Meaning & use

have a cow

phrase·Everyday

To become extremely upset, angry, or anxious about something, often more than the situation warrants.

See it in a sentence

Relax, it's just a small scratch on the car; there's no need to have a cow.

My dad had a cow when he saw the dent I put in his bumper.

A note on using this word

Have a cow is informal American slang, most often used in the negative, telling someone not to overreact.

Words with a similar meaning

freak outoverreact

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

stay calm

Make it your own

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