freak

Universal Words noun, adjective, verb noun 1 (informal) a person with a very strong interest in a particular subject: a health / fitness / jazz freak seealsoCONTROLFREAK 2 (disapproving) a person who is considered to be unusual because of the way they behave, look or think: She was treated like a freak because she didn't want children. * He's going out with a real freak. 3 (also freak of nature) (sometimes offensive) a person, an animal, a plant or a thing that is not physically normal 4 a very unusual and unexpected event: By some freak of fate they all escaped without injury. adjective [onlybeforenoun] (of an event or the weather) very unusual and unexpected: a freak accident / storm / occurrence * freak weather conditions verb ~ (sb) (out) (informal) if sb freaks or if sth freaks them, they react very strongly to sth that makes them suddenly feel shocked, surprised, frightened, etc: [V] My parents really freaked when they saw my hair. * [VN] Snakes really freak me out.