freak out

[keannu]

I heard "freak out" in many cases, and a dictionary's definition is "a heightened state of emotions", so it doesn't seem to have any consistent meaning, being variable.
Is it mostly "scare sb/sth extremely"? or does it depend?

ex1)The snake really freaked me out(it really scared me)
ex2)When I saw the test result almost flunked, I freaked out.

 

[konungursvia]

I think it means your adrenaline rushes and you have an emotional outburst in which you lose control, at least in part. Like your national parliament's frequent fist-fights.

 

[Raymott]

I heard "freak out" in many cases, and a dictionary's definition is "a heightened state of emotions", so it doesn't seem to have any consistent meaning, being variable.
You should never make such assumptions on the basis of what one dictionary says. One dictionary is usually enough if you are confirming something that you're pretty sure you already know.
Besides, 'freak out' is a verb, and a state is a noun.

Is it mostly "scare sb/sth extremely"? or does it depend? Yes, if used transitively. But it's usually intransitive, as in your example 2.

ex1)The snake really freaked me out(it really scared me)
ex2)When I saw the test result almost flunked, I freaked out.

It means to panic over something.

 

[keannu]

I think it means your adrenaline rushes and you have an emotional outburst in which you lose control, at least in part. Like your national parliament's frequent fist-fights.

I also feel it a pity or shame. It's really an underdeveloped form of democracy, so many Korean comedians make satires on those fights and criticize them.

 

[keannu]

It means to panic over something.

I think it means your adrenaline rushes and you have an emotional outburst in which you lose control

As konungursvia indicated, "freak out" seems to have another meaning of "going crazy", and I remember this explanation shown in a video clip by an English teacher showing her emotional gesture. She said it's like going crazy. I don't know how to make a proper example, but it could be
"When he heard the news of his girlfriend's death, he freaked out."

So depending on context, the main meaning can be "scared out(intransitive)", "scare sb(transitive)" and "going crazy" as well, I guess. What do you think?

 

[birdeen's call]

I think it means your adrenaline rushes and you have an emotional outburst in which you lose control

As konungursvia indicated, "freak out" seems to have another meaning of "going crazy", and I remember this explanation shown in a video clip by an English teacher showing her emotional gesture. She said it's like going crazy. I don't know how to make a proper example, but it could be
"When he heard the news of his girlfriend's death, he freaked out."

So depending on context, the main meaning can be "scared out(intransitive)", "scare sb(transitive)" and "going crazy" as well, I guess. What do you think?

What does "scared out" mean to you? I have never heard or seen it used to mean the same as "freaked out". Is it used this way?

"Freak out" may be used to describe a range of emotions. Someone is freaking out, when they're acting extremely emotionally, often in a strange way:

guy freaks out in coffee shop - YouTube

It may be because of anger (Office Freakout - YouTube), drug use (Jessie Spano Caffeine Pill Freakout! - YouTube), joy (Christmas gift freak out - YouTube), anxiety ((?)David Fisher freaking out - YouTube) and other things.

You're also freaking out when you're just scared or very anxious:

We had to find our way back in the dark and only armed with one headlamp for light. I was freaking out in the dark and it was a long climb back…
(Gunung Tahan » Ultra Cool Mama)

it may not seem like such a big deal that i'm going to spain for 5 weeks, but i'm freaking out. can't we just surpass all the trip anxiety and already be there?
(fascination street: 12/22/2002 - 12/29/2002)

You freak someone out when you scare them:

"Kyle!" she cried when he collapsed, and she knelt beside him and yelled moderately loudly: "Stop doing this! It's freaking me out!! What's wrong?"
(Sacred Keys: A Kingdom Hearts "After Sora's Life" Roleplay | Page 16 | Level 1 - Beginners RPs | Guild Forums | Gaia Online)

 

[Ouisch]

In AmE, "freak out" has many meanings that runs the full spectrum of emotions from life-or-death fear to momentary private panic to many feelings in between. Sometimes a freak-out is a reaction to a scary situation, sometimes it's an unbridled release of joy.

