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Glite Dictionary
to have kittens

to have kittens

8.8
Become very upset or angry in a way that is too strong
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : ponerse muy nervioso
  • If she finds out I forgot her birthday, she'll be having kittens.

Examples

  • She started having kittens when she thought she had lost her wallet.

  • Stop having kittens.

    The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)

  • Oh, God, your father is gonna have kittens.

    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

  • And some people, if, if you've met with somebody who's old school, send a card but don't have kittens on that card.

  • Mum's having kittens.

    Paws (1997)

  • When the deadline was moved up, the team began having kittens about their preparation.

Synonyms

to go ballistic
vsto have kittens
  • Informal
22 7.5

Suddenly become very angry

can describe intense anxious or exaggerated upset, not only anger
to blow up
vsto have kittens
  • Informal
16 4.7

To suddenly become very angry and lose control

tends to include extreme anxiety or exaggerated upset, not only anger
to have a fit
vsto have kittens
  • Informal
16 5.3

To suddenly become very angry or upset and show it strongly

is more about extreme worry or exaggerated upset rather than just anger
to throw a fit
vsto have kittens
  • Informal
12 6.1

To suddenly become very angry or upset in a loud, obvious way

is often used for extreme worry or anxious reaction rather than pure anger
to fly off the handle
vsto have kittens
  • Informal
11 6.8

To suddenly become very angry

can also mean becoming extremely upset or anxious rather than only anger
to hit the roof
vsto have kittens
  • Informal
4 6.7

To suddenly become very angry

often refers to exaggerated upset or shock, not only anger
to combust
vsto have kittens
4 8.2

To become suddenly very angry and lose control

is used more for exaggerated worry or anxiety than literal anger
to hit the ceiling
vsto have kittens
  • Informal
3 6.8

To suddenly get very angry

leans more toward dramatic upset or anxious reaction than plain anger
to lose one's temper
vsto have kittens
2 3.7

To suddenly become very angry and not be able to control yourself

is broader and can mean extreme anxiety or exaggerated upset too
to blow one's stack
vsto have kittens
  • Informal
2 8.6

Suddenly get very angry and show it

also covers exaggerated worry or upset, not only anger
to blow a fuse
vsto have kittens
  • Informal
1 7.4

To suddenly become very angry

can instead mean extreme upset or anxious overreaction as well
to flip one's lid
vsto have kittens
  • Informal
9.1

To become suddenly very angry and lose control

often suggests extreme upset or anxious overreaction rather than only anger
to flip one's wig
vsto have kittens
  • Informal
9.9

To suddenly become very angry and lose control of yourself

tends to stress exaggerated anxiety or upset as well as anger

Antonyms

calm
735 1.0

Not showing strong feelings and being very still

composed
1 4.3

Calm and in control of your feelings during stress

How Upset

to panic
272 2.3
to have kittens
  • Informal
8.8
to upset
362 1.0
to take it easy
  • Informal
572 2.5

Surface Forms

have kittens infinitive
had kittens past
had kittens past participle
having kittens present participle
has kittens third person singular

Morphology

have + kittens

The idiomatic sense 'to become extremely upset or anxious' is not derivable from 'have' (to possess/experience) plus 'kittens' (young cats); the literal image of possessing kittens does not conventionally map onto strong upset or anger. This is a language-specific idiom whose meaning is unpredictable from the parts, so a B1 learner who only knows the constituents is unlikely to infer the intended meaning without prior exposure.

Etymology

The idiom have kittens may come from the image of a mother cat giving birth and acting noisy and worried while her kittens are born. So, saying someone 'has kittens' gives the picture of that panic and means 'to be very worried or upset'.