What does "berserk" mean?
Synonym of berserker (“a Norse warrior who fought in a frenzy”).
Berserk
/ˈbɜːsɜːk/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Synonym of berserker (“a Norse warrior who fought in a frenzy”).
- Grammar: berserk is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abandoned, amok, amok, amuck.
- Useful contrasts: calm, calmly, controlled.
- Usage evidence: A critically wounded elephant went berserk and attacked every living thing in his path.
How to use "berserk"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "berserk" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "berserk" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "berserk" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "berserk" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "berserk" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abandoned" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "berserk", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Synonym of berserker (“a Norse warrior who fought in a frenzy”). historical
"She had heard of his profligacy, his bursts of fierce Berserk-madness; and yet now these very faults, instead of repelling, seemed to attract her, and intensify her longing to save him."
- 2 one of the ancient Norse warriors legendary for working themselves into a frenzy before a battle and fighting with reckless savagery and insane fury wordnet
Verb
- 1 To be or become berserk. intransitive
"When great champions went berserking and were angry, they lost their human nature and went mad like dogs."
- 2 To make berserk. transitive
"He neither knows himself nor his outriders; he berserks a fearful dimension and dismounts, miraculously, in bed!"
Adjective
- 1 Furiously, injuriously, or maniacally violent or out of control.
"After seeing his sister stabbed to death, he went berserk and attacked the killer like a wild animal."
- 2 Bizarre; weird. broadly
"[T]he writer conjured up a dystopian fantasy more berserk than anything you might find yourself listening to in the small hours at the Stone Circle."
- 3 Wildly joyous; ecstatic. broadly, dialectal, rare, slang
"In amongst the strife, Scott McTominay, whose stoppage-time winner against Israel sent Hampden berserk, and Ryan Christie offered signs of an attacking pulse."
Adjective
- 1 wildly frenzied and out of control wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"A critically wounded elephant went berserk and attacked every living thing in his path."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "berserk"?
Common synonyms include: abandoned, amok, amok, amuck, angry, apeshit.
How do you use "berserk" in a sentence?
A critically wounded elephant went berserk and attacked every living thing in his path.
How do you pronounce "berserk"?
Pronounced /ˈbɜːsɜːk/.
Etymology
The noun is borrowed from Old Norse berserkr (“Norse warrior who fights in a frenzy”), probably from bjǫrn (“bear”) + serkr (“coat; shirt”), referring to the bearskins which the warriors wore. Bjǫrn is possibly ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (“brown”); and serkr from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to bind, tie together; thread”). Alternatively, it has been suggested that the first element of the word is from berr (“bare, naked”), referring to warriors who went into battle without armour, but this is now thought unlikely. Doublet of berserker. The adjective is derived from the noun. The verb might partly be a back-formation from berserker, analyzed as containing the suffix -er. Cognates * Icelandic berserkur * Norwegian Bokmål berserk * Norwegian Nynorsk berserk * Swedish bärsärk