Examples:

"Everyone in the office freaked out when the tornado siren went off and we all rushed to the basement."

"I freaked out when the boss called me into his office because I thought I was going to be fired. As it turned out, he didn't even mention the fact that I'd been late four times that week; he just asked if I'd be willing to buy a birthday present for his wife during my lunch hour."

"My friend totally freaked out when Justin Bieber reached out from the stage and touched her hand!"

 

[Raymott]

I think it means your adrenaline rushes and you have an emotional outburst in which you lose control

And what happens when you panic? (Hint: your adrenaline rushes and you have an emotional outburst in which you lose control - among other things).


As konungursvia indicated, "freak out" seems to have another meaning of "going crazy", and I remember this explanation shown in a video clip by an English teacher showing her emotional gesture. She said it's like going crazy. I don't know how to make a proper example, but it could be
"When he heard the news of his girlfriend's death, he freaked out."

So depending on context, the main meaning can be "scared out(intransitive)", "scare sb(transitive)" and "going crazy" as well, I guess. What do you think?

I think that "freak out", being slang, is subject to a lot of change, as Ouisch says.
But there's little point in defining "freaking out" as "going crazy" unless it's commonly understood what "going crazy" means.
To me, as a medical person, "going crazy" means displaying psychotic symptoms, as occurs in schizophrenia - losing contact with reality. This is not "freaking out" to me. But I'm sure some people would use the two terms as synonyms.

So, to know what it means, you'll have to understand who used it (how old they are, what subculture they're from, etc) and in what context it's used.
Speaking of context, you gave two examples. In neither of them does "freak out" seem to mean "express on overwhelming sense of joy." It would never have occurred to me to describe the little girl's excitement at her presents as "freaking out". "joy (Christmas gift freak out - YouTube)". I might say that she "goes pycho".

I guess that, like any slang term, if the speaker and the hearer believe it means a certain thing, then for the purposes of that communication, it does.

 

[keannu]

I think that "freak out", being slang, is subject to a lot of change, as Ouisch says.
But there's little point in defining "freaking out" as "going crazy" unless it's commonly understood what "going crazy" means.
To me, as a medical person, "going crazy" means displaying psychotic symptoms, as occurs in schizophrenia - losing contact with reality. This is not "freaking out" to me. But I'm sure some people would use the two terms as synonyms.

So, to know what it means, you'll have to understand who used it (how old they are, what subculture they're from, etc) and in what context it's used.
Speaking of context, you gave two examples. In neither of them does "freak out" seem to mean "express on overwhelming sense of joy." It would never have occurred to me to describe the little girl's excitement at her presents as "freaking out". "joy (Christmas gift freak out - YouTube)". I might say that she "goes pycho".

I guess that, like any slang term, if the speaker and the hearer believe it means a certain thing, then for the purposes of that communication, it does.

I'm sorry I chose the wrong term, I was pretty much used to the korean definition of "going crazy" which sometimes means not "psychologically going out of mind" but "reaching the highest agitation or something". That's what I meant by "going crazy", so I think probably "agitation" is more similar to "freak out", but as you said the meaning varies depends on context, it would be just part of the whole meanings.

 

[konungursvia]

Basically it's a very strong, but temporary, expression of emotion. It carries no sense of permanently going mad.

 

[keannu]

Basically it's a very strong, but temporary, expression of emotion. It carries no sense of permanently going mad.

I'm really sorry I don't know what emotion it is even though I have thought about it in many ways. Human beings share same emotions, so we Koreans must have it. I will try to think about your definition again and again through any meditation or whatever.
Thanks a lot!!!

 

[birdeen's call]

I'm really sorry I don't know what emotion it is even though I have thought about it in many ways. Human beings share same emotions, so we Koreans must have it. I will try to think about your definition again and again through any meditation or whatever.
Thanks a lot!!!

It's not one particular kind of emotion. As konungursvia said, it's an expression of emotion. It's a kind of expression, not a kind of emotion.

Please take a look at the videos I posted links to. They show what freaking out is.

