dilodi83
Senior Member
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2006
- Member Type
- Interested in Language
- Native Language
- Italian
- Home Country
- Italy
- Current Location
- Italy
I have doubts about these two verbs and about how to use them properly.
1) Let's start with saying that I got that both of them are synonyms of "to scare" and "to frighten". Is this correct?
2) After checking them out several times in more than one dictionary I've come to the conclusion that in English (I don't know if it's the same both inAmerican E and British E) you tend to use "to creep out" when something or someone scares someone else and, at the same time, disgusts someone...
Ex. I saw a spider today. They always creep me out. (Because I'm scared of them and I do not like them either)
You tend to use "to freak out" when something or someone scares someone else but there's no shred of disgust or repugnance...
Ex. Did you see that lightning? Wow! It freaked me out. (It scared me but I don't say whether I like lightnings or not...)
Am I right up to this point?
But, what about these sentences?
1) Snakes always creep me out.
2) Snakes always freak me out.
3) Seeing that dead body creeped me out.
4) Seeing that dead body freaked me out.
Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think these four sentences mean all the same with just a difference: the ones with "creep out" underlines that I'm frightened and also disgusted; the ones with "freak out" highlight that I'm just scared and in this sense "to freak out" is a more appropriate synonyms of "to scare", whereas "to creep out" adds a different shade of meaning...so it's not only fear, but also disgust...
I would like to thank in advance whoever will help me to understand these two verbs.
1) Let's start with saying that I got that both of them are synonyms of "to scare" and "to frighten". Is this correct?
2) After checking them out several times in more than one dictionary I've come to the conclusion that in English (I don't know if it's the same both inAmerican E and British E) you tend to use "to creep out" when something or someone scares someone else and, at the same time, disgusts someone...
Ex. I saw a spider today. They always creep me out. (Because I'm scared of them and I do not like them either)
You tend to use "to freak out" when something or someone scares someone else but there's no shred of disgust or repugnance...
Ex. Did you see that lightning? Wow! It freaked me out. (It scared me but I don't say whether I like lightnings or not...)
Am I right up to this point?
But, what about these sentences?
1) Snakes always creep me out.
2) Snakes always freak me out.
3) Seeing that dead body creeped me out.
4) Seeing that dead body freaked me out.
Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think these four sentences mean all the same with just a difference: the ones with "creep out" underlines that I'm frightened and also disgusted; the ones with "freak out" highlight that I'm just scared and in this sense "to freak out" is a more appropriate synonyms of "to scare", whereas "to creep out" adds a different shade of meaning...so it's not only fear, but also disgust...
I would like to thank in advance whoever will help me to understand these two verbs.
