Past tense of bonk; hit something or someone with a dull sound, or ran out of energy suddenly (especially in sports).
Bonk is onomatopoeia, imitating the sound of a dull impact, popularized in 20th-century English. The cycling meaning (to hit the wall) emerged in the 1980s from sports slang.
The word 'bonked' has two totally different meanings depending on context: a cyclist 'bonked' means they hit 'the wall' and ran out of glucose, while a tennis player who 'bonked' the ball hit it awkwardly with the racket frame—both describe a kind of physical failure!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.