amok

noun

Save Word

\ ə-ˈmək

, -ˈmäk

variants: or less commonly amuck \ ə-ˈmək

Definition of amok

(Entry 1 of 3)

amok

adverb

variants: or less commonly amuck

Definition of amok (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : in a violently raging, wild, or uncontrolled manner —used in the phrase run amok rioters running amok in the streetsConditions had allowed extremism to run amok.

2 : in a murderously frenzied state

amok

adjective

variants: or less commonly amuck

Definition of amok (Entry 3 of 3)

: possessed with or motivated by a murderous or violently uncontrollable frenzy

Synonyms Did you know? Example Sentences Phrases Containing amok Learn More About amok

Did you know?

Print evidence of amok in English was first recorded in the 1600s, when the word was used as a noun meaning "murderous frenzy." Visitors to Southeast Asia had reported witnessing the suffering and effects of a psychiatric disorder known in Malay as amok. Typically, the afflicted person (usually a man) attacked bystanders in a frenzy, killing everyone in sight until he collapsed or was himself killed. By the end of the 17th century English speakers had adopted both the noun and adverb forms of amok, as well as the phrase "run amok," a translation of the Malay verb mengamok. The adverb, in time, has mitigated its violent nature; it usually describes the actions of the unruly and not the murderous.

Examples of amok in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb Billed as one of the world’s most acoustically perfect spaces, the new hall could be the biggest deal to hit downtown since Barney the bison escaped from Buffalo Bill’s touring show and ran amok on Orange Avenue. — Joy Wallace Dickinson, orlandosentinel.com, 30 Jan. 2022 Dallas’ offense ran amok on the Blazers, who were without their two lengthy, most athletic and best defenders. — oregonlive, 26 Jan. 2022 Sure, Toronto’s leading scorer ran amok in the first half, with the Spurs treating him like an anonymous undrafted schmo instead of, well, Toronto’s leading score. — Jeff Mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, 4 Jan. 2022 He’s the hairy-handed gent who ran amok in Kent in John Landis’ effects-laden 1981 horror comedy. — Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2021 The older game designer was now the uneasy parent, looking on as his children ran amok. — Neima Jahromi, The New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2021 Kyle Rittenhouse, the 18-year-old on trial in Kenosha, Wisconsin, for shooting three people and killing two of them, represents the epitome of White privilege in America run amok. — Peniel E. Joseph, CNN, 12 Nov. 2021 Still, those performances play almost like a parody of start-up wealth run amok, coming in the service of a so-so series. — Brian Lowry, CNN, 18 Mar. 2022 For Brands, covert action and flexibility are needed again to combat Russia and China lest America allow the enemies of freedom to run amok around the world. — Jordan Michael Smith, The New Republic, 10 Mar. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Wyatt Russell has been terrific as this avatar of male insecurity run wildly amok, but the script isn’t always doing him favors. — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amok.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for amok

Noun

borrowed from Malay amok

Adverb

derivative of amok entry 1

Adjective

derivative of amok entry 1

Learn More About amok

Listen to Our Podcast About amok

Dictionary Entries Near amok

amoeboid

amok

amoldering

Statistics for amok

Cite this Entry

“Amok.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amok. Accessed 4 May. 2022.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

More Definitions for amok

amok

adverb

variants: or amuck \ ə-ˈmək , -ˈmäk \

Kids Definition of amok

: in a wild or uncontrolled manner

Hint: This adverb is usually used in the phrase "run amok" or "run amuck."

amok

noun

\ ə-ˈmək

, -ˈmäk

variants: also amuck \ -ˈmək

Medical Definition of amok

: an episode of sudden mass assault against people or objects usually by a single individual following a period of brooding that has traditionally been regarded as occurring especially in Malaysian culture but is now increasingly viewed as psychopathological behavior occurring worldwide in numerous countries and cultures Amok is a condition in South Asian and Pacific Islander cultures when a person attacks and tries to kill others.— Christopher A. Kearney and Timothy J. Trull, Abnormal Psychology and Life … research suggests that amok can and does occur in other countries, such as Laos, the Philippines, Polynesia, Papua New Guinea, Puerto Rico, and even the United States. Certain acts of random violence (e.g., school shootings and office shootings) may actually be presentations of an American version of amok. — Michael Gomez, in Encyclopedia of Multicultural Psychology