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bonkers

Etymology and origin of the English word bonkers

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈbɒŋkəz/ (UK); /ˈbɑŋkɚz/ (US)[1]

Etymology

The origin is uncertain.[2][3][4] It may be from bonk “a blow” and the slang ending -ers as in crackers,[5][3] from the notion of a thump on the head.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Slightly drunk, in naval slang (1948).[4][6]

Semantic evolution

The naval sense of being slightly drunk gave way in British slang to the general meaning “mad, crazy”,[4][6] recorded from 1948 in the OED and from 1957 in Etymonline.[6][4]

Timeline

  • 1948 – naval slang, slightly drunk.[4][6]
  • 1948 – mad, crazy.[6][5]
  • 1957 – British slang, crazy.[4]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Crazy; mad.
  • bonk
  • crackers

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Bonkers.” Etymologically, 15 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/bonkers. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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