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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.

I think you’d freak out the good people of Bloomington.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

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

Ms Simms said Emily was agitated, shaky and started to freak out.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2025

She was not going to freak out about anything until she had all the facts.

From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

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.