There may be differences between users. Raymott seems to disagree that freaking out can be a result of joy. He says he would call it something else. However, I have come across such usage (my own usage doesn't matter) -- the video of the excited girl is not a result of just typing "freak out" into the search box, but of a considered search.

 

[5jj]

I Human beings share the same emotions, so we Koreans must have it.

I am not so sure that we do. I think that we may be culturally conditioned , at least in so far as we can recognise, and talk about, certain emotions. One example of this (I think) is 'face' - if it is correct to speak about that as an emotion. From what I have read and heard, the concept of 'face' is more significant in some Asian cultures than it is in some European/North American cultures.

I am not too happy about thinking of 'freaking out' as an emotion, though I accept 'expression of emotion'. However, this may be just playing with words.

If you read all the posts by native speakers - and birdeen's call - you'll have some idea of what 'freaking out' can suggest.

 

[keannu]

Thanks a lot for all of you! Now my long-held curiosity about "freak out" is gone, It was my prejudice that I have only stuck to its emotional aspects, not the expression. Now I realize it's the expression of outburst of any emotions(anger, anxiety, fear, etc). I couldn't find any common thing among those many emotions, but now you settled my confusion. I'm so grateful. I feel I'm getting way too much in this website than I expected.
By the way, it's really funny to think about Korean's "face" concept as they stick to it so much , yes, probably 5jj is right, we think too much about "personal face" or "family face" that are like your personal pride or family pride. It's related to cultural or historical background that may be from confucianism. You shouldn't discolor your family's fame by failing to reach their standard in any social success or something.

I am not so sure that we do. I think that we may be culturally conditioned , at least in so far as we can recognise, and talk about, certain emotions. One example of this (I think) is 'face' - if it is correct to speak about that as an emotion. From what I have read and heard, the concept of 'face' is more significant in some Asian cultures than it is in some European/North American cultures.

 

[5jj]

Your M?sl?m (spelling note: History News Network) and Harvard family examples are, I think, relevant, but it is difficult, if not impossible, to know if the emotions felt are the same.

I think we may run the risk of entering into culturally sensitive issues, so future posts should be about 'freak out' only. I know that I was the one who led us off the main track, so - my apologies. Let us stray no further.

 

[Raymott]

There may be differences between users. Raymott seems to disagree that freaking out can be a result of joy. He says he would call it something else. However, I have come across such usage (my own usage doesn't matter) -- the video of the excited girl is not a result of just typing "freak out" into the search box, but of a considered search.

I'm sure you did a good search as usual, bc. I'm not disagreeing that "freaking out" can't be the result of joy if it is used that way in a population.
In Australia, I have never heard it used that way. To me, in my subculture, it doesn't mean that. And since it's a slang term, one's use of a term has to determine its meaning. If it isn't used that way in Australia, for example, it doesn't mean that in Australia.

Having said that, I can't swear that no one in Australia uses it that way, but I can swear that the original examples of being scared by a snake and panicking over your exam results are commonly understood situations in which one would "freak out". We used this term 30 or 40 years ago for that, and still do. Did you research lead you to an idea of when "joy" became one of those emotions over which one could "freak out", and in which sociolects it means that today?

 

[birdeen's call]

I'm sure you did a good search as usual, bc. I'm not disagreeing that "freaking out" can't be the result of joy if it is used that way in a population.
In Australia, I have never heard it used that way. To me, in my subculture, it doesn't mean that. And since it's a slang term, one's use of a term has to determine its meaning. If it isn't used that way in Australia, for example, it doesn't mean that in Australia.

Having said that, I can't swear that no one in Australia uses it that way, but I can swear that the original examples of being scared by a snake and panicking over your exam results are commonly understood situations in which one would "freak out". We used this term 30 or 40 years ago for that, and still do. Did you research lead you to an idea of when "joy" became one of those emotions over which one could "freak out", and in which sociolects it means that today?

I didn't do any research on that. I just searched for a usage I knew existed. I don't know how old it is. I'm quite convinced all examples I have come across in my life are from AmE and recent.

PS: Recent with respect to now, not the time I came across them.