freak out

Meaning

Noun

A negative or unpleasant experience with LSD or another psychedelic drug.

Verb

1. (informal, intransitive) To react with extreme anger or fear, to the extent that one loses one's composure or behaves irrationally.
2. (informal, transitive) To scare or unnerve someone.
3. (informal, intransitive) To be upset or nervous; to be scared or unnerved.
4. (informal, intransitive) To adopt an unconventional (especially countercultural) persona or appearance.

Opposite of

bummer, bum trip, bum out

Synonyms

hallucination

flip out

freak

disorientation

flip

gross out

snap

go ballistic

go postal

go crazy

crack up

delusion

blow up

go haywire

panic

Translations

paniquer

ausflippen

flipper

durchdrehen

s'affoler

péter les plombs

broyer

disjoncter

ratllar-se

piler

ausrasten

dérailler

craquer

déjanter

moldre

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, particularly in the Independent (Long Beach, California).