- Home
- Idioms
- bonkers
bonkers
go bonkers
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. Don't give the kids too much sugar or they'll end up going bonkers! We thought taking our family vacation in a tiny cottage out in the country would be a nice break from city life, but we all went a bit bonkers after a few days.
2. To be or become very angry or upset. My parents went bonkers when they found out I'd taken the car without asking. 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.
drive someone batty
and drive someone bonkers; drive someone nutsFig. to annoy or irritate someone. You are certainly annoying! You're going to drive me batty. This cold is driving me bonkers. These tax forms are driving me nuts.
drive someone crazy
Also, drive someone mad or bananas or bonkers or nuts or up the wall ; drive someone to drink. Greatly exasperate someone, annoy to distraction. For example, His habitual lateness drives me crazy, or Apologizing over and over drives me bananas, or These slovenly workmen drive me up the wall, or Your nagging is driving me to drink. All of these hyperbolic expressions describe a person's extreme frustration, supposedly to the point of insanity ( crazy, mad, nuts, bonkers, and bananas all mean "insane"); up the wall alludes to climbing the walls to escape and to drink to imbibing alcohol to induce oblivion.
bonkers
(ˈbɔŋkɚz)1. and crackers mod. insane; crazy. I think I am going crackers.
2. mod. slightly intoxicated. She’s too bonkers to drive.
drive someone bonkers
and drive someone nuts tv. to drive someone crazy. (see also
bonkers,
nuts.)
Shat up! You’re driving me bonkers. These tax forms are driving me nuts.