berserk

ber·serk  (br-sûrk, -zûrk, b-)

adj.

1. Destructively or frenetically violent: a berserk worker who started smashing all the windows.

2. Mentally or emotionally upset; deranged: berserk with grief.

3. Informal Unrestrained, as with enthusiasm or appetite; wild: berserk over chocolates.

n.

1. One that is violent, upset, or unrestrained.

2. A berserker.

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[Back-formation from berserker.]

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ber·serk adv.

ber·serkly adv.

Word History: When we say that we are going berserk, we may not realize how extreme a state this might be. Our adjective comes from the noun berserker, or berserk, which is from the Old Norse word berserkr, "a wild warrior or champion." Such warriors wore hides of bears, which explains the probable origin of berserkr as a compound of *bera, "bear," and serkr, "shirt, coat." These berserkers became frenzied in battle, howling like animals, foaming at the mouth, and biting the edges of their iron shields. Berserker is first recorded in English in the early 19th century, long after these wild warriors ceased to exist.

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berserk [bəˈzɜːk -ˈsɜːk]

adj

frenziedly violent or destructive (esp in the phrase go berserk)

n

(Myth & Legend / Norse Myth & Legend) Also called berserker a member of a class of ancient Norse warriors who worked themselves into a frenzy before battle and fought with insane fury and courage

[Icelandic berserkr, from björn bear + serkr shirt]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	berserk - one of the ancient Norse warriors legendary for working themselves into a frenzy before a battle and fighting with reckless savagery and insane fury berserker Norse, Northman, Scandinavian - an inhabitant of Scandinavia
Adj.	1.	berserk - frenzied as if possessed by a demon; "the soldier was completely amuck"; "berserk with grief"; "a berserk worker smashing windows" amok, amuck, demoniac, demoniacal, possessed insane - afflicted with or characteristic of mental derangement; "was declared insane"; "insane laughter"

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berserk

adjective crazy, wild, mad, frantic, ape (slang), insane, apeshit (slang) When I saw him I went berserk.

Translations

berserk [bəˈsɜːk] ADJ → desquiciado
to drive sb berserk → desquiciar a algn
to go berserk → perder los estribos, ponerse hecho una furia

berserk [bə^rˈzɜː^rk bə^rˈsɜː^rk] adj [person, outburst] → fou* furieux*(folle)/euse
to go berserk (= become furious) → devenir fou furieux
She went berserk → Elle est devenue folle furieuse. (= go crazy) → se déchaîner

berserk

adj → wild; to go berserk → wild werden; (audience) → aus dem Häuschen geraten (inf), → zu toben anfangen; (= go mad) → überschnappen (inf), → verrückt werden

berserk [bəˈsɜːk] adj to go berserk → dare in escandescenze; (with anger) → andare or montare su tutte le furie