English Reference

Word

gaga

US/ˈɡɑˌɡə/

UK/ɡˈɑːɡɐ/

Definitions

01infatuated or excited

C1

adj. to be completely in love with someone or very excited about something.

adj. excessively enthusiastic or infatuated with a person, object, or idea.

“The fans went gaga when the singer finally walked onto the stage.”

“The tech press has gone completely gaga over the latest smartphone release, despite the lack of any truly innovative features.”

Informal

Usage

Usually follows the verb 'go' or 'be' and takes the preposition 'over' or 'about'.

02mentally confused

C2

adj. confused or losing your memory because of old age.

adj. suffering from a loss of mental faculties; senile.

“My great-grandfather is starting to go a bit gaga in his old age.”

“The family became concerned when the elderly professor began to go gaga, frequently forgetting the names of his own children.”

Informal

Teaching tip

This sense can be seen as insensitive or offensive; use 'senile' or 'suffering from dementia' in formal or respectful contexts.

Synonyms

seniledoting

Antonyms

Etymology

Borrowed from French gaga.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference