freak

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control freak

Someone who has an obsessive or compulsive need to control every aspect of a situation or the ways in which others act. My father can be such a control freak sometimes, always dictating how I should be living my life. Janice is a real control freak—she wouldn't even let me help her vacuum the carpet! You're such a control freak—can't you just let me plan things for once?

eagle freak

A derogatory term for an ardent environmentalist. Is anyone surprised that those eagle freaks in my neighborhood have taken up composting? I didn't spend my life building this company just to see my daughter marry some liberal eagle freak who's trying to get us shut down! Of course the eagle freaks are opposed to the proposed oil drilling, but they're ignoring how many jobs it will provide to people in the region.

eco-freak

A derogatory term for someone who is passionate about environmental issues. Is anyone surprised that those eco-freaks in my neighborhood have taken up composting? I didn't spend my life building this company just to see my daughter marry some liberal eco-freak who's trying to get us shut down! Of course the eco-freaks are opposed to the proposed oil drilling, but they're ignoring how many jobs it will provide to people in the region.

fly (one's) freak flag

slang To behave in or embrace an unusual, unconventional, or uninhibited manner or mode of being. My parents are rather conservative, so it's liberating to be in college where I can fly the freak flag without worrying about their reprisals. My favorite music tends to come from artists who aren't afraid to fly their freak flags a bit. My high school literature teacher taught me to always be true to myself and to fly my freak flag proudly.

freak

slang

1. verb To suddenly express anger or excitement in a very visible way. Mom will freak when she finds out we broke her vase! I totally freaked when I heard we'd won tickets to the concert. Mary's gonna freak when she hears she's a finalist for the promotion!

2. verb To be startled or frightened. I completely freaked at the sight of that huge needle. Don't let the dog in, or Al will freak—he's always been terrified of dogs. I freaked when my stupid brother jumped out of the closet to scare me.

3. noun A person or thing considered highly irregular, unconventional, or bizarre. Can be derogatory when used to describe a person. In this city, you can be a freak and not worry about people staring at you all the time. Look at that freak! Have you ever seen a bug like that? Dude, you need to stop hanging out with the freaks. What a bunch of weirdos.

4. noun A person who is very sexually uninhibited. I've heard she's a real freak in bed. I knew it! It's always the nerdy librarian types that are freaks in the sheets! What's wrong with being a little more, um, traditional in the bedroom? Does everyone have to be a freak?

5. An interjection used as a more mild version of "fuck." Freak! Where did I put my keys? What the freak happened in here? It's an absolute mess! A: "Hey, do these cookies taste kind of weird to you?" B: "Yup. Freak, I must have messed up the recipe."

freak flag

Any unconventional, nonconformist, or uninhibited behavior, convictions, opinions, or lifestyle choices that are unique to an individual. My high school literature teacher taught me to always be true to myself and to wear my freak flag proudly. My parents are rather conservative, so it's liberating to be in college where I can fly the freak flag without worrying about their reprisals. My favorite music tends to come from artists who aren't afraid to fly their freak flags a bit.

freak of nature

Something or someone that is unusual, rare, or abnormal in some way; beyond or outside the natural world. The goat they have at the circus sideshow is a real freak of nature, it was born with two heads! He can lift over 500 pounds in the gym, he's like some freak of nature. Have you heard about this prospect? Kid's a freak of nature, and they expect him to be a generational talent in the big leagues.

freak out

slang

1. verb To suddenly express anger or excitement in a very visible way. Mom will freak out when she finds out we broke her vase! I totally freaked out when I heard we'd won tickets to the concert. Mary's gonna freak out when she hears she's a finalist for the promotion!

2. verb To startle or frighten someone. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "freak" and "out." The sight of that huge needle completely freaked me out. Don't let the dog in, or Al will freak out—he's always been terrified of dogs. I freaked out when my stupid brother jumped out of the closet to scare me.

3. verb To experience jarring and frightening side effects (such as hallucinations) due to drug use. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "freak" and "out." I swore off drugs because my last trip freaked me out so bad. Those hallucinations felt so real and terrifying! Whew, they really freaked me out. Freak out on that stuff enough times, and you'll never want to take anything like it ever again.

