freak

¹freak

noun \ˈfrēk\

Definition of FREAK

1

a : a sudden and odd or seemingly pointless idea or turn of the mind

b : a seemingly capricious action or event

2

archaic : a whimsical quality or disposition

3

: one that is markedly unusual or abnormal: as

a : a person or animal having a physical oddity and appearing in a circus sideshow

b slang (1) : a sexual deviate (2) : a person who uses an illicit drug

c : hippie

d : an atypical postage stamp usually caused by a unique defect in paper (as a crease) or a unique event in the manufacturing process (as a speck of dirt on the plate) that does not produce a constant or systematic effect

4

a : an ardent enthusiast <film freaks>

b : a person who is obsessed with something <a control freak>

Examples of FREAK

1. eccentric, artistic types whom many regarded as freaks
2. I had a terrible rash on my face, and I felt like a freak.

Origin of FREAK

origin unknown

First Known Use: 1563

Related to FREAK

Synonyms

abnormality, anomaly, monster, monstrosity

Antonyms

average, norm, normal, par, standard

Related Words

abortion, malformation, miscreation, mutant, mutation; character, crackbrain, crackpot, crank, eccentric, kook, nut, oddball, screwball, weirdo; aberrant, deviant; individualist, maverick, nonconformist; curiosity, peculiarity, singularity; aberration, exception, irregularity, oddity, rarity

Near Antonyms

sample, specimen; commonplace, usual

Rhymes with FREAK

beak, bleak, cheek, chic, cleek, clique, creak, creek, Creek, eke, flic, geek, gleek, Greek, keek, leak, leek, meek, peak, peek, peke, pic, pique, reek, screak, seek, sheikh, shriek, sic, Sikh, sleek, sneak, speak, squeak, steek, streak, streek, teak, tweak, weak, week

²freak

adjective

Definition of FREAK

: having the character of a freak <a freak accident>

Examples of FREAK

1. He was the victim of a freak accident.
2. <even weather forecasters seemed surprised by the freak hailstorm>

First Known Use of FREAK

circa 1887

Related to FREAK

Synonyms

aberrant, aberrated, abnormal, anomalous, atypical, especial, exceeding, extraordinaire, extraordinary, exceptional, odd, peculiar, phenomenal, preternatural, rare, singular, uncommon, uncustomary, unique, unusual, unwonted

Antonyms

common, customary, normal, ordinary, typical, unexceptional, unextraordinary, usual

Related Words

conspicuous, notable, noticeable, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, salient, striking; bizarre, deviant, eccentric, freakish, monstrous, oddball, outlandish, quaint, strange, weird; incomprehensible, inconceivable, incredible, unimaginable, unthinkable

Near Antonyms

everyday, familiar, frequent

³freak

verb

Definition of FREAK

transitive verb

1

: to make greatly distressed, astonished, or discomposed —often used with out <the news freaked them out>

2

: to put under the influence of a psychedelic drug —often used with out

intransitive verb

1

: to withdraw from reality especially by taking drugs —often used with out

2

: to experience nightmarish hallucinations as a result of taking drugs —often used with out

3

a : to behave irrationally or unconventionally under the influence of drugs —often used with out

b : to react with extreme or irrational distress or discomposure —often used with out

— freaked adjective

— freaked–out adjective

First Known Use of FREAK

1964

⁴freak

transitive verb

Definition of FREAK

: to streak especially with color <silver and mother-of-pearl freaking the intense azure — Robert Bridges †1930>

Origin of FREAK

perhaps from or akin to ¹freckle

First Known Use: 1637