go bonkers

to go mad or crazy

TRANSLATION

go bonkers = überschnappen, durchdrehen

STATISTICS

IN THE PRESS

The second aspect of why the Middle East is GOING BONKERS today is that the existing borders are based on Western colonial thinking.

(Time magazine)

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When Federer won the second set on Sunday after saving seven set points, including six in the tiebreak, the crowd WENT BONKERS.

(Wall Street Journal)

Did you
know?

go bonkers
informal humorous

1. To be or become wild, restless, irrational, or crazy; to act in such a way (The drivers in this country seem to go completely bonkers if there's even a little bit of snow on the ground)

2. To be or become very angry or upset (Now, don't go bonkers or anything, but I've decided to move to Canada)

3. To be or become extremely excited or enthusiastic (about something). I've never understood that pop star's popularity, but kids just go bonkers for her music.

Farlex Dictionary of English Idioms

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The adjective bonkers, which was first recorded in the early 20th century, was originally used in the sense of "light-headed" or "slightly drunk." It's thought that it originated in the British navy and derived from the idea of a drunken sailor falling down and "bonking" his head. In this case bonk is an onomatopoeia, a word that imitates a sound.

The sense of crazy or insane seems to have surfaced after World War II and is meanwhile also used with the verb "drive" as in driving someone crazy (He's driving me bonkers with his constant complaining!). If bonkers seems to be an insufficient description by itself, you can add intensifiers like "raving, stark raving, completely and totally" (He went stark, raving bonkers!)

Bonkers can also be used without a verb as a stand-alone adjective (although native speakers love the word "go"). For instance, you can simply say "He is bonkers" or "He was bonkers" or something like "The idea is just bonkers!"

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SYNONYMS

go: ape (sh_t), bananas, ballistic, batty, berserk, crazy, insane, mad, mental, nuts

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Practice OWAD in a conversation:

"If the printer stops working again, I will GO BONKERS!"

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Thanks to Jo for suggesting today's word

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