1. verb To suddenly express anger or excitement in a very visible way. Mom will freak out when she finds out we broke her vase!I totally freaked out when I heard we'd won tickets to the concert.Mary's gonna freak out when she hears she's a finalist for the promotion!
2. verb To startle or frighten someone. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "freak" and "out." The sight of that huge needle completely freaked me out.Don't let the dog in, or Al will freak out—he's always been terrified of dogs.I freaked out when my stupid brother jumped out of the closet to scare me.
3. verb To experience jarring and frightening side effects (such as hallucinations) due to drug use. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "freak" and "out." I swore off drugs because my last trip freaked me out so bad.Those hallucinations felt so real and terrifying! Whew, they really freaked me out.Freak out on that stuff enough times, and you'll never want to take anything like it ever again.
4. noun A bad experience while taking some mind-altering drug. In this usage, the phrase is often hyphenated or written as one word. I swore off drugs after my last freak-out.How can we calm this guy down? I don't know what he took, but he's definitely having a freakout.I hate having a freak-out when I'm just looking to escape reality for a bit.
5. noun A wild party. In this usage, the phrase is often hyphenated or written as one word. Someone in our class always throws a real freak-out at the end of the school year.We were having a freak-out, until one of the neighbors called the cops, and they broke everything up.Don't worry, Jeff scored some drugs for our freak-out tonight.
to become very angry or lose control of one's mind because of someone or something that has happened. I absolutely freaked out over the whole business!Don't freak out at me!
(on something) to lose control of one's mind because of something, usually a drug. She freaked out on the stuff she was smoking.She took some funny little pills and freaked out immediately.
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.
1. To lose control of one's emotions: I freaked out when I saw my low test score.
2. To cause someone to lose control of his or her emotions: The dentist really freaked me out with that needle. The rock band freaked out the crowd when they started letting audience members onstage.
1. in. to panic; to lose control. I was so frightened, I thought I would freak.
2. n. a bad drug experience; a psychotic reaction to the drug LSD. (Drugs. Usually freak-out or freakout.) Some of them get turned off to drugs by a really good freakout.
3. n. a wild party of any type; any exciting happening. (Usually freak-out or freakout.) There is a big freak-out at Freddy’s joint tonight.
4. n. a freaked (out) person. (Usually freak-out or freakout.) Some poor freak-out sat in the corner and rocked.
To be or cause to be out of control, in a state of fear, anger, or excitement, to lose one’s nerve. The term dates from the mid-1900s and became popular through the hippie movement of the 1960s. A 1966 rock album by the Mothers of Invention was entitled “Freak Out.”
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