freak

freak¹ [fri:k] n

[Date: 1500-1600; Origin: Perhaps from Old English frician 'to dance']

1.) informal someone who is extremely interested in a particular subject so that other people think they are strange or unusual

▪ a fitness freak

▪ a religious freak

▪ a computer freak

2.) someone who is considered to be very strange because of the way they look, behave, or think

= ↑weirdo

▪ These glasses make me look like a freak.

▪ Women who studied engineering used to be considered freaks.

3.) a control freak

someone who always wants to control situations and other people

4.) also freak of nature

something in nature that is very unusual

▪ Due to some freak of nature, it snowed in June.

5.) an unexpected and very unusual event

▪ By some freak of fate, he walked away from the crash completely unhurt.

▪ April's sales figures were a freak.

freak ²

freak² adj [only before noun]

unexpected and very unusual

▪ a freak result

▪ He was crushed to death in a freak accident .

freak wind/wave/storm etc

▪ The men drowned when a freak wave sank their boat.

freak ³

freak³ v [i]informal

to become suddenly angry or afraid, especially so that you cannot control your behaviour

= ↑flip

▪ When Ben heard about the accident, he just freaked.

freak out phr v

to become very anxious, upset or afraid, or make someone very anxious, upset or afraid

▪ People just freaked out when they heard the news.

freak sb<=>out

▪ The whole idea freaked me out.