freak out
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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, particulary in the Independent (Long Beach, California).
Pronunciation
Audio (General Australian): (file)
Noun
freak out (plural freak outs)
- (dated slang) A negative or unpleasant experience with LSD or another psychedelic drug.
Verb
freak out (third-person singular simple present freaks out, present participle freaking out, simple past and past participle freaked out)
- (informal, intransitive) To react with extreme anger or fear, to the extent that one loses one's composure or behaves irrationally.
- Synonyms: set one's hair on fire, flip out, flip shit, flip one's shit
- Antonym: bum out
- When Peter saw the nail poking up through his foot, he freaked out and started hyperventilating.
- 1991, Callie Khouri, Thelma & Louise:
- Jimmy'll come in off the road, you won't be there, he'll freak out and call you a hundred thousand times...
- (informal, transitive) To scare or unnerve someone.
- Don't take off your shirt when working behind the counter. You'll freak the customers out.
- 2012 June 3, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Mr. Plow” (season 4, episode 9; originally aired 11/19/1992)”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):
- Even the blithely unselfconscious Homer is more than a little freaked out by West’s private reverie, and encourages his spawn to move slowly away without making eye contact with the crazy man.
- (informal, intransitive) To be upset or nervous; to be scared or unnerved.
- (informal, intransitive) To adopt an unconventional (especially countercultural) persona or appearance.
- 1990, Wayne Jancik, The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders, →ISBN, page 213:
- Formed in the heart of the British Invasion in 1964 as the Nevadas, the Jacks decided to freak out and grow their hair long.
Descendants
- >? Portuguese: fricote
Translations
react with anger or fear
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scare someone
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