barking

/ˈbɑː.kɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbɑːr.kɪŋ/ (ame, ipa)

barking — adjective

  • barkingpositive
  • more barkingcomparative
  • most barkingsuperlative

1. behaving or thinking in a way that shows a complete lack of common sense, used i

1.形容詞B2
釋義

behaving or thinking in a way that shows a complete lack of common sense, used informally in British English to describe actions, ideas, or people that seem completely unreasonable.

例句

Piotr thought his landlord was barking for charging him to paint the ceiling pink.

be + barking for describing a person's action as crazy

The plan to cycle across the Sahara in August sounds absolutely barking to me.

barking + sounds/seems/looks for describing an idea or plan

同義詞
  • bonkers

    also British slang, slightly more humorous and less intense

  • mad

    standard British English for 'crazy'; less slangy than 'barking'

  • insane

    more formal and more severe in tone; can be offensive if used about mental health

  • ridiculous

    neutral register, works in any variety of English

反義詞
  • sane

    opposite meaning, formal register

  • sensible

    opposite meaning, neutral register

文法句型

be + barking

barking + mad

find something + barking

用法筆記

Almost exclusively British English; may confuse American or Australian readers. The phrase is commonly intensified with 'mad' — 'barking mad' is the most frequent form. Never used in formal writing.

常見錯誤

❌She was barking at me all morning.
✅She was barking mad to try that climb.
💡'barking' by itself (from the verb 'to bark') means making a dog-like sound; the slang adjective 'barking' means crazy, not the same as the verb.
❌The exam was barking.
✅The exam was ridiculous.
💡'barking' usually describes people, their ideas, or their actions, not impersonal objects or situations.