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control freak

American  

  1. a person having a strong need for control over people or situations.

control freak British  

noun

  1. a person with an obsessive need to be in control of what is happening

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of control freak

1975–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"I can be a bit of a control freak, and I feel like as a traitor, it really is the best way to take control of the game," he said.

From BBC • Dec. 31, 2025

"Ben is a young kid, a control freak," said Amorim.

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2025

I used to be a control freak where everything needed to be perfect.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 30, 2025

Are you a risk taker or are you more of a control freak?

From Salon • Aug. 9, 2024

“Sounds like you know her well. What’s that about, anyway? She said she’s just a control freak, but...”

From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.