What does amuck mean?
Amuck means in a frenzied, uncontrolled, and potentially destructive manner. It is used almost entirely within the set phrase 'run amuck' (or 'go amuck'), which describes a person, animal, group, or even a system acting wildly and without restraint — a bull loose in a street, a mob out of control, or a computer program executing chaotic commands. The word entered English in the early seventeenth century from the Malay 'amok', a term European traders and sailors encountered in Southeast Asia to describe a rare episode of sudden, indiscriminate violence. Over time the English phrase broadened from this literal, violent sense to a largely figurative one: today we might say stock prices ran amuck or that weeds have run amuck in a garden, implying disorder rather than danger. Because of this range, 'run amuck' works equally well in serious journalism and light-hearted commentary. The variant spelling 'amok', closer to the original Malay, has become the more common form in modern print, but the two are interchangeable in meaning and pronunciation.
In a frenzied, wildly uncontrolled, and often violent manner.
"The startled horses broke loose and ran amuck through the fairground."
Virtually confined to the expressions 'run amuck' and 'go amuck'; rarely used independently.
A state of murderous frenzy, originally as described among Malays (historical use).
"Early travel writers described amuck as a sudden frenzy in which a man attacked all whom he met."
Largely historical and anthropological; the noun sense survives mainly in older texts.
'Run amuck' comes straight from the Malay word 'amok' — a term Western sailors brought home in the 1600s after encountering a rare, frenzied state they had never seen before.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of amuck
Amuck derives from the Malay word 'amok' (pronounced roughly ah-MOHK), meaning a state of frenzied, indiscriminate violence. The term entered English in the early seventeenth century through the accounts of European traders and travelers in the East Indies, who described episodes of what came to be called 'running amok.' The anglicized spelling 'amuck' arose by folk association with native English words ending in '-uck' such as 'buck' and 'duck'. Its closest relative in English is the variant spelling 'amok', which preserves the original Malay form and is now the more frequently used of the two.
Related word forms
How amuck is actually used
Almost exclusively used in the fixed phrases 'run amuck' or 'go amuck'; standalone adverbial use is rare. The spelling 'amok' is now more common than 'amuck' in both British and American usage. Though the phrase originally connoted violent frenzy, modern figurative use is often mild, describing anything behaving chaotically — markets, machines, or toddlers.
Easily confused with amuck
Amok is simply the more common variant spelling of the same word, borrowed directly from Malay; 'amuck' carries an identical meaning.