テンパる
てんぱる
godan verb
to panic; to freak out; to be overwhelmed
1.
to panic; to freak out; to lose composure
To become flustered or lose one's cool due to stress, pressure, or unexpected situations.
テンパってきた。
I'm starting to panic.
締め切り前でテンパっている。
I'm freaking out because of the deadline.
初めてのプレゼンでテンパってしまった。
I panicked during my first presentation.
テンパる comes from the mahjong term テンパイ (聴牌), meaning "waiting for the winning tile." The sense of being "on edge" or "at the limit" evolved into the meaning of panicking.
REGISTER:
This is casual slang widely used among younger speakers. Use 焦る or パニックになる in more formal contexts.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- テンパる: to panic/freak out
- テンパっている: to be panicking (ongoing state)
- テンパらないで: don't panic
ASPECT ({ている}):
テンパっている indicates an ongoing state of being flustered or overwhelmed.