Search
Select the dictionary language
to bug out
01
(of eyes) to protrude or bulge, often from surprise or shock
Intransitive
Slang
Grammatical Information
Composition
phrasal
Action verb
Regular
Separable
Particle
out
Base verb
bug
Present tense
bug out
3rd person singular
bugs out
Present participle
bugging out
Past simple
bugged out
Past participle
bugged out
Examples
His eyes bugged out when he saw the massive bonus on his paycheck.
02
to act anxious, paranoid, or overreact to a situation
Slang
What does "to bug out" mean in behavioral slang?
The phrase "to bug out" means to become anxious, paranoid, or to overreact to a situation, often behaving in a visibly stressed or irrational way. The structure is informal slang where "bug" suggests a sudden malfunction or agitation, and "out" indicates a departure from normal behavior. It is commonly used in everyday and online speech to describe someone reacting strongly or freaking out under pressure.
Examples
You 're bugging out over missing one email; relax.
