Phrasal verb
freak out
Definitions
01to lose composure
phr.v. to suddenly become very angry, scared, or shocked.
phr.v. to react with extreme emotional intensity, losing one's composure due to fear, anger, or surprise. Intransitive in this sense.
“I totally freaked out when I saw the huge spider in the bathtub.”
“He tended to freak out whenever the server crashed, even if the data loss was minimal and easily recoverable.”
Informal
02to scare someone
phr.v. to make someone feel very shocked, scared, or uncomfortable.
phr.v. to cause someone to experience a sudden feeling of shock, fear, or intense unease. Transitive — takes a direct object.
“That horror movie really freaked me out for a few days.”
“The sudden change in the contract's terms freaked out the investors, leading to a sharp decline in the company's stock price.”
Informal
03a bad experience
n. a time when you feel very scared or lose control because of a bad situation or drug.
n. an instance of extreme emotional distress or irrational behaviour, historically associated with negative psychedelic experiences.
“He had a major freak out after he lost his passport at the airport.”
“The patient suffered a severe freak out during the procedure, requiring the medical staff to administer a sedative immediately.”
Informal · Slang
Synonyms
Teaching tip
contrast with 'panic' to show that 'freak out' often implies a more visible or dramatic loss of control; it is a high-frequency item in pop culture and media.
Etymology
From freak + out. Countercultural slang, originally referring to a positive reaction or experience from the use of a psychotropic, usually a hallucinogenic or psychedelic drug. First use appears c. 1966 in several newspapers, particularly in the Independent (Long Beach, California).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
freak + out (+ object)
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/freak-out