go ballistic

/goʊ bəˌlɪstɪk/

Other forms: going ballistic; went ballistic

To go ballistic is to explode with rage. Our neighbor is famous for his bad temper. If we walk on his grass, he's going to go ballistic!

If you express your anger in an irrational way, you're not just mad — you've gone ballistic. This usually includes a lot of loud yelling. This figurative phrase was first recorded in the 1980s, modeled on a wartime ballistic missile, which is totally uncontrolled after being launched high in the air, and damages whatever it happens to land on. If you go ballistic, you'll definitely have some apologizing to do later.

Definitions of go ballistic

1. verb

   get very angry and fly into a rage
   “Spam makes me go ballistic”

   synonyms: blow a fuse, blow one's stack, blow up, combust, flip one's lid, flip one's wig, fly off the handle, have a fit, have kittens, hit the ceiling, hit the roof, lose one's temper, throw a fit

   type of:

   rage

   feel intense anger