# geek out

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/geek-out
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to talk or act with a lot of excitement about a specific topic you love, like technology, movies, or science.

For teachers: to behave in an enthusiastic or obsessive manner about a niche subject; often involves discussing technical details that others might find obscure.

## Examples

- We spent the whole night geeking out over the new space photos.
- Whenever the two of them get together, they geek out about vintage comic books for hours.
- It was refreshing to see the professor geek out over the discovery of a minor grammatical anomaly in the medieval manuscript.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He was geeking out the new software." but "He was geeking out over the new software." — this phrasal verb requires a preposition like 'over' or 'about' before the object.

## Usage notes

- usually followed by the preposition 'over' or 'about' to indicate the subject of interest.
- Teaching tip: point out that while 'geek' was once an insult, 'geek out' is now often used with pride to show deep passion for a hobby.

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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.