bonkers

adjective

ˈbäŋ-kərz How to pronounce bonkers (audio)
Definition of bonkersnext
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

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
  1. excited
  2. insane
  3. enthusiastic
  4. mad
  5. avid
  6. psychotic
  7. eager
  8. maniacal
Adjective
  • To see people still excited about it all these years later is crazy.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026
  • As if the matchup isn’t reason enough to be excited about Lowe’s home run prop, playing in Colorado enhances that excitement.
    — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of excited
Adjective
  • If that insane offer doesn’t plug the leak, the fire sale begins.
    — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • That’s a big memory for me as a kid, so having that happen is insane.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of insane
Adjective
  • But another group of residents has been enthusiastic about Amazon and the park, saying the city has to do something to revitalize itself.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The service The team are friendly, enthusiastic, and genuinely warm, made even more memorable by their vibrant, patterned uniforms that bring extra character to the experience.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of enthusiastic
Adjective
  • Riley has a talented veteran QB (Jayden Maiava), a strong O-line and now mad scientist Gary Patterson as defensive coordinator.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • It was worshipped as a goddess, believed to drive people mad, and even considered a realm for the dead.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of mad
Adjective
  • The Barnes & Noble on Cobb Parkway is closing its doors after decades of serving the community's avid readers.
    — Nakell Williams, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The mats from Oh My Mahjong are a favorite among avid players thanks to their thick yet flexible neoprene construction and beautiful designs, like this one featuring herons and florals in pretty shades of blush, sage, and blue.
    — Kate Boswell, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of avid
Adjective
  • Psychiatric disorders are generally divided into mood disorders and psychotic disorders, Osborne said; postpartum psychosis is a mood disorder, in which mood symptoms accompany psychotic symptoms.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • But to make some generalization that all career women are psychotic because Glenn Close happened to be psychotic at the end of that movie is just silly.
    — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of psychotic
Adjective
  • Penguin Random House, largest seller of books, and most eager to sell them best, testified in court that the sales of only 4 percent of its books effectively subsidized the rest.
    — M. C. Mah, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The race has already inflamed tensions within the Democratic Party over how to energize liberal voters eager for unapologetic, combative candidates while not alienating independents and moderates who have been key to winning in battlegrounds.
    — Matt Brown, Fortune, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of eager
Adjective
  • Especially after a clunker of a season in 2025, superstar receiver Justin Jefferson won’t settle for anything other than maniacal attention to detail on and off the field.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 28 July 2026
  • The odd thing about this choice is that, although the DSA’s platform is indeed chock-full of maniacal proposals, on this particular idea, the maniacs have a point.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 July 2026
Definition of maniacal

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Cite this Entry

“Bonkers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bonkers. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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