4. noun A bad experience while taking some mind-altering drug. In this usage, the phrase is often hyphenated or written as one word. I swore off drugs after my last freak-out. How can we calm this guy down? I don't know what he took, but he's definitely having a freakout. I hate having a freak-out when I'm just looking to escape reality for a bit.

5. noun A wild party. In this usage, the phrase is often hyphenated or written as one word. Someone in our class always throws a real freak-out at the end of the school year. We were having a freak-out, until one of the neighbors called the cops, and they broke everything up. Don't worry, Jeff scored some drugs for our freak-out tonight.

See also: freak, out

freak out at (one)

slang To direct sudden and intense anger at one. Mom will freak out at us when she finds out we broke her vase! Hey, don't freak out at me—I'm not the one who messed this up! If you guys don't stop talking during class, Mrs. Smith is gonna freak out at us again!

See also: freak, out

freak out over (something)

slang To express sudden and intense anger or excitement in a very visible way for a particular reason. Mom will freak out over the broken vase for sure! I totally freaked out over the news that we'd won tickets to the concert. Mary's gonna freak out over being a finalist for the promotion!

garbage freak

slang A drug addict willing to take any drug. Of course she took those drugs—she's a garbage freak, she'll take anything! No, I never thought I'd do heroin, but once you become a garbage freak, you're always chasing that next high. Nothing's off limits anymore. A: "I can't believe he hit that meth pipe." B: "He's a garbage freak these days, I'm sorry to say."

get (one's) freak on

slang Primarily heard in US.

1. To have sex. I can always hear my neighbors getting their freak on next door—it's so embarrassing! Kelly left the bar with Brad last night? Hmm, think they got their freak on?

2. To dance, especially in a wild, crazy, or uninhibited manner. Come on everybody, get out on the dance floor and get your freak on! A: "Look at Aunt Mabel on the dance floor!" B: "Wow, she is really getting her freak on! She must have had more than a few drinks during the cocktail hour." Dad will definitely get his freak on if we can get the DJ to play some disco music.

3. To party, especially in a wild, crazy, or uninhibited manner. I can't wait for your house party this weekend—I really need to get my freak on! I wasn't out there getting my freak on in high school. No way, I was a shy nerd—I don't think I went to even one party! You two better not get your freak on while your father and I are out of town for the weekend. Our absence is not an invitation to throw a party!

4. To act or behave in a wild, crazy, or uninhibited manner. Jeff really got his freak on last night after a few too many beers. Will is known to get his freak on, so keep an eye on him. Last time we went out, he ran naked across the quad on a dare. Every time they go out drinking, they end up getting their freak on. So we'll definitely hear some crazy stories tomorrow!

juice freak

1. dated slang Someone who drinks alcohol but refuses to do other recreational drugs. Don't bother offering any reefer to Marty. He's a juice freak.

2. dated slang A heavy drinker or alcoholic. The poor guy has been a juice freak ever since he lost his job. I turned into a bit of a juice freak after college as I struggled to find my way in the world, but I got my drinking under control after meeting Sarah.

3. slang A bodybuilder who uses anabolic steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs regularly or excessively. ("Juice" and "juicing" are slang terms often used in reference to steroids.) You could tell he was a juice freak from his grotesquely muscular physique. At first, I only juiced once in a while to give my workout a bit of a boost, but by the end of the year I was a total juice freak. The athlete was suspected of being a juice freak for most of his career.

pill freak

slang Someone who frequently or habitually uses or abuses drugs prepared as pills or capsules. She started getting hooked on the pain pills her doctor prescribed, and before long she had become a full-blown pill freak. I knew a couple of pill freaks in college who were always doing speed or ecstasy.

pillhead

slang Someone who frequently or habitually uses or abuses drugs prepared as pills or capsules. She started getting hooked on the pain pills her doctor prescribed, and before long she had become a full-blown pillhead. I knew a couple of pillheads in college who were always doing speed or ecstasy.

speed freak

A drug user who abuses or is addicted to an amphetamine, especially methamphetamine (also known as "speed"). This state is a thoroughfare for methamphetamine to the rest of the country, so it's little wonder that there are so many speed freaks here.

freak out

(at someone or something) Go to freak out (over someone or something).

