amok

[uh-muhk, uh-mok]

noun

1. (among members of certain Southeast Asian cultures) a psychic disturbance characterized by depression followed by a manic urge to murder.

adjective

1. amuck.

amok

/ əˈmʌk, əˈmɒk, əˈmʌk /

noun

1. a state of murderous frenzy, originally observed among Malays

adverb

1. to run about with or as if with a frenzied desire to kill

Word History and Origins

Origin of amok¹

First recorded in 1865–70, amok is from the Malay word amuk

Word History and Origins

Origin of amok¹

C17: from Malay amoq furious assault

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. run / go amok. amuck.

Example Sentences

But concerns about a possible AI bubble are running amok, as stretched valuations within the technology sector draw an increasing amount of scrutiny.

Read more on Barron's

As Carlos told it, his brother took the clippers, began to buzz, and in the harrowing tradition of at-home haircuts gone amok, somewhere along the way…

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The men, who were described in court as "smirking" killers, ran amok at the music video shoot and fatally stabbed Klevi and Leo and severely injured Abdullah Abdullahi, 28, for an "adrenaline rush".

Read more on BBC

Their defending has been such an abomination that Celtic, with no dependable striker but with a point to prove, could potentially run amok.

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This, I realized while standing there, was public policy in action, MAGA’s culture of cruelty and gangster capitalism run amok on the street level.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• desperately 
• excitedly www.thesaurus.com
• madly 
• uncontrollably www.thesaurus.com
• wildly www.thesaurus.com