barmy
Containing, covered with, or pertaining to barmContaining, covered with, or pertaining to barm (“foam rising upon beer or other malt liquors when fermenting, used as leaven in brewing and making bread”).
» What's the barmiest thing you've done?
Was ist das Verrückteste, was du getan hast?
Was ist das Verrückteste, was ihr getan habt?
Was ist das Verrückteste, was Sie getan haben?
Meaning
4 senses(also, archaic, figuratively)Containing, covered with, or pertaining to barm (“foam rising upon beer or other malt liquors when fermenting, used as leaven in brewing and making bread”).
(archaic, figuratively)Bubbling with activity or excitement; active, excited.
(Ireland, UK, archaic, informal)Crazy, mad; also, eccentric, odd, strange.
(Ireland, UK, archaic, informal)Very foolish.
- informal or slang terms for mentally irregular
- marked by spirited enjoyment
Examples
7 sentencesWhat's the barmiest thing you've done?
deWas ist das Verrückteste, was du getan hast?
I don't want Tom to think you're barmy.
deIch will nicht, dass Tom dich für verrückt hält.
We've realised that our programme of austerity was completely barmy.
deWir haben eingesehen, dass unser Sparprogramm eine absolute Schnapsidee war.
I think that's barmy.
deIch finde das bescheuert.
This is so barmy.
deDas ist so bescheuert!
Translations
1 languagesOrigin
From barm (“foam rising upon beer or other malt liquors when fermenting, and used as leaveFrom barm (“foam rising upon beer or other malt liquors when fermenting, and used as leaven”) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of’ forming adjectives). Barm is derived from Middle English berm, berme (“foam rising upon ale or beer fermenting; leaven, yeast; foam or head of beer produced by pouring”) [and other forms], from Old English beorma (“foam or head of beer; leaven, yeast”), from Proto-West Germanic *bermō (“barm; yeast”); further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewh₁- (“to boil; to brew”) or *gʷʰer- (“warm; hot”).
Probably an alteration of balmy (“foolish; slightly crazy or mad, eccentric”), influenced by barm (“foam rising upon beer or other malt liquors when fermenting, and used as leaven”) (see etymology 1).
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Forms
barmier, barmiestSynonyms
174 synonymsAntonyms
65 antonymsWord family
2 related wordsLessons for this word
2 lessons- A2Comparatives — Because it has a comparative form
- A2Superlatives — Because it has a superlative form