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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.

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

From BBC • Nov. 7, 2025

A control freak, the 51-year-old has been described as 'charming', an 'incredible coach', but also 'divisive'.

From BBC • Oct. 15, 2024

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

From Salon • Aug. 9, 2024

“It was terrifying,” said Rewitzer, who described himself as having been a workaholic and control freak.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 11, 2024

This is what a control freak learns inside the compressed otherworld of college, maybe above all else: There are simply other ways of being.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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.