# freak out

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/freak-out
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. to lose composure

phrasal verb · CEFR B1 · Informal

to suddenly become very angry, scared, or shocked.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. to scare someone

phrasal verb · CEFR B1 · Informal

to make someone feel very shocked, scared, or uncomfortable.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. a bad experience

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

a time when you feel very scared or lose control because of a bad situation or drug.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- Don't freak out, but I lost your keys.
- The loud noise freaked out the cat, and it hid under the sofa for hours.
- Investors began to freak out as the market indices plummeted, leading to a wave of panic selling across the global exchanges.

## Usage notes

- 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.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.