barking
B1Predominantly informal and literal for the canine sense; slang for the 'mad' sense.
Definition
Meaning
Making the sharp, loud cry typical of a dog.
Speaking or shouting aggressively or nonsensically; (slang, chiefly British) crazy, mad.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The participle 'barking' functions as a verb in progressive tenses, a participial adjective, and as part of idioms. The slang adjectival sense 'barking mad' is often shortened to just 'barking' in British informal use.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The slang adjectival sense meaning 'crazy' (e.g., 'He's barking.') is primarily British. American usage is almost exclusively literal, referring to the sound a dog makes.
Connotations
In UK slang, 'barking' is informal and mildly humorous, not clinical. In both varieties, 'barking up the wrong tree' is a common idiom.
Frequency
The literal sense is high-frequency in both. The slang sense is moderately frequent in UK informal speech but rare in American English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[SUBJ] be barking[SUBJ] stop barking (at [OBJ])[SUBJ] be barking madVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “barking up the wrong tree”
- “barking mad”
- “his bark is worse than his bite”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Metaphorical, e.g., 'The marketing team is barking up the wrong tree with that demographic.'
Academic
Rare, except in literary analysis or zoology/ethology texts describing animal behavior.
Everyday
Very common for dogs; common in UK for describing eccentric behavior.
Technical
Used in veterinary or animal behavior contexts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The dog next door has been barking all night.
- Stop barking at the postman!
American English
- My dog starts barking whenever someone rings the doorbell.
- The sergeant was barking commands at the recruits.
adverb
British English
- (Rare as adverb) He shouted barking mad.
American English
- (Rare as adverb) Not typically used.
adjective
British English
- That idea is completely barking.
- He went barking mad after the incident.
American English
- The barking dog disturbed the whole neighborhood.
- We heard a barking seal at the zoo.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The dog is barking.
- I hear a barking dog.
- The neighbour's dog won't stop barking at night.
- You're barking up the wrong tree if you think I took your pen.
- He was literally barking orders at his staff, which created a hostile environment.
- She must be barking to try and drive in this blizzard.
- The politician's latest rant was dismissed as the barking of an irrelevant ideologue.
- His strategy, though considered barking by traditionalists, ultimately proved innovative.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a dog named 'Bark' in a 'king's' crown acting crazily — 'Bark-king' is barking mad.
Conceptual Metaphor
AGGRESSIVE/MEANINGLESS SPEECH IS ANIMAL NOISE (e.g., 'He was just barking orders').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'лающий' only for the literal sense; the slang 'crazy' sense has no direct equivalent. 'Barking' is not 'гавкающий' in continuous form—it's a participle.
- The idiom 'barking up the wrong tree' translates conceptually as 'искать не там' or 'обвинять не того'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'barking' as a standalone adjective for 'crazy' in American English (sounds odd).
- Incorrect: 'The dog is bark.' Correct: 'The dog is barking.'
Practice
Quiz
In which variety of English can 'barking' alone mean 'crazy'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is strictly informal and primarily British slang.
Yes, though less common. It can describe similar sharp cries from seals, foxes, or even people metaphorically.
Barking is typically short, sharp, and repetitive (dogs). Howling is a longer, sustained, often mournful cry (dogs, wolves, wind).
Yes, it's common in both varieties with the same meaning (pursuing a mistaken or misguided line of thought).