick R, with its praying mantis-like front suspension, and the hard-working Pioneer—have little else in common.

— Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 2 Sep. 2026
His teammate Christian McCaffrey, who is also known for his maniacal training regimen, has been impressed with Kittle’s recovery.

— Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of maniacal

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“Bonkers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bonkers. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of bonkers

adjective

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