short fuse
Americannoun
noun
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.
These insights into Alice’s personality don’t excuse her short fuse, but they do mark her as worthy of redemption.
From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026
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
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
Despite that short fuse, linebacker Josey Jewell said he appreciates Payton’s high standards.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 23, 2023
He had a short fuse, that was just fact and anybody in the valley could have told you as much.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
