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Added 9 October 2026

amok

/əˈmɒk/ adjective

adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about amok at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Wildly frenzied and out of control.
the soldier was completely amuck

adverb

Wildly; without self-control.
when the restaurant caught fire the patrons ran amuck, blocking the exit
In a murderous frenzy.
rioters running amuck and throwing sticks and bottles and stones

Origin

Borrowed from Portuguese amouco, from Malay amuk (“to go on a killing spree”). The term first appeared in English around the 16th century, associated with the people of Malaysia and Java, first described in the 1516 text The Book of Duarte Barbosa, which was translated to English by Henry E. J. Stanley.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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