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
  • The roommate approached the Lyft car as the driver frantically tried to drive away, according to the lawsuit.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Upstairs in the club’s offices in Soho, central London, Palace’s hierarchy, recruitment team, secretaries and other staff worked frantically under pressure as the 11pm deadline ticked ever closer.
    — Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of frantically
Adjective
  • Five people were killed and 25 others were wounded in the attack, which involved ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, according to the Ukrainian Interior Minister Ivan Vyhivskyi.
    — Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Clad with ballistic-resistant plate carriers, the deputies surrounded Martinez’s truck, drawing their guns and forcing him into cuffs.
    — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of ballistic
Noun
  • For a Western vibe Get a bit of cowboy cool with picks from Wrangler, Tecovas and more while shopping for Labor Day deals.
    — Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Live actors would appear throughout, sometimes as gangsters in a noir crime movie, and sometimes as Wild West cowboys.
    — Julie Tremaine, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of cowboy
Adverb
  • In 2024, a gunman jumped a barricade during the parade and wildly opened fire, wounding a 16-year-old gang rival and striking four others, killing a 25-year-old man.
    — John Annese, New York Daily News, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The Twilight alum went on to praise Hansen’s pivotal role on the wildly popular program, which exposed alleged pedophiles by using hidden cameras to capture adults trying to meet underage teens in online chat rooms.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of wildly
Adjective
  • Western officials suspect that the traces could provide evidence that Iran had a secret nuclear weapons program until 2003.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Modern nuclear submarines can produce fresh water from seawater, using onboard distillation systems.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of nuclear
Noun
  • Either Republicans will retain control of Congress, or enough Democrats (one hopes) will prevail so Congress can reclaim its authority over a madman executive.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Many writers travelled to Jonestown to survey the shambles and determine whether this was a utopian experiment gone astray or a madman’s fever dream destined to fail.
    — Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 14 July 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
  • Her defense, however, argued that Clancy killed her children after suffering a postpartum psychotic break.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The defense would have benefitted from calling a specialist in postpartum mood disorders to explain how easily psychotic symptoms can be missed in high-functioning new mothers.
    — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 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 11 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on berserk

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about berserk

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