Bonzer
What it means
Excellent or impressive in informal Australian English.
Reach for it when giving lively regional praise among readers who know the slang
The school band gave a bonzer performance at the oval.
Words to choose between 5
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| professional |
-
playful
Fits when short informal praise fits youth or sporting language
Careful Ace can mean one expert person or a playing card and may sound dated.
-
playful
grouse
Fits when older Australian slang creates a deliberately local tone
Careful Grouse is obscure internationally and usually understood as a bird or complaint.
-
playful
ripper
Fits when Australian slang for an excellent thing suits the local voice
Careful Ripper is equally regional and can be confused with a violent noun.
-
everyday
Fits when enthusiastic approval is wanted without Australian slang
Careful Terrific can feel generic and may overstate a solid result.
-
professional
Fits when strong praise must work for an international audience
Careful Excellent lacks bonzer's regional friendliness.
Opposites 3
- lousy
- ordinary
- disappointing
Common phrases 3
-
bonzer job
The apprentices did a bonzer job repainting the clubhouse.
-
bonzer idea
A shaded refill station was a bonzer idea for the summer match.
-
bonzer result
The team earned a bonzer result against the league leaders.
Usage notes
Keep in mind
Bonzer is informal Australian English and will be opaque or performative in many other contexts.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Commander Keane, Australian accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated