amok

1 of 3

noun

variants or less commonly amuck
: 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

2 of 3

adverb

variants or less commonly amuck
1
: in a violently raging, wild, or uncontrolled manner
used in the phrase run amok
rioters running amok in the streets
Conditions had allowed extremism to run amok.
2
: in a murderously frenzied state

amok

3 of 3

adjective

variants or less commonly amuck
: possessed with or motivated by a murderous or violently uncontrollable frenzy

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
Democrats’ anxiety runs amok Over the past week, Democrats seem to have indulged in a coast-to-coast freakout over Vice President Kamala Harris’ chances in the presidential race. David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2024 Depending on the film, the beast could be a product of a butchered experiment, a mutant manifestation of Mother Nature run amok, a folkloric nightmare come to life, or something that's beyond all classification. Katie Rife, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2024 Chelsea Handler had a pill mix-up while traveling with her late dog, Chunk — which resulted in him running amok in an airplane cabin. Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024 Winnifred, Sarah, and Mary come back from the dead on Halloween to run amok in Salem and only Max, his sister Dani, and his crush Allison can stop them. Kara Nesvig, Parents, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for amok 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'amok.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Malay amok

Adverb

derivative of amok entry 1

Adjective

derivative of amok entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1665, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1944, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of amok was in 1665

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near amok

Cite this Entry

“Amok.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amok. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

amok

adverb
ə-ˈmək,
-ˈmäk
variants or amuck
ə-ˈmək
1
: in a violently excited state
run amok
2
: in an undisciplined, uncontrolled, or faulty manner
paper shredded by a copier run amok

Medical Definition

variants also amuck
: 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
amok adjective or adverb
also amuck

More from Merriam-Webster on amok

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!