freakout

[ freek-out ]

/ ˈfrikˌaʊt /

Slang.

Save This Word!

noun Also freak-out .

an act or instance of freaking out.

a person who freaks out.

verb phrase freak out

[freek out]. /ˌfrik ˈaʊt/.

to lose or cause to lose emotional control from extreme excitement, shock, fear, joy, despair, etc.: Seeing the dead body completely freaked him out.

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.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of freakout

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

Words nearby freakout

FRCVS, freak, freaking, freakish, freak of nature, freakout, freak show, freaky, Fréchet, Fréchette, freckle

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

How to use freakout in a sentence

Last week I raised a silent, guilty glass to icons-old when I saw Solange Knowles and her elevator freakout.
Streisand’s Gay Sex Problem, and the Death of the Gay Icon|Tim Teeman|May 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But that overlooks the real breaking news surrounding the Robertson freakout.
Duck! Reality TV Returns Us to the Dark Age of Tribal Warfare|James Poulos|December 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
If the freakout is contained within the cable-news echo chamber, we will all be better off.
Five Things You Need to Know About the Health-Care Exchange Rollout|William O’Connor|October 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“There is complete freakout mode at the agency right now,” one former intelligence officer tells The Daily Beast.
Inside the ‘Q Group,’ the Directorate Hunting Down Edward Snowden|Eli Lake|June 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST

If you wanted create a scandal to have maximal appeal to GOP base freakout, this is it.
Why the IRS Scandal Matters|Justin Green|May 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for freakout

freak out

verb (adverb)

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with freakout

freak out

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]

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.