Meaning
2 sensesOut of control, especially when armed and dangerous.
In a frenzy of violence, or on a killing spree; berserk.
Amok
бе́шеноbéšeno
in a murderous frenzy
Examples
4 sentencesThe inflation rate is running amok.
The children are running amok all through the house.
Until the teacher appeared, the children were running amok in the classroom.
deBis der Lehrer kam, spielten die Kinder in der Klasse verrückt. — Pfirsichbaeumchen
The police acted very fast in capturing the mad man who ran amok with an axe.
Translations
5 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
Borrowed from Portuguese amouco, from Malay amuk (“to go on a killing spree”). The term fiBorrowed from Portuguese amouco, from Malay amuk (“to go on a killing spree”). The term first appeared in English around the 16th century, associated with the people of Malaysia and Java, first described in the 1516 text The Book of Duarte Barbosa, which was translated to English by Henry E. J. Stanley.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
more amok, most amokSynonyms
2 synonyms- in a murderous frenzy:amuckmurderously
- wildly; without self-control:amuck
Word family
2 related wordsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A2Comparatives — Because it has a comparative form