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terrible twos

American

[ter-uh-buhl tooz] / ˈtɛr ə bəl ˈtuz /

plural noun

a developmental phase in some toddlers characterized by temper tantrums, mood swings, defiance, and territorial behaviors.

The terrible twos have reduced my kiddo’s vocabulary to two words, “mine” and “no!”

Etymology

Origin of terrible twos

First recorded in 1950–55

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.

According to Long, the pup was in a stage akin to the terrible twos.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2024

Over and over in this year’s films, male characters throw elaborate temper tantrums, whining, huffing and raging like toddlers in their terrible twos.

From New York Times • Dec. 27, 2023

"She is growing up, turning into a little girl, hitting the terrible twos," her father Terry says with a laugh.

From BBC • Oct. 2, 2022

Hearing about the terrible twos and threenagers made Johnson brace for a nightmare.

From Washington Post • Dec. 9, 2019

One could find few pictures of my sister Tiffany, but Melina had entire albums devoted to her terrible twos.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

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