Etymology

freak out

Today it means: A negative or unpleasant experience with LSD or another psychedelic drug. Full definition →

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The story

From freak + out. Countercultural slang, originally referring to a positive reaction or experience from the use of a psychotropic, usually a hallucinogenic or psychedelic drug. First use appears c. 1966 in several newspapers, particularly in the Independent (Long Beach, California).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.