# freak

/ˈfɹik/ (US) · /fɹˈiːk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/freak
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. an unusual person

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a person who looks or behaves in a very strange way.

For teachers: a person who is markedly unusual in appearance or social behaviour; often used as a derogatory label for an outsider.

- He felt like a freak because he didn't like the same music as his friends.
- In high school, anyone who didn't conform to the popular social norms was quickly labelled a freak by the dominant social groups.

### 2. an enthusiast

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

someone who is extremely interested in or obsessed with a specific thing.

For teachers: an enthusiast or person who possesses an obsessive interest in or extreme knowledge of a particular subject.

- My brother is a total fitness freak who spends every morning at the gym.
- As a self-proclaimed control freak, the manager insisted on reviewing every single email before it was sent to the client.

### 3. to panic or lose control

verb · CEFR B2 · Slang · Informal

to suddenly become very angry, scared, or excited.

For teachers: to experience or cause a sudden, extreme emotional reaction, typically involving distress or loss of composure.

- Don't freak out, but I think I lost the car keys.
- The witness began to freak out under the pressure of the cross-examination, eventually contradicting her earlier testimony.

Usage: Often used with the particle 'out'.

### 4. very unusual or accidental

adjective · CEFR B2

something very strange or unlikely that happens by chance.

For teachers: describing an event that is highly unusual, unexpected, or seemingly random.

- The match was cancelled after a freak storm flooded the entire field.
- The investigators concluded that the crash was a freak accident caused by a simultaneous failure of three independent backup systems.

## Examples

- He is a total fitness freak who spends hours at the gym.
- The sudden snowstorm in the middle of July was described by meteorologists as a freak of nature.
- While some viewed his encyclopedic knowledge of train schedules as the mark of a mere hobbyist, others considered him a dedicated freak for the minutiae of railway history.

---

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.