Skip to main content
gonzo

gonzo

15 9.7
Very strange and wild in style or behavior
  • adjective
  • /ˈɡɒnzoʊ/
  • Informal
: gonzo
  • The artist's gonzo approach to painting involved using unconventional materials and vibrant, chaotic colors.

And, and it is a bit gonzo, you know, and, and I, but have great respect for journalism.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Her gonzo performance in the play was so outrageous that it had everyone talking for weeks.

  • We started with a the really inauthentic, like Hunter S Thompson gonzo style of an izakaya.

  • I was gonzo... at the next light, he asked, "What have you done to that thing?"

    Blog text (33)
  • And, and it is a bit gonzo, you know, and, and I, but have great respect for journalism.

  • I thought Gonzo would be gonzo by last weekend, but I'm never right, and now I'm thinking the longer he stays, the worse they look.

    Blog text (31)
  • And so I'd be going to the bar at night and sitting next to Hunter Thompson, the gonzo journalist would be throwing back shots.

  • He's the gonzo and it's astounding to me what they do.

  • So the sort of gonzo journalism, Hunter S Thompson approach, you don't have to necessarily take that, but what about recounting dark stories?

  • So as someone whose work spans blockbuster cameos and Baywatch to gonzo live shows with Eric Andre, can you break down the field guide to the Hannibal Buress fan?

  • The film's gonzo style left audiences both confused and entertained as it broke all conventional storytelling rules.

Synonyms

bizarre
vsgonzo
389 5.9

Very strange or unusual in a way that surprises people

emphasizes wild unconventional style or approach
freaky
vsgonzo
  • Informal
158 6.9

Strange in a way that makes you feel scared or nervous

focuses more on bold, eccentric style than just unsettling tone
eccentric
vsgonzo
91 7.2

Different from normal in a way people notice

is more about style and approach being wildly unconventional
outlandish
vsgonzo
32 7.4

Strange or unusual in a way that surprises people

is more about a bold, wild stylistic approach
far-out
vsgonzo
  • Archaic
25 8.8

Very unusual in style or ideas

signals a wilder, more eccentric creative approach
freakish
vsgonzo
22 6.8

Very strange or unusual in a way that surprises people

is more about extreme stylistic oddness than mere abnormality
bizarro
vsgonzo
  • Slang
17 8.7

Very strange in a funny or exaggerated way

is wilder and more unconventionally styled rather than just surreal
off-the-wall
vsgonzo
  • Informal
14 8.0

Strange and often funny in a surprising way

is more focused on being wildly original in style
flaky
vsgonzo
  • Informal
12 5.9

Being a bit strange in behavior or appearance

highlights wild stylistic choices instead of odd personal behaviour
flakey
vsgonzo
  • UK
3 8.1

Unusual in a way that people notice

places emphasis on wildly unconventional style rather than behaviour
outré
vsgonzo
  • Literature
1 9.9

Very unusual and sometimes strange in a way that attracts attention

leans toward wilder, more extreme stylistic choices
ostrobogulous
vsgonzo
  • NSFW
9.9

Strange and sometimes a little shocking

stresses a wilder unconventional style rather than mild oddness

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Usual or expected in most situations

681 1.0

Normal and not special or unusual

287 2.8

Doing things in the usual way most people expect, not new or original

How Unconventional

gonzo
  • Informal
15 9.7
bizarre
389 5.9
wild
38 2.8
odd
878 1.0

Surface Forms

gonzo positive

Etymology

Gonzo became famous from gonzo journalism, the wild, personal reporting style of Hunter S. Thompson, and one popular story says an editor first called his work 'gonzo' because it was so crazy and direct. A helpful way to remember gonzo is to think 'over-the-top' or 'wild', which is why we use it for something very strange or wildly unconventional.