terrible twos

American  

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

plural noun

1. 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!”

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Etymology

Origin of terrible twos

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Yet few parents survive the terrible twos unscathed by humiliation and opprobrium as they struggle to calm children who are acting out in public.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 19, 2022

"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

The terrible twos, in my opinion, have nothing on the experience of having “threenagers.”

From Slate • May 20, 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