go ballistic
To become very angry and irrationalTo become very angry and irrational.
» When Tom heard that, he went ballistic.
Meaning
3 senses(idiomatic)To become very angry and irrational.
The guy went ballistic when I tried to tell him he couldn't return the socks if the package had been opened.
in die Luft gehen
репнути нервиrepnuty nervy
For a usually rocket-powered, predominantly non-glide projectile or aerial vehicle, such as a ballistic missile, to travel to its target partly via unpowered ballistic or quasi-ballistic flight, usually following burnout of its rocket motor
(slang)For a powered, usually guided missile or other aerial vehicle to travel on an unguided or ballistic trajectory, having lost power, control or guidance
- get very angry and fly into a rage
Examples
19 sentencesWhen Tom heard that, he went ballistic.
Tom went ballistic when Mary told him she wanted a divorce.
Tom will go ballistic.
deTom wird total ausrasten. — raggione
Tom is going ballistic.
Tom went ballistic.
deTom rastete aus. — wolfgangth
Translations
4 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
The idiomatic usage derives from the second-generation of jet fighters, armed with guidedThe idiomatic usage derives from the second-generation of jet fighters, armed with guided missiles, in the late 1950s into the 1960s, with the informal military sense of fully-powered non-ballistic missiles going ballistic when losing control and assuming a free-fall trajectory, sense 3. But in subsequent usage the term has often become associated with the intentionally ballistic, suborbital trajectories of long-range, typically nuclear-armed missiles, sense 2.
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Forms
goes ballistic, going ballistic, went ballistic, gone ballistic| Base form | go ballistic · to go ballistic |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | goes ballistic |
| Present participle | going ballistic |
| Past simple | went ballistic |
| Past participle | gone ballistic |
irregular · Lesson
Synonyms
13 synonyms- get very angry and fly into a rage:flip one's lidblow upthrow a fithit the roofhit the ceilinghave kittenshave a fitcombust
Lessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, irregular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle