# postal

/ˈpoʊstəɫ/ (US) · /pˈəʊstəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/postal
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. related to mail

adjective · CEFR B1

relating to the system of sending and delivering letters and packages.

For teachers: relating to the collection, sorting, and delivery of mail by a national or commercial service.

- The postal service is usually slower during the busy holiday season.
- The government introduced new postal regulations to standardise the dimensions of international parcels and reduce sorting errors.

Usage: Usually placed before a noun.

### 2. extremely angry

adjective · CEFR C1 · American English · Slang · Informal

becoming suddenly and violently angry, especially at work.

For teachers: becoming uncontrollably or violently angry; often used in the phrase 'go postal'.

- He almost went postal when he found out his car had been towed.
- The manager was worried that the constant overtime and lack of support would cause one of the stressed employees to go postal.

Usage: Almost exclusively used with the verb 'go'.

Teaching tip: This term originated from high-profile incidents of workplace violence at US post offices in the 1980s; it is very informal and can be sensitive.

## Examples

- He went postal when he saw the damage to his car.
- The manager was afraid that if he fired the employee without a witness, the man might go postal.

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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.