go berserk

idiomatic phrase

1
: to become very angry and often violent
… the driver went berserk and started punching him when he told him they had called police.Rob Parascandola et al.
On one ski run, a teenage snowboarder nearly creamed a little girl, and [retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general Robin] Olds went berserk. The snowboarder took off with that old dogfighter hot on his tail …Ralph F. Wetterhahn
2
: to become very excited
The crowd was going berserk as the team scored with seconds to go.
My first day ashore at Hanna Point, I went berserk taking pictures of the chinstrap penguins.Vera Spooner

Examples of go berserk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
When the Eva goes berserk, it’s revealed to have gnashing white teeth, a jawline that its armor previously hid and muzzled. Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024 As the Beautiful Freaks quintet goes berserk, one guitarist rubbing her instrument neck across front-row faithful to muster true fan-feedback, mid-yard a woman opens wings of electric light. Matt Thompson, SPIN, 18 Oct. 2024 When a dark van pulled up and Charli popped out, the 400 or so people crammed up the slope around the BRAT structure went berserk. Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 11 Oct. 2024 The story was loosely translated into a 2023 horror movie in which the bear went berserk. Rachel Pannett, Washington Post, 24 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for go berserk 

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of go berserk was in 1869

Dictionary Entries Near go berserk

Cite this Entry

“Go berserk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/go%20berserk. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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