Meaning & use
go nuts
Last updated
Meanings
phraseidiominformal
To become extremely angry, upset or frantic.
Grammar: No object; often followed by over or when.
Patterns
- go nuts over something
- go nuts when something happens
Dad will go nuts if you scratch his new car.
The teacher went nuts when she saw the mess.
I nearly went nuts waiting in the traffic jam.
phraseidiominformal
To become extremely excited, enthusiastic or wild.
Grammar: Often used for crowds or fans.
Patterns
- go nuts for something
The crowd went nuts when the band appeared.
Kids go nuts for ice cream on hot days.
Fans went nuts after the last-minute goal.
phraseidiominformal
To do something in an extreme or lavish way.
Grammar: Often followed by with or on.
Patterns
- go nuts with something
Don't go nuts with the spices.
She went nuts on decorations for the party.
He went nuts with the budget and bought three screens.
Word forms
| third person singular | goes nuts |
|---|---|
| past tense | went nuts |
| past participle | gone nuts |
| -ing form | going nuts |
Common combinations
- absolutely go nuts
- The audience absolutely went nuts.
- go nuts over
- People go nuts over limited-edition sneakers.
- about to go nuts
- I'm about to go nuts if this noise continues.
- go nuts with
- Don't go nuts with the hot sauce.
- going nuts
- The dog was going nuts at the door.
Synonyms and how they differ
- go crazy
- Go crazy is nearly identical and slightly more common in speech.
- lose it
- Lose it suggests losing control of emotions, usually anger.
- go wild
- Go wild is mostly about excitement or freedom, less about anger.
- flip out
- Flip out is more sudden and usually about anger or panic.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: go nuts or go nuts for?
go nuts vs go nuts for
This phrase means to love something strongly, which is different from going nuts over something annoying.
Practice
The fans ____ when their team won the cup.
Choose one answer.
Went nuts is the past tense and shows wild excitement. Gone nuts needs an auxiliary like have.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “go nuts”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.