Meaning & use
sparko
Last updated
UK/ˈspɑːkəʊ/
US/ˈspɑːrkoʊ/
Meaning
adjectiveafter a verbAustralianslang
Fast asleep or knocked unconscious, usually because of tiredness or drink.
Grammar: Usually follows be, go or find: he was sparko on the couch.
Patterns
- be sparko
- go sparko
By nine o'clock the kids were sparko on the back seat.
He came home from the long shift and went sparko straight away.
Dad was sparko in front of the cricket again.
Common combinations
- go sparko
- After the barbecue, half the guests went sparko in the garden.
- be sparko on the couch
- Mum was sparko on the couch by eight.
- found him sparko
- We found him sparko under a tree.
- totally sparko
- The puppy was totally sparko after the beach.
Synonyms and how they differ
- out cold
- Out cold is more widely understood and often implies a blow to the head, while sparko is Australian and more playful.
- dead to the world
- Dead to the world is an idiom for deep sleep and is not limited to Australian speech.
- zonked
- Zonked suggests being worn out, not necessarily asleep, so it is a little broader.
- conked out
- Conked out describes falling asleep suddenly from exhaustion.
Opposites
Word family
- spark out phrase
- British slang meaning unconscious or fast asleep
- sparks noun
- a nickname for an electrician in Australian slang
Commonly confused: sparko or sparky?
sparko vs sparky
Sparky is a nickname for an electrician or a lively person, not someone asleep.
Practice
After the long drive, the kids were ____ in the back seat within minutes.
Choose one answer.
Sparko is Australian slang for fast asleep. Spunky means brave and lively, so it is the tempting but wrong choice.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sparko”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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