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Synonyms

freak out

British  

verb

  1. informal to be or cause to be in a heightened emotional state, such as that of fear, anger, or excitement

"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
freak out Idioms  

  1. Experience or cause to experience hallucinations, paranoia, or other frightening feelings as a result of taking a mind-altering drug. For example, They were freaking out on LSD or some other drug . [ Slang ; mid-1960s]

  2. Behave or cause to behave irrationally and uncontrollably, with enthusiasm, excitement, fear, or madness. For example, The band's wild playing made the audience freak out , or It was such a close accident, it really freaked me out , or She freaked out and ended up in the psychiatric ward . [ Slang ; 1960s] Also see flip one's lid ; wig out .

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.

"If you were, like, 'There's turbulence up ahead, I don't know if we're actually going to land in Dallas'... everyone on the plane is going to freak out," she explains.

From BBC • Dec. 12, 2025

Sometimes, investors freak out when a company makes a deal.

From Barron's • Dec. 8, 2025

But as much as people freak out over Mamdani’s modest proposal of building a few government-run grocery stores, this conflict is not about policy.

From Salon • Nov. 3, 2025

“There’s a pumpkin that people freak out about, these things from Colorado, we call them ‘Phat Jacks’—the stems are super thick and grow all crazy,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 26, 2025

“I’m not trying to babysit you. Just making sure my parents don’t freak out again.”

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

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.