まくる

まくる is a suffix attached to the stem of a verb to express doing that action over and over again, relentlessly, or to an extreme degree. It conveys a sense of intensity, enthusiasm, or sheer volume – the speaker (or subject) just keeps doing the action non-stop, often with abandon. It is colloquial and vivid, common in casual speech and writing.

Formation

Attach まくる to the masu-stem (連用形) of a verb:

• たべる食べる → 食べ → 食べまくる - のむ飲む → 飲み → 飲みまくる - はしる走る → 走り → 走りまくる - かう買う → 買い → 買いまくる - する → し → しまくる

Since まくる is itself a godan (五段) verb ending in る, it conjugates normally: まくった (past), まくっている (ongoing), まくらない (negative), etc.

Usage and Nuance

まくる emphasizes that the action is done repeatedly, in large quantities, or with great intensity. It often carries a sense of being unstoppable or out of control.

It can describe both positive and negative situations. When someone is on a winning streak, losing streak, or just doing something excessively:

Formality

まくる is inherently casual and emphatic. It is most natural in informal conversation, blogs, social media, and casual writing. It would sound out of place in formal business settings or polite speech, though you may occasionally see まくっています in semi-casual polite contexts.

Comparison with ～続ける

While 〜～つづける続ける (つづける) simply means "to continue doing" in a neutral way, まくる adds a strong nuance of intensity, excess, or relentlessness. Compare: