Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adverb In a frenzy to do violence or kill.
- adverb In or into a jumbled or confused state.
- adverb In or into an uncontrolled state or a state of extreme activity.
- adjective Crazed with murderous frenzy.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Literally, in a state of murderous frenzy; indiscriminately slaughtering or killing: a term used in the Eastern Archipelago.
- Hence — To proceed in a blind, headstrong manner, careless of consequences, which are most likely to be disastrous.
- [Sometimes written in two words, and treated as a noun with the indefinite article.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- In a frenzied and reckless manner.
- to rush out in a state of frenzy, as the Malays sometimes do under the influence of “bhang,” and attack every one that comes in the way; to assail recklessly and indiscriminately.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adverb In a
frantic orfrenzied andviolent manner; in aconfused ,jumbled oruncontrolled state.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective frenzied as if possessed by a demon
- adverb in a murderous frenzy
- adverb wildly; without self-control
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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I think they are counting on the press and the distracted public to see "partisanship" running amuck, which is how the Republicans have already positioned themselves for the '06 elections.
Hullabaloo 2005
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What "amuck" we've run since needs much more space than I have here.
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I fancied for awhile that one of their number must have run "amuck," and the rest meant to send him to slumber.
Campaign Pictures of the War in South Africa (1899-1900) Letters from the Front A. G. Hales
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Started amuck this morning, but didn't get very far.
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All we can do is to guard the coast and keep them from breaking back on the plantation and running amuck.
Chapter 22 2010
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The claims, filed in Delaware Chancery Court, allege that recent developments at News of the World in the U.K. demonstrate "a culture run amuck within News Corp. and a Board that provides no effective review or oversight."
Shareholder Suit Blasts News Corp Russell Adams 2011
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He has run amuck, harassing Latinos while generating lawsuits, investigations, and the ire of the Hispanic community.
Raul A. Reyes: "America's Toughest Sheriff" Is Not Above the Law Raul A. Reyes 2012
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Yes, even at 34 I like to run amuck naked …. in my apt.
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He has run amuck, harassing Latinos while generating lawsuits, investigations, and the ire of the Hispanic community.
Raul A. Reyes: "America's Toughest Sheriff" Is Not Above the Law Raul A. Reyes 2012
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I've half a mind to go back and run amuck, and settle for a few of them, the pigs!
stpeter commented on the word amuck
Getting stuck in the muck. Not to be confused with amok.
December 9, 2006
jennarenn commented on the word amuck
Mmmmmm, dictionary.com doesn't agree, and they know everything. ;)
February 19, 2007
yarb commented on the word amuck
Citation on crescentic.
July 25, 2008
johnmperry commented on the word amuck
Seems exactly the same as amok to me
July 25, 2008