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
Relevance
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
Rinna briefly conflated the mayor’s race with the California’s equally bonkers gubernatorial contest.
—
Marc Malkin, Variety, 26 May 2026
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
Marc Malkin, Variety, 26 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bonkers
Adjective
-
Players such as Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox and Knicks forward OG Anunoby don't sound nearly as excited.—
Alejandro Avila,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
-
Studiously moderated, but excited, voices amplified news of the actual invasion of Europe read hastily in Orlando Morning Sentinel.—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
After eighteen months of crisis that saw historic urban fires, harassment by federal immigration authorities, and the generalized anxiety that attends a place where rents are high and services low, public transit inadequate and gas prices insane, the city’s vitality is flagging.—
Dana Goodyear,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
-
Lots of wires, lots of insane stunts.—
Entertainment Weekly,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
The first memorandum approval was enthusiastic.—
Nicolas Villamil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 May 2026
-
Petro cited this statement at a public rally to enthusiastic applause.—
Roberto Andrés,
The Dial,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
The next morning, my feet began to itch like mad.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
None of that would've been possible without the vision that Clay Travis laid out to me early in 2020 as the world was about to go mad.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Mage — himself an avid collector — said that emotional connection was intentional from the beginning.—
Thomas Waller,
Footwear News,
4 June 2026
-
The original shoes were gifted to her by LeBron James — a newly avid golfer and fan of Korda’s — but the spacing in them felt roomier than her everyday pair.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
There’s something extremely psychotic about him.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
1 June 2026
-
Mary, our thirtysomething narrator, has recently boomeranged back to her hometown (York) after experiencing a break with reality that may or may not be psychotic.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Adjective
-
The arch spans 78 feet and rises 65 feet high, drawing hikers eager to experience one of the region’s most striking landmarks.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
Even the president’s son is eager to find true love.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Bardem is captivating and formidable, grinning with maniacal glee at his every act of depravity and the fear and anguish of his victims.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
No, Kenny Atkinson insisted a bug was taking his voice, not the Detroit Pistons and this maniacal Game 5 victory.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bonkers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bonkers. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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