berserk 1 of 3

adverb

Definition of berserknext
as in frantically
in a confused and reckless manner the familiar scene in horror movies where everyone runs berserk as the monster destroys everything in sight

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

berserk

2 of 3

adjective

as in ballistic

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Dissimilar Words

berserk

3 of 3

noun

variants or berserker
as in cowboy

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of berserk
Adjective
This has unintended consequences when both Batel and Spock share a vision that sends Spock into a berserk rage. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 31 July 2025 But that was before Watkins suffered a season-ending ACL tear and before UConn star Paige Bueckers went absolutely berserk, scoring 40 in the Sweet 16. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2025
Noun
Peer in on the New York team making a medium-to-deep run in the playoffs as every New Yorker in your life goes berserk. — Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 16 May 2026 The crowd in Rio went berserk, and social media melted. — Bobby Ghosh, Time, 7 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for berserk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for berserk
  1. frantically
  2. ballistic
  3. cowboy
  4. wildly
  5. nuclear
  6. madman
  7. wild
  8. psychotic
Adverb
  • Once that became clear, Cashman pivoted to Stanton — hard and fast and perhaps even frantically — and made the big splash for the big man two weeks or so before Christmas.
    — Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 11 July 2026
  • In a darkly comedic twist, Beadie changes her mind after swallowing a lethal dose, and Jessa frantically calls the paramedics to save her life.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 7 July 2026
Definition of frantically
Adjective
  • The officer's ballistic vest stopped the bullet before returning fire and striking Wrightsell.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2026
  • The detective was struck in the back of his ballistic vest and was not seriously injured, Mamdani said.
    — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Definition of ballistic
Noun
  • Residents of Val Verde, a tiny town north of Los Angeles, claim Downtown LA Law Group used a cowboy recruiter to find plaintiffs for a lawsuit about a local landfill.
    — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
  • Back on the bus, Carlo lay on the faux leather benches, watching the FIFA World Cup and black-and-white cowboy movies.
    — Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 11 July 2026
Definition of cowboy
Adverb
  • As Egypt celebrated wildly, referee François Letexier went to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) screen to look at a foul that may have occurred in the buildup.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 7 July 2026
  • Marfan syndrome is particularly mysterious because members of a family who carry the same exact mutation can have wildly different health trajectories, Catherine Boileau, a geneticist at the French health research institution INSERM, told me.
    — Roxanne Khamsi, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Definition of wildly
Adjective
  • The talks are meant to focus on the toughest matters, including fully reopening the strait and rolling back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.
    — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • In Iran’s eyes this violates the MoU, which included provisions for reopening the strait, easing financial pressures on Iran and setting expectations for addressing Iran’s nuclear program.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 9 July 2026
Definition of nuclear
Noun
  • Ozzy was the madman up front, usually singing brooding lyrics written by Geezer.
    — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 17 June 2026
  • Verbinski’s latest, a genre-bending sci-fi that sees Sam Rockwell as a time-travelling madman recruiting help to save humanity from the threat of artificial intelligence, led the director to take a deep dive into new tools.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 13 June 2026
Definition of madman
Adverb
  • Two more runs scored in the fourth inning when Ohtani, Pages and Freeman strung together three consecutive two-out singles and Keller wild-pitched a run home.
    — Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 12 June 2026
  • First, like cucumbers, squash is a wild-growing vegetable that competes for garden space, according to Dilmore.
    — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 9 June 2026
Definition of wild
Adjective
  • Those diagnoses included schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic stress syndrome, major depressive disorder, and bipolar or related disorders.
    — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026
  • The defense argued that Bland had a psychotic episode due to a COVID infection.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026
Definition of psychotic

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Cite this Entry

“Berserk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/berserk. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on berserk

Nglish: Translation of berserk for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about berserk

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