WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
freak•ish
(frē′kish),USA pronunciation adj.
freak′ish•ly, adv.
freak′ish•ness, n.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- queer;
odd;
unusual;
grotesque:a freakish appearance. - whimsical;
capricious:freakish behavior.
- freak1 + -ish1 1645–55
freak′ish•ness, n.
freak1 /frik/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
adj. [before a noun]
v.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- an abnormal, unusual, or strange person, animal, or thing;
aberration. - a sudden unexpected occurrence:The snowstorm in July was a freak of nature.
- Slang Terms
- a habitual user;
addict:a drug freak. - a devoted fan:a baseball freak.
- a habitual user;
adj. [before a noun]
- unusual;
odd;
irregular:a freak storm.
v.
- to (cause to) become frightened, nervous, or excited: [no object;
(~ + out)]I nearly freaked (out) when I heard the news.[~ (+ out) + object]That surprise test freaked (out) most of the students.[~ + object (+ out)]That test really freaked them (out). - freak out, [no object][Slang.]to hallucinate under the influence of a drug:to freak out on LSD.
freak1
(frēk),USA pronunciation n.
adj.
v.i., v.t.
freak2 (frēk),USA pronunciation v.t.
n.
- any abnormal phenomenon or product or unusual object;
anomaly;
aberration. - Pathologya person or animal on exhibition as an example of a strange deviation from nature;
monster. - a sudden and apparently causeless change or turn of events, the mind, etc.;
an apparently capricious notion, occurrence, etc.:That kind of sudden storm is a freak. - Currency[Numis.]an imperfect coin, undetected at the mint and put into circulation.
- Stamps[Philately.]a stamp differing from others of the same printing because of creases, dirty engraving plates, etc. Cf. error (def. 8), variety (def. 8).
- Slang Terms
- a person who has withdrawn from normal, rational behavior and activities to pursue one interest or obsession:a drug freak.
- a devoted fan or follower;
enthusiast:a baseball freak. c. a hippie.
- [Archaic.]capriciousness;
whimsicality.
adj.
- unusual;
odd;
irregular:a freak epidemic.
v.i., v.t.
- to become or make frightened, nervous, or wildly excited:The loud noise caused the horse to freak.
- freak out, [Slang.]
- to enter into or cause a period of irrational behavior or emotional instability, as under the influence of a drug:to be freaked out on LSD.
- to lose or cause to lose emotional control from extreme excitement, shock, fear, joy, despair, etc.:Seeing the dead body freaked him out.
- 1555–65; 1965–70 for def. 6; perh. akin to Old English frīcian to dance
- 3. vagary, quirk, crotchet.
freak2 (frēk),USA pronunciation v.t.
- to fleck, streak, or variegate:great splashes of color freaking the sky.
n.
- a fleck or streak of color.
- apparently introduced by Milton in Lycidas (1637), perh. as blend of, blended freck to mark with spots (perh. back formation from freckle) and streak
'freakish' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):