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sclerare

to freak out; to lose it

verb skleh-RAH-reh Rare

Usage Note

Sclerare is Roman-origin slang derived humorously from sclerosi (sclerosis, hardening of the arteries) — meaning to lose one's temper spectacularly or go completely mad. It is very informal and generational, popular among young urban Italians. The noun una sclerata describes the resulting meltdown. Formal writing would use perdere la testa or andare fuori di sé.

Examples

"Smettila o sclero davvero!"

Natural Translation

Stop it or I'll really lose it!

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