Idioms for going crazy are a fun and interesting aspect of the English language. They add color and personality to our everyday conversations, and can even be used to express complex emotions and ideas concisely and memorably. From “going bananas” to “losing your marbles,” there are countless idioms that describe various levels of craziness and insanity.
Idioms for Going Crazy
- Blow one’s top
- Blow up
- Fly off the handle
- Flip out
- Flip one’s lid
- Freak out
- Go ape
- Go ballistic
- Go bananas
- Go berserk
- Go bonkers
- Go haywire
- Go postal
- Go mental
- Go nuts
- Go off the deep end
- Hit the roof
- Lose it
- Lose one’s marbles
- Off one’s rocker
- Pop one’s cork
Idioms for Going Crazy with Meaning and Examples
Blow one’s top
- Meaning: Lose one’s temper or become very angry.
- Example: “He blew his top when he found out he was fired from his job.”
Blow up
- Meaning: Explode or become very angry.
- Example: “She blew up when she saw the mess in the kitchen.”
Fly off the handle
- Meaning: Suddenly become very angry or lose control of one’s emotions.
- Example: “He flew off the handle when he heard the news.”
Flip one’s lid
- Meaning: To become very angry or upset.
- Example: She flipped her lid when she saw that her phone was broken.
Flip out
- Meaning: very angry or excited
- Example: “My sister flipped out when she saw the surprise party we had planned for her.”
Freak out
- Meaning: Become very upset or scared.
- Example: “She freaked out when she saw the spider.”
Go ape
- Meaning: Become very excited or crazy.
- Example: “He went ape when he heard the news.”
Go ballistic
- Meaning: Very angry or lose control of one’s emotions.
- Example: “She went ballistic when she found out he cheated on her.”
Go bananas
- Meaning: Very excited or crazy.
- Example: “The crowd went bananas when the band came on stage.”
Go berserk
- Meaning: Very angry or lose control of one’s emotions.
- Example: “He went berserk when he saw the damage to his car.”
Go bonkers
- Meaning: Very excited or crazy.
- Example: “She went bonkers when she won the lottery.”
Go haywire
- Meaning: To malfunction or become chaotic; to act crazily or unpredictably.
- Example: “The computer system went haywire and crashed.”
Go postal
- Meaning: Become extremely angry and violent
- Example: “The disgruntled employee went postal and started shooting his co-workers.”
Go mental
- Meaning: Very angry or lose control of one’s emotions.
- Example: “He went mental when he found out his flight was canceled.”
Go nuts
- Meaning: Very excited or crazy.
- Example: “We went nuts when we won the championship.”
Go off the deep end
- Meaning: Very upset or lose control of one’s emotions.
- Example: “She went off the deep end when she found out she was pregnant.”
Hit the roof
- Meaning: Very angry or lose control of one’s emotions.
- Example: “He hit the roof when he saw the bill.”
Lose it
- Meaning: Lose control of one’s emotions.
- Example: “She lost it when she heard the bad news.”
Lose one’s marbles
- Meaning: To become insane or mentally unstable.
- Example: “I think my neighbor has lost his marbles, he talks to himself all day.”
Off one’s rocker
- Meaning: To be mentally unstable or crazy.
- Example: “The old man down the street is completely off his rocker. He thinks he’s a superhero.”
Pop one’s cork
- Meaning: Very angry or lose control of one’s emotions.
- Example: “He popped his cork when he heard the news.”