🗓️ Idiom: Go Ballistic (v)
💬 Meaning
- To become extremely angry or upset.
- To react with sudden and strong emotion, especially when something goes wrong.
🧠 Example Sentences
- The client went ballistic when he discovered that his refund had been delayed again.
- My boss went ballistic after hearing that the customer support system crashed during the busiest hour.
- When the delivery team missed the deadline, the project manager went ballistic in the meeting.
🏛️ Origin
The idiom “go ballistic” comes from the world of missiles and rockets. A ballistic missile flies out on a set path once launched. Go ballistic symbolises something that explodes with power. In the 1980s, this term began to be used in everyday English to describe people who “explode” with anger or lose control of their emotions.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
The customer ________ when she realised the company had lost her order twice in a row.
Answer
went ballistic
2. Choose the correct answer:
What does “go ballistic” mean?
a) To become extremely angry or upset.
b) To leave a meeting calmly.
c) To start solving a problem carefully.
Answer
a) To become extremely angry or upset.
3. Change the sentence using “go ballistic”:
“The supervisor became furious after hearing about the repeated customer complaints.”
Answer
The supervisor went ballistic after hearing about the repeated customer complaints.
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