Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to go out of one's mind

to go out of one's mind

14 7.3
To be unable to think clearly because you are very worried or upset
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : volverse loco
  • He wondered if he was going out of his mind.
  • think I'm going out of my mind
  • going out of my mind," he said
  • just going out of my mind

Examples

  • I feel like I'm about to go out of my mind.

    Bewitched (2005)

  • Poor Mom, she's going out of her mind over this.

    Hack-O-Lantern (1988)

  • Have you gone out of your mind?

    Nadine (1987)

  • I must be going out of my mind.

    Kiss Me, Stupid (1964)

  • I nearly went out of my mind last night.

    The Kremlin Letter (1970)

  • I opened my eyes, afraid of the thought that I was going out of my mind.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • I am going out of my mind.

    Blog text (3)

  • I'm going out of my mind.

    Ben Is Back (2018)

  • I've been going out of my mind, Ben.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • I feel like I'm about to go out of my mind with all this stress.

Synonyms

to freak out
vsto go out of one's mind
  • Informal
430 6.8

To become very upset or afraid suddenly and lose control

is more about prolonged distress or insanity rather than sudden fear reactions
to go off the deep end
vsto go out of one's mind
  • Informal
15 8.1

Suddenly act in a very emotional and out of control way

focuses on anxiety and possible insanity rather than only emotional loss of control
to come unhinged
vsto go out of one's mind
  • Informal
2 8.2

To lose control of your feelings and act very upset

shows prolonged anxiety or true insanity rather than brief loss of control
to go batshit
vsto go out of one's mind
  • Offensive
2 9.9

To become very angry and act in a wild, out of control way

focuses on anxiety and distress rather than anger or wild excitement
to go round the bend
vsto go out of one's mind
  • UK
1 8.6

To become so angry or stressed that you cannot think clearly

highlights extreme anxiety and distress rather than only stress caused insanity
to lose one's mind
vsto go out of one's mind
  • Informal
1 6.7

Become very anxious, confused, or upset and act in a way that does not make sense

includes actual insanity rather than only seeming irrational
to trip out
vsto go out of one's mind
  • Informal
1 8.6

Become very upset or excited and act confused suddenly

relates to emotional excitement and distraction rather than deep anxiety or insanity
to lose one's yarbles
vsto go out of one's mind
  • Archaic
9.9

To start behaving in a strange and out of control way

stresses anxiety and distress more than mere irrational behaviour

Antonyms

to calm
962 1.0

Make a person or animal less upset

to keep one's sanity
1 7.0

To stay calm and able to think clearly under stress

How Distressed

to go out of one's mind
  • Informal
14 7.3
to lose one's mind
  • Informal
1 6.7

Surface Forms

go out of one's mind infinitive
went out of one's mind past
gone out of one's mind past participle
going out of one's mind present participle
goes out of one's mind third person singular

Morphology

go + out + of + one's + mind

The components 'go' (become), 'out' (outside) and 'mind' (mental faculty) allow a B1 learner to infer the metaphor of 'leaving one's mind' — i.e. losing sanity or becoming very distressed. However, the phrase is metaphorical and its precise pragmatic nuances and usage patterns are not fully predictable without prior exposure, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Go out of one's mind imagines the mind as a room or place you can leave. If you go out of that room, you lose calm and control, so the phrase means 'to become very upset, worried, or not thinking clearly'.