Synonyms

barmy

American

[bahr-mee] / ˈbɑr mi /

adjective

barmier, barmiest

containing or resembling barm; frothy.
British Slang. balmy.

barmy British

/ ˈbɑːmɪ /

adjective

Also: balmy. slang eccentric or foolish

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of barmy

1525–35; barm + -y ¹; barmy def. 2 probably respelling of balmy by r-less speakers

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In practice, it was, well, a bit barmy.

From Salon • Aug. 19, 2025

Talk of tacking to the right is "barmy", said one MP.

From BBC • May 6, 2024

"Sadly for Arsenal I think they'll find it tough against Roy Hodgson's barmy army," McKenna said.

From BBC • Jan. 18, 2024

He went on: "They seem to have conceded that they are heading for a defeat in court and so they are brainstorming barmy schemes for what comes next."

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2022

“Nothing over there but bogland and barmy weather.”

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023