Synonyms

short fuse

American

noun

a quick temper.

A person with a short fuse has to be handled diplomatically.

short fuse British

noun

informal a quick temper

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of short fuse

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The author is a fan of this feminist hero but acknowledges that Rankin was a family tyrant with a short fuse.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

Maynes remembers Combs having a short fuse in the office, sometimes banging "his hands up against the desk" like a "bratty kid" and yelling if he did not get his way.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2025

Former Kraken defenseman Jeremy Lauzon played with an aggressive, short fuse that way, always on high alert and ready to instantly respond to the slightest provocation.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 13, 2023

Brad Bannon, a Democratic strategist, didn’t deny that Mr. Biden showed a short fuse with the press, but he chalked it up to the stress and challenges of a tough midterm campaign entering the homestretch.

From Washington Times • Oct. 21, 2022

Finally the short fuse of his patience burned out.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023