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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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
  • Catatonia Sleep issues Suicidal thoughts or behaviors Pressured speech — speaking rapidly, frantically or without taking pauses to breathe or let someone else talk.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Immediately, speculation arose that Walter is frantically trying to raise cash to pay off all those loans from the insurance companies to his affiliate entity companies.
    — Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of frantically
Adjective
  • At this speed, the Fermi Explorer could reach Alpha Centauri within about 77,000 years, flying on a ballistic coast.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
  • As night falls, Koko busts out a military ballistic helmet with a night vision scope attached — crucial for picking up Flock cameras’ infrared flash.
    — Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of ballistic
Noun
  • Her father, William Preston Bowling, who plays the elderly cowboy with the oxygen tank, was with her.
    — Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • But Woody the cowboy doll and Buzz Lightyear the action figure are not among the group assembled here.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of cowboy
Adverb
  • Primetime will trace the origins of Hansen’s famed series To Catch a Predator, the wildly popular program that exposed alleged pedophiles by using hidden cameras to capture adults trying to meet underage teens in online chat rooms.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Hopefully that is not an omen for a wildly inflated price on the top models.
    — Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of wildly
Adjective
  • Antares is turning to Formula 1 technology for a key part of its nuclear microreactor system.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
  • In any event, there’s difficult-to-imitate value in how Planet of the Apes begins as a simple adventure film and winds up touching upon issues of prejudice, social inequality, and nuclear annihilation.
    — Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 2 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
  • Prosecutors, on the other hand, have attempted to prove that Clancy was not psychotic and that the killings were deliberate.
    — Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Mack testified last Friday and this past Monday that Clancy was not psychotic at the time of the killings and retained her capacity to understand right from wrong and control her behavior.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of psychotic

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berks
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berserkly
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Cite this Entry

“Berserk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/berserk. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on berserk

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about berserk

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