losing one's head
Acting without composure
Losing one's head means becoming so upset, angry, or excited that you can't think clearly or act rationally.
The image is of the head—seat of reason—becoming detached from decision-making: She lost her head and said things she regretted.
Someone who keeps their head stays calm under pressure.
Literally, losing one's head is decapitation.
- crisisDecisive dangerous moment
- irrationalityAbsence of logic
- hysteriaUncontrollable emotional excess
- panicUncontrollable sudden fear
- fight or flightThreat-triggered physiological state
emergency · forgetfulness · frenzy · flying off the handle · confusion · recklessness · overreaction · rashness · fear · impulsiveness · guillotine · French Revolution · disorientation · agitation · distress · absentmindedness · misjudgment · tunnel vision
losing one's headthinking clearly
keeping a cool head · thinking straight · thinking on one's feet
lose, losing, loser, losers, loss, losses, head, heads, headed