berserk

[ber-surk, -zurk]

adjective

1. violently or destructively frenzied; wild; crazed; deranged.

   He suddenly went berserk.

   Synonyms: lunatic, demented, rabid, maniacal, mad, violent
   Antonyms: calm, rational

noun

1. (sometimes initial capital letter),  Also berserker. an ancient Norse warrior who fought with frenzied rage in battle, possibly induced by eating hallucinogenic mushrooms.

berserk

/ bəˈzɜːk, -ˈsɜːk /

adjective

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

noun

1. 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

Other Word Forms

• berserkly adverb
• berserkness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of berserk¹

1865–70; < Old Norse berserkr, equivalent to ber- (either *ber-, base of bjǫrn bear ² or berr bare ¹ ) + serkr sark, shirt, armor

Word History and Origins

Origin of berserk¹

C19: Icelandic berserkr , from björn bear + serkr shirt

Example Sentences

Mr Wright asked why his "large and vocal" dog, which would surely have gone "berserk" if anyone entered his yard and took a vehicle, did not bark and wake him.

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Donald Trump and his administration are totally berserk and America is in the middle of an unprecedented, turbulent maelstrom.

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She said the second assault happened when she changed a profile picture on social media and he "went berserk".

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"You'd be surprised," a doctor tells Friedan at one point, "at the number of these happy suburban wives who simply go berserk one night."

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Philip Roth had both the falsehood and the violence in mind when he spoke of the “indigenous American berserk.”

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When To Use

What does berserk mean?

Berserk describes violent, destructive, or deranged behavior.Berserk frequently describes someone who is acting wild, crazy, or deranged. It is commonly used with forms of the verb go, as in go berserk or went berserk, meaning someone suddenly erupted into a frenzy of angry or violent behavior.In Norse and Germanic folklore, a berserk (or berserker) is a warrior who worships the Norse god Odin, fighting savagely and without control, possibly from eating hallucinogenic mushrooms. They were said to wear shirts made of bearskin (see “Where does berserk come from?” below) and were often the villains in Norse sagas. Today, this sense is used figuratively to define any person who is prone to acting out angrily, especially without cause.Example: I told him that his music wasn’t even that great, and he went berserk.