One fascinating aspect of English is the use of idioms – phrases that don’t mean what they say. In this listicle, we’ll unravel idioms for anger.
So, buckle up and get ready to explore expressions that go beyond just being ‘mad’!
What is an idiom for angry?
Idioms are phrases that don’t mean exactly what the individual words suggest. They often have a figurative meaning known to native speakers.
Now, let’s unravel the meanings behind these idioms for anger.
| Idiom | Meaning | In a Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Hit the Roof | Become extremely angry or furious | When Dad found out I’d borrowed his car without asking, he hit the roof! |
| Blow a Fuse | Lose one’s temper in a sudden and explosive manner | After waiting for hours, Jane blew a fuse when the bus never showed up. |
| Fly off the Handle | Become extremely angry and lose control | It doesn’t take much for Jake to fly off the handle; he’s easily provoked. |
| See Red | Become angry or enraged | When Tina discovered her brother had eaten the last slice of cake, she saw red. |
| Have a Chip on One’s Shoulder | Be easily angered or inclined to take offense | Ever since losing the game, Mike has had a chip on his shoulder about it. |
| Hot Under the Collar | Be extremely angry or agitated | The teacher was hot under the collar when she caught the students cheating. |
| Bite Someone’s Head Off | Respond angrily or sharply | I asked a simple question, and she bit my head off for no reason. |
| Jump Down Someone’s Throat | React angrily or criticize strongly | Don’t ask him about his grades; he’ll jump down your throat. |
| Go Ballistic | Become extremely angry or explode with anger | When the cat knocked over the vase, Mom went ballistic. |
| Be in a Foul Mood | Be in a bad or irritable state of mind | I’d avoid talking to Sarah; she’s in a foul mood today. |
| Have a Short Fuse | Be easily angered or irritated | Be careful what you say around Tom; he has a short fuse. |
| Cut to the Chase | Get to the main point without wasting time | Don’t beat around the bush; cut to the chase and tell me what happened. |
| Get Bent Out of Shape | Become very upset or angry | Mary got bent out of shape when she realized she had forgotten her wallet. |
| Boiling Mad | Extremely angry or furious | When the dog chewed up her favorite shoes, Emily was boiling mad. |
| Blow One’s Top | Lose one’s temper completely | If he hears that news, he might just blow his top. |
| Storm Out | Leave a place angrily | After the argument, she stormed out of the room. |
| Have a Cow | Become very upset or angry | Don’t have a cow; it’s just a small scratch on the car. |
| Throw a Tantrum | Have an outburst of anger, often like a child | The toddler threw a tantrum when he couldn’t get the toy he wanted. |
| Ruffle Someone’s Feathers | Upset or annoy someone | Making fun of his favorite team really ruffled Tom’s feathers. |
| Chew Someone Out | Reprimand or scold someone angrily | The boss chewed me out for missing the deadline. |
| Be on the Warpath | Be in a state of anger and ready to confront | Watch out! Dad’s on the warpath about the messy living room. |
| Go off the Deep End | Become extremely upset or angry, often irrational | If you mention her ex-boyfriend, she might go off the deep end. |
| Be Up in Arms | Be very angry or upset about something | The community was up in arms when they heard about the proposed construction. |
| Get Hot Under the Collar | Become angry or irritated | Don’t get hot under the collar; it’s just a friendly joke. |
| Take Umbrage | Feel offended or take offense | He took umbrage at the comments and left the party. |
| Hit the Ceiling | Become extremely angry or upset | When she found out about the broken vase, she hit the ceiling. |
| Have a Meltdown | Have a sudden and intense emotional breakdown | After the computer crashed, he had a meltdown. |
Metaphors can describe anger in various ways, like comparing it to a boiling kettle ready to blow its top. To explore more metaphors for anger, you can visit this link: Metaphors for Angry. Similarly, similes offer comparisons that make anger more relatable, such as saying it’s as explosive as a volcano erupting. Discover additional similes for anger here: Similes for Anger.
Idioms for Angry
1. Hit the Roof
Meaning: To become extremely angry or furious.
In a Sentence: When Dad found out I’d borrowed his car without asking, he hit the roof!
2. Blow a Fuse
Meaning: To lose one’s temper, often in a sudden and explosive manner.
In a Sentence: After waiting for hours, Jane blew a fuse when the bus never showed up.
3. Fly off the Handle
Meaning: To become extremely angry and lose control of one’s emotions.
In a Sentence: It doesn’t take much for Jake to fly off the handle; he’s easily provoked.
4. See Red
Meaning: To become angry or enraged.
In a Sentence: When Tina discovered her brother had eaten the last slice of cake, she saw red.
5. Have a Chip on One’s Shoulder
Meaning: To be easily angered or to be inclined to take offense.
In a Sentence: Ever since losing the game, Mike has had a chip on his shoulder about it.
6. Hot Under the Collar
Meaning: To be extremely angry or agitated.
In a Sentence: The teacher was hot under the collar when she caught the students cheating.
7. Bite Someone’s Head Off
Meaning: To respond to someone in a very angry or sharp manner.
In a Sentence: I asked a simple question, and she bit my head off for no reason.
8. Jump Down Someone’s Throat
Meaning: To react angrily or criticize someone strongly.
