barmy
|bar-my|
🇺🇸
/ˈbɑrmi/
🇬🇧
/ˈbɑːmi/
yeast froth → crazy
Etymology
'barmy' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'beorma', where 'beorma' meant 'yeast' or 'froth'.
'barmy' changed from the base noun 'barm' plus the adjectival suffix '-y' in Middle English (meaning 'covered with barm') and eventually developed in colloquial British English into the modern adjective 'barmy' meaning 'crazy'.
Initially, it meant 'covered with froth or yeast', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'crazy' or 'mad'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
informal chiefly British: mad; crazy; showing foolish or irrational behavior.
He must be barmy to drive in that weather.
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Adjective 2
informal: very foolish or ill-considered; extremely unlikely to succeed.
That's a barmy idea — it will never work.
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Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/17 12:06