Meaning & use
batshit crazy
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparablevulgarinformalslang
Completely mad or wildly unreasonable, used for emphasis about a person, plan, or situation.
Grammar: Used after a linking verb or before a noun: 'He went batshit crazy' or 'a batshit crazy idea'.
Patterns
- go batshit crazy
- be batshit crazy
- a batshit crazy idea
When the team lost, my uncle went batshit crazy and threw his hat at the TV.
Quitting your job with no savings is a batshit crazy plan, but she did it anyway.
The traffic was so bad that drivers were going batshit crazy on the horn.
adjectivenot comparablevulgarinformalslang
Extremely enthusiastic or excited about something, in an uncontrolled way.
Grammar: Often followed by 'about' or 'over' plus the thing that causes the excitement.
Patterns
- go batshit crazy over something
- be batshit crazy about someone
Fans went batshit crazy over the surprise reunion tour.
He is batshit crazy about that band and owns every record.
Common combinations
- go batshit crazy
- The crowd went batshit crazy when the singer walked on stage.
- batshit crazy idea
- Whoever approved that batshit crazy idea should explain it to us.
- drive someone batshit crazy
- That dripping tap is driving me batshit crazy.
- absolutely batshit crazy
- The whole scheme was absolutely batshit crazy from start to finish.
Synonyms and how they differ
- insane
- Much milder and usable in more situations; it can mean genuinely mentally ill, which 'batshit crazy' never does.
- mad
- A general everyday word for odd or angry behavior; far less forceful and not vulgar.
- unhinged
- Suggests someone has lost control emotionally, but it is not vulgar and sounds more formal.
Opposites
Word family
- batshit adverb
- Used mainly in 'go batshit' or as a strong intensifier before 'crazy'; vulgar slang.
Commonly confused: batshit crazy or batty? batshit crazy or crazy?
batshit crazy vs batty
A mild, rather old-fashioned word meaning slightly odd; it is not vulgar and is much weaker than 'batshit crazy'.
batshit crazy vs crazy
On its own it just means foolish or very keen; adding 'batshit' makes it strong, slangy, and rude in many settings.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'batshit crazy' most naturally?
Choose one answer.
'Go batshit crazy' is a fixed pattern meaning to lose control with excitement or anger, and it stands alone after 'when'. The other options add prepositions or clauses that the pattern does not take.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “batshit crazy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.