freak

¹ American  

[freek] / frik /

noun

1. any abnormal phenomenon or product or unusual object; anomaly; aberration.

2. a person or animal on exhibition as an example of a strange deviation from nature.

3. a sudden and apparently causeless change or turn of events, the mind, etc.; an apparently capricious notion, occurrence, etc..

   That kind of sudden storm is a freak.

   Synonyms:

   crotchet, quirk, vagary

4. Numismatics. an imperfect coin, undetected at the mint and put into circulation.

5. Philately. a stamp differing from others of the same printing because of creases, dirty engraving plates, etc.

6. Slang.

   1. a person who has withdrawn from normal, rational behavior and activities to pursue one interest or obsession.

      a drug freak.

   2. a devoted fan or follower; enthusiast.

      a baseball freak.

   3. a hippie.

7. Archaic. capriciousness; whimsicality.

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adjective

1. unusual; odd; irregular.

   a freak epidemic.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to become or to make (someone) insane or out of control, as a result of being frightened, wildly excited, or high on drugs: The loud noise freaked the horses just as they were being loaded into trailers.

   Mom'll freak if she ever finds out we threw that party when she was out of town.

   The loud noise freaked the horses just as they were being loaded into trailers.

verb phrase

1. freak out see freakout.

freak ² American  

[freek] / frik /

verb (used with object)

1. to fleck, streak, or variegate.

   great splashes of color freaking the sky.

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noun

1. a fleck or streak of color.

freak ¹ British  

/ friːk /

noun

1. a person, animal, or plant that is abnormal or deformed; monstrosity

2. 1. an object, event, etc, that is abnormal or extremely unusual

   2. ( as modifier )

      a freak storm

3. a personal whim or caprice

4. informal a person who acts or dresses in a markedly unconventional or strange way

5. informal a person who is obsessed with something specified

   a jazz freak

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verb

1. See freak out

freak ² British  

/ friːk /

noun

1. a fleck or streak of colour

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verb

1. (tr) to streak with colour; variegate

Etymology

Origin of freak¹

First recorded in 1555–65; 1965–70 freak ¹ for def. 6; perhaps akin to Old English frīcian “to dance”

Origin of freak²

Apparently introduced by Milton in Lycidas (1637), perhaps as blend of freck to mark with spots (perhaps back formation from freckle ) and streak

Explanation

Freak is a not-so-nice noun that refers to either a person who expresses such an intense obsession with something that it resembles addiction, or a person or animal that is monstrous and deformed. Synonyms for freak, when used to describe something or something abnormal, include anomaly, chimera, misshape, and oddity. Weirdo is slang for freak, and regular is its antonym. People who ardently adore a particular type of music, like heavy metal, or who have many piercings or identify with a subculture, are often labeled freak. A freak occurrence, on the other hand, is not necessarily a bad thing, but connotes something irregular or unexpected. A freak of nature can lead to thunder-snow, and a freak accident can lead to, well, a missing ear or toe.

Example Sentences

England players will be advised not to jump over advertising hoardings after Jordan Henderson suffered a freak injury in the aftermath of their World Cup victory over Mexico.

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026

And that ability to just not freak out goes back to his dad and the non-confrontational approach to everything, just waiting it out.

From Salon • Jul. 5, 2026

“There’s an optics issue, and that is if you are driving down the road and see this massive truck next to you with no driver, you’re going to freak out,” Sperling said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2026

For younger ones, he’s a freak on Instagram.

From Slate • Jun. 18, 2026

It was the first time she’d cried since the army guy came to our house that day and said our pop was involved in a freak training accident and wasn’t able to make it through.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña

Related Words

• addict
• buff
• devotee
• enthusiast
• fanatic
• fiend
• maniac
• nut