have a stroke

have a stroke

1. To experience a sudden lack of blood flow to a part of the brain, resulting in a loss of brain function. Do the doctors think he had a stroke? My grandmother has struggled to move her left arm ever since she had a stroke. All of a sudden, John is just so disoriented. Did he hit his head? Could he have a stroke?

2. slang To become very or unreasonably angry or upset; to have an outburst of rage, frustration, or ill temper. Potentially offensive. My mom's going to have a stroke when she sees what happened to the car! Hey, we can fix this mistake—don't have a stroke over it. Oh man, the boss is gonna have a stroke when he finds out there's a massive error in this month's issue.

See also: have, stroke

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

have a stroke

to experience sudden unconsciousness or paralysis due to an interruption in the blood supply to the brain. (Also used as an exaggeration. See the last example.) The patient who received an artificial heart had a stroke two days after the operation. My great-uncle Bill—who is very old—had a stroke last May. Calm down, Bob. Don't have a stroke over a silly mistake.

See also: have, stroke

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.