Unhinged definition: what "Unhinged" means and examples

February 10, 2026

Describing something that is wildly chaotic, erratic, or hilariously over-the-top.

When a teenager calls something "unhinged," they mean it is erratic, slightly crazy, or completely over-the-top. It is rarely used in a clinical sense. Instead, it describes a situation that has spiralled out of control or a person acting with hilarious lack of restraint. It is often used with a sense of amusement. If a brand posts a very strange meme on Twitter, for instance, the comments will likely be filled with people calling the post unhinged.

Examples:

  1. "The plot twist in that show was absolutely unhinged."
  2. "Did you see his late-night text? It was totally unhinged energy."
  3. "That party got a bit unhinged once the karaoke machine started."

We've compiled this dictionary of common teen slang to help parents communicate with their kids. SafetyMode is the world's most advanced parental safety app for phones, making any Android phone safe for kids. You can find out more and download the app just here.

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