gonzo

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
15
Words With Friends
17
Letters
5
Pronunciation
/ˈɡɑnzoʊ/ (US)
See all 2 pronunciations
/ˈɡɑnzoʊ/ (US) · /ˈɡɒnzəʊ/ (UK)

Definition of gonzo

4 senses · 2 parts of speech · etymology included

adj

  1. Using an unconventional, exaggerated, and highly subjective style, often when the reporter takes part in the events of the story.
    “I ask Hunter to explain ... Just what is Gonzo Journalism? ... “Gonzo all started with Bill Cardosa ^([sic]), ... after I wrote the Kentucky Derby piece for Scanlan's ... the first time I realized you could write different. And ... I got this note from Cardosa saying, ‘That was pure gonzo journalism!’ ... Some Boston word for weird, bizarre.””
See all 4 definitions

adj

  1. Using an unconventional, exaggerated, and highly subjective style, often when the reporter takes part in the events of the story.
    “I ask Hunter to explain ... Just what is Gonzo Journalism? ... “Gonzo all started with Bill Cardosa ^([sic]), ... after I wrote the Kentucky Derby piece for Scanlan's ... the first time I realized you could write different. And ... I got this note from Cardosa saying, ‘That was pure gonzo journalism!’ ... Some Boston word for weird, bizarre.””
  2. Unconventional, bizarre, crazy.
    “Nicholson’s Torrance is an evil clown ... Appropriately, pop culture has embraced him as a gonzo antihero: Ads for T-shirts emblazoned with the “Here’s Johnny” Nicholson”

noun

  1. (countable, uncountable)Gonzo journalism or a journalist who produces such journalism.
    ““Unstable” indeed! Those swine: Next year we should demand a gonzo category – or maybe R S should give it. Of course: “The first annual Rolling Stone award for the year's finest example of pure gonzo journalism.””
  2. (countable)A wild or crazy person.

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

Coined in 1971 by Boston Globe editor Bill Cardoso. Of uncertain origin; OED proposes Italian gonzo (“dolt”) and / or Spanish ganso (“dolt, goose”). The etymology supplied by Cardoso himself (French gonzeaux) is spurious; French does have a similar word gonze, but this is a loan from Italian.

Anagrams of gonzo

1 play · some not in Scrabble

Words you can make from gonzo

10 playable · top: ZOON (13 pts)

Best play zoon 13 points

4-letter words

1 word

3-letter words

5 words

2-letter words

3 words

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