batty

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈbæti/ UK /ˈbæti/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
crazy or eccentric (informal)

The neighbors thought him batty for talking to his roses.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · crazy or eccentric (informal) crazy mad eccentric loony daft nuts bats

Opposites

sane rational

Word family

Related forms bat bats

Etymology

From bat (the animal) plus -y, alluding to the phrase 'bats in the belfry' for a disordered or erratic mind; early 20th-century informal.

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives Register & Style

# batty

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˈbæti
**IPA (UK):** ˈbæti

## Meanings
1. crazy or eccentric (informal)

## Examples
- The neighbors thought him batty for talking to his roses.

## Synonyms
- crazy
- mad
- eccentric
- loony
- daft
- nuts
- bats

## Antonyms
- sane
- rational

## Related Forms
- bat
- bats

## Etymology
From bat (the animal) plus -y, alluding to the phrase 'bats in the belfry' for a disordered or erratic mind; early 20th-century informal.

## AI Etymology
Batty is an adjective meaning "crazy or eccentric (informal)". Historically, it is from bat (the animal) plus -y, alluding to the phrase 'bats in the belfry' for a disordered or erratic mind; early 20th-century informal. The visible construction is part of the etymology: batty is not just an unanalyzed simple word. Close English family members include bat, and bats. This keeps the modern adjective sense tied to the formation history behind it.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives
- Register & Style

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batty

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