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

The Fear Economy Pew Research found in August 2026 that 52% of Americans are more concerned than excited about AI, up from 37% in 2021.

— Bob Pearson, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Upon their arrival, the couple stopped to greet excited fans, several of whom had brought them flowers.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of excited

Adjective

First and foremost, as a homeowner myself the property taxes are insane and continue to go up.

— Stephen Korka, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
That may be the name of her next album, but Venus’ insane popularity also speaks to the way Metropia is moving forward, constantly looking for the next shiny thing.

— Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of insane

Adjective

Support from the faculty was enthusiastic, and Louise worked closely with professors in many departments to ensure the museum’s exhibitions complemented their classes.

— Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
In that raucous public square known as Reddit, anti-Trumpers are planning protests, evidence that Trump should not expect an overwhelmingly enthusiastic welcome in the traditionally red Sunflower State.

— Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of enthusiastic

Adjective

Richard Dawkins, the British evolutionary theorist and author of the groundbreaking best seller The Selfish Gene (1976), among many other books, appears to have gone a bit mad.

— James Gleick, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026
Mel Brooks’ comedy The Producers also took a poke at that mad man with Springtime for Hitler.

— Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of mad

Adjective

Kreiz is an avid kite surfer whose post-college job was as an instructor at a Club Med and is fond of recalling the story of delivering his baby daughter in the back of a car in front of Paddington Station in London.

— Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026
Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, has long been an avid video game player.

— Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of avid

Adjective

Unfortunately, his doctor interprets all the screaming about an alien presence in Thomas’ head as a garden-variety psychotic breakdown, and remands him to a more secure facility.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
It may also be used to treat certain other psychotic conditions, such as psychosis arising in Parkinson disease.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of psychotic

Adjective

Tech companies are eager for vast tracts to build data centers that can be as large as 70 football fields, and Townsite could set a precedent for similar projects on federal property with more than a dozen others in the planning stages.

— Jessica Hill, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
The shores of Clearwater Beach are packed block-to-block with resorts booked up by eager beachgoers, but the JW Marriott might just be the one to convince you to hang around a little bit longer before launching into Clearwater’s ombré coast.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of eager

Adjective

Rihanna’s here, maniacal crowds are lining up outside shows to screech and wave at their favorite stars and days of runway events big and small lie ahead.

— Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of maniacal

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“Bonkers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bonkers. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of bonkers

adjective

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