🪨 With splits 🤪 A bit crazy

cracked

7 7.4

Someone who acts a little crazy

adjective
/krækt/

Offensive

: loco (informal, ofensivo)

After listening to his wild ideas, I began to think he might be cracked.

He was in the gym like he was cracked out of his mind.

Examples

So they thought I'd think I was cracked and I was mental.
He was in the gym like he was cracked out of his mind.

You Should Know Podcast
Are you, is this always cracked up to be really the answer that real?
And there will always be a person in your life that's probably not going to be all that cracked up about you.
Everyone said she was a bit cracked for wanting to travel alone around the world.
He often behaves like he's cracked, laughing at jokes nobody else can hear.

Synonyms

crazy

vscracked

Offensive

∞ 4.1

Mentally ill and unable to think or behave in a normal way

is an informal, often lighter description of slight unbalance

nuts

vscracked

Offensive

578 8.6

Very crazy or doing things that show bad judgment

covers milder eccentricity or slight unbalance rather than deep illness

wacky

vscracked

Informal

100 5.9

Odd in a funny or silly way

is used for slight unbalance that may not be playful

crazed

vscracked

89 5.0

Acting in a wild and uncontrolled way

is less extreme, focusing on slight oddness rather than wildness

nutty

vscracked

Informal

64 7.2

Being a little crazy in a funny or strange way

is milder and informal rather than clinical insanity

loony

vscracked

Offensive

54 8.2

Strange and silly in a way people call crazy

is softer, often meaning only a small degree of unbalance

bonkers

vscracked

Informal

28 8.0

Acting or feeling very strange

is milder and more often playful than this stronger form

unhinged

vscracked

Offensive

27 7.8

A person who is not thinking or acting in a normal and safe way

is an informal, often lighter label for mild unbalance

loco

vscracked

Offensive

26 9.9

Not behaving in a normal or sensible way

is used for lighter, more casual oddness and eccentricity

daft

vscracked

Informal

26 5.8

Silly in a way that is slightly funny

is about slight mental unbalance or eccentricity rather than mere silliness

kooky

vscracked

Informal

25 8.0

Slightly strange in a funny, pleasant way

is similar but can also mean mildly disturbed rather than charming oddity

loopy

vscracked

Informal

20 7.9

A person who behaves in a slightly crazy or silly way

is used for mild unbalance but can feel less playful

batty

vscracked

Offensive

11 8.4

Slightly strange in the way a person thinks or behaves

is more neutral and often used playfully for slight oddness

fruity

vscracked

Offensive

8 8.6

Used informally to describe someone who behaves in a strange or silly way

is a softer informal term for slight unbalance or oddness

bats

vscracked

Offensive

7 9.3

A bit crazy or silly in a strange way

is less blunt and often gently labels slight oddness

wacked

vscracked

Slang

5 9.2

Funny and a bit strange, like a silly film or party

is used more broadly for slight unbalance, not only fun oddness

buggy

vscracked

Offensive

4 8.1

Acting strange or not thinking clearly

is milder, referring to slight oddness rather than clear instability

whacky

vscracked

Informal

4 7.7

Funny in a strange or silly way

is used for mild unbalance that may not be playful

barmy

vscracked

4 8.2

Being silly and slightly crazy in a way that seems funny and harmless

is more about slight mental unbalance, not only silliness

dotty

vscracked

Informal

2 8.5

Someone who behaves in a slightly strange or silly way

is similar but can also cover a touch more unpredictability

insane in the membrane

vscracked

Slang

2 9.8

Acting or feeling very silly and not thinking clearly, often as a joke

is more grounded, meaning only slight eccentricity or unbalance

crackers

vscracked

2 8.8

Acting very silly and not thinking in a sensible way

is more general for slight unbalance rather than strong silliness

around the bend

vscracked

Offensive

1 9.3

To be very confused or act in a strange way

is a slightly odd informal term rather than clinical severe illness

nutty as a fruitcake

vscracked

Informal

1 9.0

Very strange and silly in a way that seems crazy

is milder, used for slight or harmless odd behaviour

kookie

vscracked

Slang

1 9.8

Strange in a funny or slightly crazy way

is used for mild unbalance and can be less playful

balmy

vscracked

Offensive

1 8.4

Being a little crazy or foolish

is an informal label for mild unbalance rather than foolishness alone

crankish

vscracked

1 8.9

Acting in a strange, unusual way that others find odd

leans more toward mild unbalance rather than mere oddness

a bit loony

vscracked

Offensive

8.9

A little strange and silly

is similar but often implies a steadier mild unbalance

off one's nut

vscracked

Offensive

9.9

Acting in a very strange and not sensible way

is a less extreme, more gentle label for mild eccentricity

Antonyms

normal

∞ 1.0

Usual or expected in most situations

sane

130 3.2

Having a healthy mind and able to think clearly

Idioms

all it's cracked up to be

Informal

12 7.7

As good or impressive as people say

Compounds

cracked wheat

1 2.2

Wheat grains crushed into small pieces used in cooking

cracked-wheat bread

1 3.3

Bread made with small pieces of wheat that make it coarse and nutty

How Crazy

insane

Slur

405 4.0

mad

Informal

45 3.3

cracked

Offensive

7 7.4

eccentric

10 7.0

quirky

68 4.4

Surface Forms

cracked positive

Morphology

cracked = crack (semi-transparent) = crack + ed

The adjectival use 'cracked' meaning 'mentally unbalanced' is a metaphorical extension of 'broken' (i.e., 'broken in the head'); the connection is guessable but not strictly literal for all learners.

Etymology

A helpful way to remember cracked meaning 'a little crazy' is to think of a cup with a crack; if an object is cracked it does not work properly, so people use cracked for a mind that seems a bit 'broken' or strange.