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

Friedman is seeking to push them out of the case, alleging the firm had “run amok” and “dangled the prospect of lottery sized payouts” in front of clients without vetting them.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The poster child for vendor financing run amok was Lucent Technologies.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

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

Related Words

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