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berserk
[ ber-surk, -zurk ]
adjective
- violently or destructively frenzied; wild; crazed; deranged:
He suddenly went berserk.
Synonyms: , , , , ,
Antonyms: ,
noun
- (sometimes initial capital letter) Scandinavian Legend. Also berserker. an ancient Norse warrior who fought with frenzied rage in battle, possibly induced by eating hallucinogenic mushrooms.
berserk
/ bəˈzɜːk; -ˈsɜːk /
adjective
- frenziedly violent or destructive (esp in the phrase go berserk )
noun
- Also calledberserker 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 yvlog Forms
- ·· adverb
- ··Ա noun
yvlog History and Origins
yvlog History and Origins
Origin of berserk1
Example Sentences
She said the second assault happened when she changed a profile picture on social media and he "went berserk".
"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."
Philip Roth had both the falsehood and the violence in mind when he spoke of the “indigenous American berserk.”
“What can she tell us about the nature of American culture today? It turns out, listeners, Taylor Swift is a great lens into making sense of some of the American berserk.”
Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, said a few days ago he wanted Israel to "go berserk" in response to Iran's attack.
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More About Berserk
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.
Where does berserk come from?
The first records of the term berserk come from the mid-1800s. It comes from the Icelandic term berserk, which combines ö, meaning “bear,” and serkr, meaning “shirt.” The berserking warriors of legend are typically depicted as wearing bearskin armor.
Berserk is a common theme in violent fiction. The 1987 horror film “Berserker” is about the legend appearing in modern times, and the Japanese manga series Berserk features a character known for his wild, frenzied fighting style. The term berserk is also often used to describe fighters in TV, film, and professional wrestling.
Did you know … ?
How is berserk used in real life?
Berserk is usually used critically or as an insult, almost always commenting on another person’s or an animal’s behavior.
Filming starts gently tomorrow. Then it goes berserk. See you all in Terminal 5.
— Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson)
Kick your shoes off, let your hair down, go berserk… ALL NIGHT LONG.
— Ian Eastwood (@Ian_Eastwood)
Berserk llama syndrome is a real condition where a llama believes its human owner is also a llama, causing the animal to become aggressive.
— UberFacts (@UberFacts)
Try using berserk!
Is berserk used correctly in the following sentence?
Wendell went berserk, calmly walking across the field and into the woods.
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