In a Sentence: Don’t ask him about his grades; he’ll jump down your throat.
9. Go Ballistic
Meaning: To become extremely angry or explode with anger.
In a Sentence: When the cat knocked over the vase, Mom went ballistic.
10. Be in a Foul Mood
Meaning: To be in a bad or irritable state of mind.
In a Sentence: I’d avoid talking to Sarah; she’s in a foul mood today.
11. Have a Short Fuse
Meaning: To be easily angered or irritated.
In a Sentence: Be careful what you say around Tom; he has a short fuse.
12. Cut to the Chase
Meaning: To get to the main point without wasting time.
In a Sentence: Don’t beat around the bush; cut to the chase and tell me what happened.
13. Get Bent Out of Shape
Meaning: To become very upset or angry.
In a Sentence: Mary got bent out of shape when she realized she had forgotten her wallet.
14. Boiling Mad
Meaning: Extremely angry or furious.
In a Sentence: When the dog chewed up her favorite shoes, Emily was boiling mad.
15. Blow One’s Top
Meaning: To lose one’s temper completely.
In a Sentence: If he hears that news, he might just blow his top.
16. Storm Out
Meaning: To leave a place angrily.
In a Sentence: After the argument, she stormed out of the room.
17. Have a Cow
Meaning: To become very upset or angry.
In a Sentence: Don’t have a cow; it’s just a small scratch on the car.
18. Throw a Tantrum
Meaning: To have an outburst of anger, often like a child.
In a Sentence: The toddler threw a tantrum when he couldn’t get the toy he wanted.
19. Ruffle Someone’s Feathers
Meaning: To upset or annoy someone.
In a Sentence: Making fun of his favorite team really ruffled Tom’s feathers.
20. Chew Someone Out
Meaning: To reprimand or scold someone angrily.
In a Sentence: The boss chewed me out for missing the deadline.
21. Be on the Warpath
Meaning: To be in a state of anger and ready to confront or challenge.
In a Sentence: Watch out! Dad’s on the warpath about the messy living room.
22. Go off the Deep End
Meaning: To become extremely upset or angry, often in an irrational way.
In a Sentence: If you mention her ex-boyfriend, she might go off the deep end.
23. Be Up in Arms
Meaning: To be very angry or upset about something.
In a Sentence: The community was up in arms when they heard about the proposed construction.
24. Get Hot Under the Collar
Meaning: To become angry or irritated.
In a Sentence: Don’t get hot under the collar; it’s just a friendly joke.
25. Take Umbrage
Meaning: To feel offended or take offense.
In a Sentence: He took umbrage at the comments and left the party.
26. Hit the Ceiling
Meaning: To become extremely angry or upset.
In a Sentence: When she found out about the broken vase, she hit the ceiling.
27. Have a Meltdown
Meaning: To have a sudden and intense emotional breakdown, often due to anger or frustration.
In a Sentence: After the computer crashed, he had a meltdown.
10 Quizzes About The Idiom in The Article
Quiz 1:
Sentence: After forgetting to do his homework, Mark’s teacher __ when she saw his empty notebook.
- a) Flew off the handle
- b) Blew a fuse
- c) Hit the roof
- d) Saw red
Quiz 2:
Sentence: When Sarah realized she left her phone at home, she had a __, attracting everyone’s attention.
- a) Meltdown
- b) Storm out
- c) Throw a tantrum
- d) Blow one’s top
Quiz 3:
Sentence: Tim always __ when someone questions his soccer skills.
- a) Has a cow
- b) Jumps down someone’s throat
- c) Bites someone’s head off
- d) Gets hot under the collar
Quiz 4:
Sentence: Despite being in a __, Lisa managed to complete her project on time.
- a) Foul mood
- b) Short fuse
- c) Warpath
- d) Up in arms
Quiz 5:
Sentence: Emily tends to __ when things don’t go her way, especially during board games.
- a) Go ballistic
- b) Be on the warpath
- c) Get bent out of shape
- d) Ruffle someone’s feathers
Quiz 6:
Sentence: After being criticized for his performance, James __ and left the meeting.
- a) Stormed out
- b) Hit the ceiling
- c) Had a meltdown
- d) Took umbrage
Quiz 7:
Sentence: Don’t mention the lost keys; it might make him __.
- a) Go off the deep end
- b) Cut to the chase
- c) Have a chip on his shoulder
- d) Get hot under the collar
Quiz 8:
Sentence: When the dog destroyed her favorite shoes, Katie was __.
- a) Boiling mad
- b) Chewing someone out
- c) Blowing a fuse
- d) Having a cow
Quiz 9:
Sentence: Jake tends to __ when someone interrupts him while he’s working.
- a) Blow one’s top
- b) Fly off the handle
- c) Have a meltdown
- d) Get bent out of shape
Quiz 10:
Sentence: After the argument, she __, leaving everyone in stunned silence.
- a) Jumped down someone’s throat
- b) Threw a tantrum
- c) Stormed out
- d) Blew a fuse
Answers: 1-c, 2-a, 3-c, 4-a, 5-c, 6-a, 7-a, 8-a, 9-b, 10-c.
Conclusion
You’ve just navigated the seas of angry idioms. Use these expressions wisely, and remember – words have power, especially when they’re as fiery as these idioms for anger.
