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British

berserk

[ ber-surk, -zurk ]

/ bərˈsɜrk, -ˈzɜrk /

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adjective

violently or destructively frenzied; wild; crazed; deranged: He suddenly went berserk.

noun

(sometimes initial capital letter)Scandinavian Legend.Also ber·serk·er. an ancient Norse warrior who fought with frenzied rage in battle, possibly induced by eating hallucinogenic mushrooms.

OTHER WORDS FOR berserk

1 violent, mad, maniacal, rabid, demented, lunatic.

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OPPOSITES FOR berserk

1 rational, calm.

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VIDEO FOR BERSERK

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ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

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Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

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Origin of berserk

1865–70; <Old Norse berserkr, equivalent to ber- (either *ber-, base of bjǫrnbear² or berrbare¹) + serkrsark, shirt, armor

OTHER WORDS FROM berserk

ber·serk·ly, adverbber·serk·ness, noun

Words nearby berserk

berryfruit, Berryman, berry spoon, bersagliere, berseem, berserk, Bert, berth, bertha, berthage, Berthelot

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use berserk in a sentence

“We all just went berserk with joy,” Martin recalled this week in a Zoom interview.
‘Transformational’: MacKenzie Scott’s gifts to HBCUs, other colleges surpass $800 million|Nick Anderson, Lauren Lumpkin|December 18, 2020|Washington Post
A recent NBC report, for instance, describes how QAnon groups radicalized a woman into attacking a mask display at Target, and another into going berserk about masks at a Florida city government meeting.
Will Facebook’s QAnon crackdown succeed? What people are saying so far|Jeff|August 20, 2020|Fortune
In the middle of the game, one of the mascots lost his head and went berserk, pushing kids out of the way to find it.
Hulu is the New Netflix: Why You Should Watch ‘Behind the Mask’|Anna Brand|October 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“She accused me of sexual harassment and went completely berserk,” he says.
Burt’s Bees Co-Founder Burt Shavitz on the Doc ‘Burt’s Buzz,’ and Losing Millions|Marlow Stern|September 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Just take it from this household appliance that goes completely berserk when the music starts.
Harlem Shake: The Best and Worst of the Viral Dance Routine|Anna Klassen|February 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The throw by Yankee outfielder Shane Spencer went literally berserk.
Bissinger: Praying That Derek Jeter, Baseball’s Classiest Act, Returns to the Game|Buzz Bissinger|October 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It was as if the human immune system had suddenly and inexplicably gone berserk.
An Epidemic of Absence: Destroying the Bugs in Our Bodies Can Be Dangerous to Our Health|Moises Velasquez-Manoff|September 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
If she's gone Berserk on your account, I warn you that she's in the mood to marry the first man in the street who's kind to her.
Lady Lilith|Stephen McKenna
It came only when Bob went berserk, and fought with his hands.
The Radio Boys Rescue the Lost Alaska Expedition|Gerald Breckenridge
With that the big servo-pilot took off for 22A like a berserk robot and we were right behind him.
The Love of Frank Nineteen|David Carpenter Knight
He muttered half aloud and then quite suddenly went berserk.
The Lone Ranger Rides|Fran Striker
Hægberg was going about with his leather apron hanging down over one shoulder, as furious as a Berserk.
One of Life's Slaves|Jonas Lauritz Idemil Lie

British Dictionary definitions for berserk

berserk

/ (bəˈzɜːk, -ˈsɜːk) /

adjective

frenziedly violent or destructive (esp in the phrase go berserk)

noun

Also called: berserker a member of a class of ancient Norse warriors who worked themselves into a frenzy before battle and fought with insane fury and courage

Word Origin for berserk

C19: Icelandic berserkr, from björn bear + serkr shirt

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012