1
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
2
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
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Recent Examples of bonkers
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bonkers
Adjective
-
No pretending to be too cool to be excited, just vibing and living in the moment.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Now Lomax is excited for future opportunities to work with other brands.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The sanity phase of his trial began Thursday to determine whether Nicholson was legally insane at the time of the murders.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
23 Oct. 2025
-
This lockdown is insane & disturbing with what happened during our investigation.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Obama’s enthusiastic showings for both candidates was a test of whether his sway over the Democratic Party still remains after his support for Harris failed to boost her to the White House a year ago and angered black male voters who felt unfairly accused of sexism.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Nov. 2025
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Thornton did not respond to our request for comment on this story, but IndieWire found proof of public interactions Bolea had with the actor, positioning them as enthusiastic supporters of each other’s work at a time when love for Art the Clown was spreading quickly.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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As Heather and Whitney hang out in their room, Whitney points out that anytime Lisa’s mad at someone, information on that person subsequently comes out.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
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And that is why the idea of him relaunching his coaching career back at the scene of such failures felt mad.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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An avid pool-player, Rogan has interviewed Gorst on his show twice, including this summer.—
Jeremy Herb,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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Spooky season has come and gone, which means its time for some avid readers to begin making their winter reading lists.—
Cailey Gleeson,
jsonline.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Norman Mailer achieved a similar thing in his non-fiction novel about Gary Gilmore The Executioner’s Song—although, by the time the book was published in 1979, the seedy, psychotic world of Gilmore and his two girlfriends, Nicole and April Baker, hardly came as a revelation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
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Since its introduction in 2022, only people with schizophrenia and other limited psychotic disorders have had access to the program.—
CalMatters,
Oc Register,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Legacy OEMs joined in on the action, as well, with debuts from McLaren and Rolls-Royce drawing crowds eager to get up close and personal or snap a selfie with the latest and greatest.—
Michael Van Runkle,
Robb Report,
4 Nov. 2025
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While Williams has always kept her love life private, fans are eager to know more about the man who captured her heart.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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What's even more disturbing is that the maniacal killer's mask is made of human skin, giving him the nickname Leatherface among horror fans.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
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Huet succeeds in humanizing Daedone, who had an abusive father and a punishing childhood, and whose motivations come to seem understandable, if maniacal.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bonkers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bonkers. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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