amok

1 of 3

noun

ə-ˈmək  -ˈmäk 

variants or less commonly amuck

ə-ˈmək 

: 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.

Synonyms

Adverb

• berserk
• berserkly
• frantically
• frenetically
• frenziedly
• harum-scarum
• hectically
• helter-skelter
• madly
• pell-mell
• wild
• wildly

Examples of amok in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

America’s inability to build housing and energy and transportation infrastructure is a perfect example of what happens when regulation runs amok. —Adam A. Millsap, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

But no metro area appears to have quite as many fowl running amok as Greater Boston. —Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024

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

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

Phrases Containing amok

• run amok

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

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

amok

noun

ə-ˈmək  -ˈmäk 

variants also amuck

-ˈmək 

: 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