control freak

Informal.

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

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Origin of control freak

1975–80

Words nearby control freak

control chart, control column, control commands, control electrode, control experiment, control freak, control freakery, control grid, control group, Control key, controllable-pitch

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use control freak in a sentence

He’s the opposite of a control freak — a macro-manager who’s willing to let others make key decisions.
The Bucs are set to defend their title, with no drama and a more carefree Tom Brady|Eric Adelson|September 9, 2021|Washington Post
Yet tightly wound control freaks might be the ones who end up benefiting the most from the Taoist philosophy of wu wei.
The Joy Of Idle Living|Sohini Das Gupta|August 29, 2021|Ozy
Hollywood, arguably the most ego-filled industry in the world and run largely by control freaks, has been humbled—if only temporarily—by a public-health crisis it had no way of controlling.
The Vibe Will Be Different at This Year’s Oscars—and That’s a Good Thing|Stephanie Zacharek|April 21, 2021|Time
The traditionalists and control freaks make the NCAA’s less restrictive transfer policy seem so scary, such a violation of their right to be blissfully unconcerned.
NCAA’s transfer changes are good for athletes and challenging for coaches. Seems fair.|Jerry Brewer|April 16, 2021|Washington Post

Really, is it any wonder that fluoride should freak people out?
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
From there we took the train to Nice, France, but the French border control caught us and sent us back to Italy.
Ghost Ships of the Mediterranean|Barbie Latza Nadeau|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Spin control began, Florida-style: the opinion only covers some counties, some people, some times.
The Back Alley, Low Blow-Ridden Fight to Stop Gay Marriage in Florida Is Finally Over|Jay Michaelson|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He seemed by all appearances perfectly happy to let the Republicans control the state senate.
Mario Cuomo: An OK Governor, but a Far Better Person|Michael Tomasky|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The police cannot ultimately control public opinion unilaterally.
We Need Our Police to Be Better Than This|Nick Gillespie|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Solely over one man therein thou hast quite absolute control.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
In a few minutes, however, he had it again under control, and they soon reached the berg.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
A certain amount of his ill-humour vented, Tressan made an effort to regain his self-control.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
The nativesʼ anxiety to oust the Spaniards was far stronger than their wish to be under American, or indeed any foreign, control.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
The marvelous improvements in mechanism and tone production and control in 1886 to 1913 by Robt.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller

British Dictionary definitions for control freak

control freak

noun

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