verknallen

Definition & meaning

Verknallen has two main uses:

1. To become infatuated with someone — usually in the reflexive form sich in jemanden verknallen. It is informal and often suggests a sudden, intense crush rather than deep or lasting love.
   Example: “Er hat sich in sie verknallt” means “He’s got a crush on her.”

2. To fire off or use up ammunition or fireworks, usually informally. It can also mean to spend money quickly or wastefully in colloquial speech.
   Example: “Sie haben das ganze Geld verknallt” means “They blew through all the money.”

Grammar & Word origin

Verknallen is an inseparable verb. In the sense “to become infatuated,” it is normally reflexive and takes in with the accusative: sich in jemanden verknallen. Its past participle is verknallt: Er hat sich verknallt (“He has fallen for someone”).

The word combines ver- and knallen (“to bang” or “make a loud noise”). In the sense of firing something, the connection to knallen is fairly direct. The romantic sense is colloquial and idiomatic.

Synonyms & antonyms

• sich verlieben ↗ — “to fall in love.” More general than sich verknallen and not necessarily limited to a sudden crush.
• sich vergucken ↗ — “to get a crush on someone.” Informal and close in meaning, often implying a brief infatuation.
• sich in jemanden verschießen ↗ — “to fall for someone.” Informal and similar in tone to sich verknallen.

There is no direct, commonly used antonym. For the romantic sense, sich entlieben ↗ (“to fall out of love”) is a possible opposite, though it is less common. For firing or spending, an antonym depends on the context.

Common phrases & collocations

• sich in jemanden verknallen ↗ — to get a crush on someone.
• total verknallt sein ↗ — to be completely smitten.
• Munition verknallen ↗ — to use up ammunition by firing it.
• Geld verknallen ↗ — to blow through money; informal.