go berserk

Idioms  

1. Erupt in furious rage, become crazily violent. For example, When they announced the gymnast's score, her coach went berserk. This expression is believed to allude to the name of Norse warriors renowned for their ferocity in battle and for wearing no armor but a bearskin shirt (or berserkar). [Late 1800s] Also see go ape.

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Example Sentences

Every four years, soccer fans around the globe go berserk over the World Cup, but in host cities like Los Angeles, the worldwide spectacle feels bittersweet and financially out of reach.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Or will she go berserk and blow up the system?

From New York Times • May 31, 2022

The allegation wasn’t made in any of the days after the brawl, though Garrett was asked by reporters whether Rudolph said anything to him that made him go berserk.

From Fox News • Nov. 22, 2019

She may be less inclined to go berserk if she can’t get right up to the portal where all the sounds and smells are coming from.

From Slate • Oct. 10, 2019

We watched from a spot on the roof, expecting him to go berserk.

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman

Related Words

• blow up
• boil over
• erupt
• rampage
• roar
• seethe
• tear