Stress & Panic: English Vocabulary List

to become overwhelmed by strong emotions

"She will lose it."

"After weeks of constant pressure, the stressed employee finally began to lose it during the meeting."

mentally unstable and unpredictable in behavior or reactions

"He acted unhinged."

"He seems unhinged and has been acting strangely ever since he lost his job."

surprised, shocked, or emotionally rattled

"I am shook."

"She was shook when she saw the final bill because the repairs cost much more than she expected."

startled, scared, or unnerved, often suddenly or unexpectedly

"I am spooked."

"The horse got spooked by the loud noise and threw its rider off into the muddy field."

to become very upset, anxious, or act irrationally due to stress or overwhelming emotions

"She wigs out when seeing spiders."

"My mom will totally wig out when she sees the mess we made in the kitchen."

to become extremely upset, agitated, or overwhelmed by fear, anxiety, or excitement

"Do not freak out about the exam."

"The little boy started to freak out when he saw a large spider crawling on his arm."

used to refer to a state in which someone is extremely nervous and unable to relax

"The loud noise put me on edge."

"The constant loud noises from the construction site have been putting everyone on edge all week long."

an automatic reaction to a threat, choosing either to confront it aggressively or escape

"The sudden noise triggered fight-or-flight."

"His fight or flight response kicked in when he heard the strange noise in the dark basement."

angry or upset, often in reaction to something annoying or offensive

"She is triggered."

"The veteran got triggered by the sound of fireworks and had to leave the celebration early."

to cover one's face with one's hand, particularly the palm, often as an expression of frustration, embarrassment, or disbelief

"She facepalmed at his stupid comment."

"When his friend suggested that the earth was flat he could not help but facepalm at the sheer ignorance of such a ridiculous and false statement."

having a fidgety feeling caused by nervousness

"The kids are antsy."

"The children grew antsy during the long car ride and they kept asking when they would finally arrive."

anxiety or dread felt as the weekend ends and the workweek approaches

"The Sunday scaries ruined his evening."

"The Sunday scaries set in as she thought about the stressful meeting scheduled for Monday morning."

a mental breakdown; a state of extreme stress or emotional overwhelm

"She texted about her menty b."

"She told her boss she needed a mental health day because she was having a menty b."

to make something stressful or increase anxiety

"Do not stressify yourself over small things."

"Do not stressify yourself over the small things because they are not worth the anxiety and worry."

a difficult situation or period of hardship

"He is on the struggle bus today."

"The student was on the struggle bus with calculus and needed a tutor to pass the class."

to be extremely nervous, anxious, or stressed

"He was sweating bullets during the interview."

"The nervous student was sweating bullets while waiting for the teacher to hand back the exam results."

a public walk after an embarrassing or awkward situation

"He did the walk of shame in the morning."

"He did the walk of shame in yesterday's clothes after staying overnight at his date's apartment."

to behave nervously, compulsively, or erratically, often in response to stress or pressure

"He will tweak."

"Under immense pressure to meet the deadline, the employee began to tweak nervously at his desk."

to act anxious, paranoid, or overreact to a situation

"Do not bug out."

"Even though the situation seemed dire, she advised her friend not to bug out and to remain calm."

to overreact, panic, or worry unnecessarily

"Don't trip out."

"Try not to trip over the minor details and focus on the overall success of the project."

an emotional breakdown caused by stress, fear, or overwhelming pressure

"The child had a meltdown in the store."

"The toddler had a meltdown in the supermarket because his mother refused to buy candy."