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Glite Dictionary
barrel of monkeys

barrel of monkeys

1 6.3
A very fun and enjoyable situation or activity
  • noun
  • Informal
translation icon : diversión
  • More fun than a barrel of monkeys.
  • fun as a barrel of monkeys

Examples

  • This is a barrel of monkeys.

    Short Circuit (1986)

  • "It's a barrel of monkeys, like always," she tells him.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Going to the amusement park was a barrel of monkeys for the entire family.

  • We had a barrel of monkeys at the party with games and laughter all night.

  • The comedy show was a real barrel of monkeys; everyone was laughing uncontrollably.

Synonyms

barrel of laughs
vsbarrel of monkeys
  • Informal
6 4.2

Someone or something that is very funny and enjoyable

refers to an activity or situation that is highly amusing or enjoyable

Antonyms

dullness
1 3.4

A feeling of low emotion and little interest

How Fun

barrel of monkeys
  • Informal
1 6.3
blast
  • Informal
87 3.6
fun
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

barrel of monkeys singular
barrels of monkeys plural

Morphology

barrel + of + monkey

The components 'barrel' (a container/large amount) and 'monkeys' (playful, mischievous creatures) together evoke the idea of an abundance of playful activity, so a learner who knows the words could plausibly infer 'a lot of fun'. However, the phrase is partly idiomatic and has cultural associations (e.g. the toy 'Barrel of Monkeys'), so the exact exclamatory meaning is not fully predictable from composition alone.

Etymology

Barrel of monkeys may come from a children's toy that had a small plastic barrel full of many little plastic monkeys which kids tried to hook together. Because the game was silly and fun, calling something a barrel of monkeys came to mean 'a very amusing or enjoyable' time.