run amuck

run amuck
run amok & run amuck
to go awry; to go bad; to turn bad; to go into a frenzy. (From a Malay word meaning to run wild in a violent frenzy.) •

Our plan ran amok.

He ran amuck early in the school year and never quite got back on the track.


Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • run amuck — not go smoothly, go haywire    We ran amuck when Gus joined the band. He can t play the tuba! …   English idioms

  • run amuck — Meaning Go wild. Origin The Malay word for attack fiercely is amok . One explanation of the phrase is that Malays sometimes got drunk and run around shouting amok, amok …   Meaning and origin of phrases

  • To run amuck — Amuck A*muck ([.a]*m[u^]k ), a. & adv. [Malay amoq furious.] In a frenzied and reckless manner. [1913 Webster] {To run amuck}, to rush out in a state of frenzy, as the Malays sometimes do under the influence of bhang, and attack every one that… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • run amuck — go wild; rush out in a state of madness or frenzy …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Amuck — A*muck ([.a]*m[u^]k ), a. & adv. [Malay amoq furious.] In a frenzied and reckless manner. [1913 Webster] {To run amuck}, 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 Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • run amok — When things or people are running amok, they are wild and out of control.( Run amuck is also used.)  …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • amuck — to run amuck …   Combinatory dictionary

  • amuck — amok, amuck The word is normally used in the phrase to run amok/amuck, meaning ‘to run about wildly in a violent rage’, and is an extension of a particular meaning in Malay anthropology • (Edward now wore the manic look of some animal transferred …   Modern English usage

  • amuck — /euh muk /, adv. 1. run or go amuck, a. to rush about in a murderous frenzy: The maniac ran amuck in the crowd, shooting at random. b. to rush about wildly; lose self control: When the nightclub caught fire the patrons ran amuck, blocking the… …   Universalium

  • amuck — a•muck [[t]əˈmʌk[/t]] adj. 1) mad with murderous frenzy 2) amok 1) 3) idi run or go amuck or amok a) to rush about in a murderous frenzy b) to go or rush about wildly; be out of control Idiom …   From formal English to slang

  • To run a muck — Muck Muck (m[u^]k), adv. abbreviation of Amuck. [1913 Webster] {To run a muck}. See {Amuck}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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