Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Mentally irregular; crazy or foolish: Used informally or as slang to describe someone or something as irrational, eccentric, or senseless.
   • Marked by spirited enjoyment; exuberant: An older, chiefly British informal use meaning full of high spirits or slightly wild fun.

Usage and Examples

• Adjective (Mentally irregular):
  • He came up with a barmy idea to build a house out of bottle caps. (This describes a foolish or irrational plan.)
  • You must be barmy to go swimming in this freezing weather! (This expresses that the action is crazy or senseless.)
• Adjective (Spirited enjoyment):
  • The children were barmy with excitement on the last day of school. (This describes a state of wild, high-spirited joy.)

Advanced Usage and Notes

• Register: This word is informal and often considered slang. It is more common in British English than in American English.
• Connotation: When meaning "crazy," it can range from lighthearted and humorous to mildly derogatory, depending on context. It is often less harsh than words like "insane."
• "Barmy on the crumpet": A dated British slang idiom meaning "crazy" or "mad." (e.g., )

Variants and Related Words

• Barm (noun): The froth or foam on fermenting malt liquors (like beer), which contains yeast. This is the original, now rare, literal meaning from which the adjective "barmy" (meaning "frothy" or "fermenting") and later its figurative meanings derived.
• Balmy (adjective): This is a different word meaning "mild and pleasant" (weather) or "fragrant." It is often confused with "barmy" due to similar pronunciation, especially in American English.

Synonyms

• Crazy: Behaving in a wild or strange way, or mentally unsound.
• Daft: Silly or foolish (common in UK English).
• Bonkers: Informal term for crazy or mad.
• Loony: Informal and derogatory term for mentally ill or very foolish.
• Exuberant: Full of energy, excitement, and cheerfulness (synonym for the "spirited" sense).

Antonyms

• Sane: Of sound mind; not mentally ill.
• Sensible: Having or showing good sense or judgment.
• Rational: Based on or in accordance with reason or logic.
• Sober: Serious, sensible, and solemn.

Idioms and Fixed Phrases

• To drive someone barmy: To irritate or annoy someone intensely, to the point of exasperation.
  • The constant noise from the construction site is driving me barmy.

Adjective

1. informal or slang terms for mentally irregular
   • it used to drive my husband balmy
2. marked by spirited enjoyment