freakout

[freek-out]

noun

1. an act or instance of freaking out.

2. a person who freaks out.

verb phrase

1. to lose or cause to lose emotional control from extreme excitement, shock, fear, joy, despair, etc..

   Seeing the dead body completely freaked him out.

2. to enter into or cause a period of irrational behavior or emotional instability, especially under the influence of a drug.

   to be freaked out on LSD.

Word History and Origins

Origin of freakout¹

First recorded in 1965–70; noun use of verb phrase freak out (in the sense “to lose one's emotional control”

Example Sentences

A What’s Wrong With the Eagles freakout is a Philadelphia staple, even in the plentiful years.

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The 46th president practically had to be bludgeoned into standing aside after the Democratic freakout over his wretched, career-ending debate performance.

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His college debt forgiveness plan, or flirtations with a minimum wage hike—both resulting in a wild-eyed freakout from conservatives and moderates alike—gestured toward a badly needed redefinition of Democratic politics.

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In the process, his tactics have sparked a rule change from FIDE, instant backlash to the change, and sent the chess world into a full-blown freakout.

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The Go-Go’s Kathy Valentine shows up as a random hippie girl looking for Dennis Hopper’s house at the start of “Freakout at the Mud Palace.”

Read more on Salon