Meaning & use
bat shit
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Meaning
adjectivenot comparable
Wildly irrational, extreme or out of control, often in a way that is shocking or amusing.
Grammar: Usually goes before a noun or after a linking verb: a batshit plan, the plan was batshit.
Patterns
- go batshit
- batshit crazy
The comments section went batshit after the finale aired.
His uncle has some batshit theories about the moon.
That schedule is completely batshit, nobody can finish it in a day.
Common combinations
- batshit crazy
- The party got batshit crazy after midnight.
- go batshit
- Fans went batshit when the band walked on stage.
- a batshit idea
- Moving the whole office in one weekend is a batshit idea.
- batshit theory
- She posted a batshit theory about the election.
Synonyms and how they differ
- crazy
- Crazy is milder and acceptable in casual speech, whereas batshit is stronger and vulgar.
- bonkers
- Bonkers is lighter and more playful, and it carries no vulgar tone.
- insane
- Insane is more neutral and can also express admiration, while batshit stresses chaos or irrationality.
- unhinged
- Unhinged suggests a person has lost mental balance, while batshit can describe ideas or events as well.
Opposites
Word family
- bat noun
- the flying animal whose droppings give the word its origin
- batshit crazy phrase
- the common intensified form
Commonly confused: bat shit or bats?
bat shit vs bats
Bats is a milder informal word meaning slightly mad, as in he's bats; it is not vulgar like batshit.
Practice
Which word would be the most appropriate in a formal business report to describe an unrealistic plan?
Choose one answer.
Impractical is neutral and formal. Batshit is vulgar slang, and bonkers and unhinged are too informal for a report.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bat shit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.