How do you say “Lose it” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is ausrasten, which literally means “to lose control; literally, to come out of its catch”. English speakers use lose it to mean to suddenly lose control of your emotions, for example by shouting, crying or laughing. Choose different words if the person starts crying or laughing rather than getting angry. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
ausrasten
/ˈaʊsʁastn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “to lose control; literally, to come out of its catch”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
78 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
“Ausrasten” suits shouting, an angry outburst or wild excitement. Say “Er rastet aus” for “He's losing it” and “Er ist ausgerastet” for “He lost it.”
For laughter, use “nicht mehr aufhören können zu lachen.” For crying, use “in Tränen ausbrechen.” One German verb doesn't cover every English use.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone5 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 German?
die Beherrschung verlieren
Literally: “to lose one's self-control”
More neutral and suitable when describing anger without slang.
in Tränen ausbrechen
Literally: “to break into tears”
Use for a sudden crying reaction rather than anger.
In context
English
I lost it when he insulted my sister.
German
Ich bin ausgerastet, als er meine Schwester beleidigt hat.
English
She lost it when she read the letter and started crying.
German
Als sie den Brief las, brach sie in Tränen aus.
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