berserk
violently or destructively frenzied; wild; crazed; deranged: He suddenly went berserk.
(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.
Origin of berserk
1Other words for berserk
Opposites for berserk
Other words from berserk
- ber·serk·ly, adverb
- ber·serk·ness, noun
Words Nearby berserk
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use berserk in a sentence
It’s still not fully understood why Maria had suddenly gone berserk.
A coral pollution study unexpectedly helped explain Hurricane Maria’s fury | Martin J. Kernan | September 7, 2022 | Science News“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 PostA 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 | FortuneIn 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 | THE 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 | THE 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 | THE DAILY BEASTThe 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 | THE DAILY BEASTIt 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 | THE DAILY BEASTIf 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 McKennaIt came only when Bob went berserk, and fought with his hands.
The Radio Boys Rescue the Lost Alaska Expedition | Gerald BreckenridgeWith 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 KnightHe muttered half aloud and then quite suddenly went berserk.
The Lone Ranger Rides | Fran StrikerHægberg 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
/ (bəˈzɜːk, -ˈsɜːk) /
frenziedly violent or destructive (esp in the phrase go berserk)
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
Origin of berserk
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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