Freakout

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A sudden and intense emotional breakdown characterized by panic or anxiety
2. An abrupt episode of intense emotional distress often marked by panic or overwhelming anxiety
3. A rapid onset of extreme emotional turmoil leading to loss of control or calm

Etymology: "Freakout" is a compound built from "freak" and "out", with "out" serving as the particle of the phrasal verb "freak out," which means to lose control of one's emotions or become panicked. The noun was formed from that phrasal verb, so the noun reflects the verb's sense rather than the other way around. The verb itself grew from the older noun "freak," which in English once meant a whim or a capricious turn of mind before it came to mean an unusual or odd person or thing. The combination of "freak" with "out" follows a common English pattern, in which a plain verb gains a particle to express a sudden, complete, or outward action, as in "blow up" or "burn out." In "freak out," the particle intensifies the sense of losing composure, so that the phrase describes a sudden breakdown of calm rather than a gradual one. Once the verb existed, speakers could easily turn it into a noun for the episode itself, which is how "freakout" came to name a single outburst of panic.

Synonyms: panic, hysteria, outburst

Antonyms: calm, composure