See also: freak, out

freak out

(on something) to lose control of one's mind because of something, usually a drug. She freaked out on the stuff she was smoking. She took some funny little pills and freaked out immediately.

See also: freak, out

freak out (over someone or something)

and freak out (at someone or something)

to become very angry or lose control of one's mind because of someone or something that has happened. I absolutely freaked out over the whole business! Don't freak out at me!

See also: freak, out

freak someone out

to shock or disorient someone. The whole business freaked me out. I didn't mean to freak out everybody with the bad news.

See also: freak, out

freaked (out)

1. shocked; disoriented. (Sometimes used of the effects of drugs or alcohol.) I was too freaked out to reply. Man, was I freaked.

2. tired out; exhausted. I'm too freaked out to go on without some rest. The chick is really freaked. Let her rest.

freak out

1. Experience or cause to experience hallucinations, paranoia, or other frightening feelings as a result of taking a mind-altering drug. For example, They were freaking out on LSD or some other drug. [Slang; mid-1960s]

2. Behave or cause to behave irrationally and uncontrollably, with enthusiasm, excitement, fear, or madness. For example, The band's wild playing made the audience freak out, or It was such a close accident, it really freaked me out, or She freaked out and ended up in the psychiatric ward. [Slang; 1960s] Also see flip one's lid; wig out.

See also: freak, out

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

freak out

v. Slang

1. To lose control of one's emotions: I freaked out when I saw my low test score.

2. To cause someone to lose control of his or her emotions: The dentist really freaked me out with that needle. The rock band freaked out the crowd when they started letting audience members onstage.

See also: freak, out

eagle freak

n. someone with strong concerns about the environment and conservation, especially the preservation of the eagle. (A play on eco freak.) The eagle freaks oppose building the dam.

eco freak

and eco nut (ˈiko frik and ˈiko nət)

n. someone with strong concerns about the environment and conservation. (Mildly derogatory. From ecology.) They call me an eco freak, which is okay by me. The eco freaks are protesting the tree trimming.

freak mommy

n. a good-looking female. Sally is such a freak mommy. My eyes just water!

freak (out)

1. in. to panic; to lose control. I was so frightened, I thought I would freak.

2. n. a bad drug experience; a psychotic reaction to the drug LSD. (Drugs. Usually freak-out or freakout.) Some of them get turned off to drugs by a really good freakout.

3. n. a wild party of any type; any exciting happening. (Usually freak-out or freakout.) There is a big freak-out at Freddy’s joint tonight.

4. n. a freaked (out) person. (Usually freak-out or freakout.) Some poor freak-out sat in the corner and rocked.

See also: freak, out

freak

verb

See freak out

freak someone out

tv. to shock or disorient someone. The whole business freaked me out.

freaked (out)

1. mod. shocked; disoriented. (Perhaps from drugs or alcohol.) I was too freaked out to reply.

2. mod. tired out; exhausted. I’m too freaked out to go on without some rest.

See also: freak, out

freaked

verb

See freaked out

garbage freak

and garbagehead

n. an addict who will take any drug. (Drugs.) They’re only teenagers and already they’re garbageheads. The garbageheads will take beans or anything else.

juice freak

n. someone who prefers alcohol to drugs. (Drugs.) Freddy is a juice freak. He won’t touch dolls.

kick freak

n. a nonaddicted drug user. (Drugs.) Ernie used to be a kick freak, but all that has changed.

pillhead

and pill freak

n. a drug user who prefers drugs in pill or capsule form. (Drugs.) The police turned the juvenile “pillheads” over to their parents. You pill freaks should try some of this stuff.

pill freak

verb

See pillhead

speed freak

and speedhead

n. a drug user who injects methamphetamine; an amphetamine user. (Drugs and general slang.) Speed freaks, not heroin addicts, account for a high proportion of drug-related crime.

freak out, to

To be or cause to be out of control, in a state of fear, anger, or excitement, to lose one’s nerve. The term dates from the mid-1900s and became popular through the hippie movement of the 1960s. A 1966 rock album by the Mothers of Invention was entitled “Freak Out.”