How do you say “Lose it” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is péter les plombs, which literally means “to blow the fuses”. English speakers use lose it to mean to suddenly lose control of your emotions, for example by shouting, crying or laughing. This is very informal. It does not usually fit a scene where someone starts crying or laughing. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
péter les plombs
/pete le plɔ̃/
- Literal meaning
- “to blow the fuses”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
82 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“Péter les plombs” pictures an overloaded electrical circuit. It suits an angry outburst, but is too strong for a calm account of someone getting upset.
English “lose it” can also mean laughing uncontrollably. For that, use “ne plus pouvoir s'arrêter de rire.” For tears, “fondre en larmes” fits better.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in French?
perdre son sang-froid
Literally: “to lose one's cold blood”
A more neutral expression for losing composure.
fondre en larmes
Literally: “to melt into tears”
Use when the person suddenly starts crying.
In context
English
He lost it when he saw what they had done to his car.
French
Il a pété les plombs quand il a vu ce qu'ils avaient fait à sa voiture.
English
She lost it when she read the message and began to cry.
French
Elle a fondu en larmes en lisant le message.
Related expressions
- What “Lose it” means in English
- Fly off the handle, Suddenly lose your temper.
- Pull yourself together, To calm down and regain control of your feelings.
Last updated 2026-09-16