trigger
Americannoun
-
triggers
plural
-
a small projecting tongue in a firearm that, when pressed by the finger, actuates the mechanism that discharges the weapon.
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a device, as a lever, the pulling or pressing of which releases a catch or spring.
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anything, as an act or event, that serves as a stimulus and initiates or precipitates a reaction or series of reactions.
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something that evokes the memory of a traumatic experience, setting off an intense negative emotional reaction.
This issue of the magazine contains accounts of sexual assault, and may be a trigger for some people.
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Slang. triggerman.
verb (used with object)
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triggers,
present (3rd person singular)
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triggered,
past participle, past
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triggering
present participle
-
to initiate or precipitate (a chain of events, scientific reaction, psychological process, etc.).
Their small protest triggered a mass demonstration.
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to fire or explode (a gun, missile, etc.) by pulling a trigger or releasing a triggering device.
He accidentally triggered his rifle.
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to set off a negative emotional reaction in (someone), as by evoking the memory of a traumatic experience, repeatedly raising a sensitive issue, etc..
I missed seeing my mom in the ICU before she died, and imagining her there triggers me every time I see ICU footage on TV.
verb (used without object)
-
triggers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
triggered,
past participle, past
-
triggering
present participle
-
to release a trigger.
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to become active; activate.
idioms
noun
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a small projecting lever that activates the firing mechanism of a firearm
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machinery a device that releases a spring-loaded mechanism or a similar arrangement
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any event that sets a course of action in motion
verb
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(usually foll by off) to give rise (to); set off
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to fire or set in motion by or as by pulling a trigger
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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triggersimple
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triggerssimple
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have triggeredperfect
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has triggeredperfect
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am triggeringprogressive
-
are triggeringprogressive
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is triggeringprogressive
-
have been triggeringperfect progressive
-
has been triggeringperfect progressive
Past
-
triggeredsimple
-
had triggeredperfect
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was triggeringprogressive
-
were triggeringprogressive
-
had been triggeringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of trigger
First recorded in 1615–25; earlier tricker, from Dutch trekker, equivalent to trekk(en) “to pull” + -er -er 1
Explanation
A trigger is a metal lever that when pulled discharges a gun. You shoot the gun by pulling the trigger. Trigger can also mean the start of a process––violent protests might trigger a revolution. Certain scents, places, or old love songs can be said to trigger, or activate, memories. If you get weepy when you hear the national anthem, that may be because it triggers thoughts of family, home, baseball and the Fourth of July. For someone in frail health, a seemingly minor problem like getting a common cold, might trigger a series of physical responses that end up landing them in the hospital.
Vocabulary lists containing trigger
"Fears and Phobias," Vocabulary from the article
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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.
See Examples For:
I checked that all the gear was secure and then squeezed the trigger.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026
He said Malaysia has been taking measures to combat the haze, including increasing attempts to trigger rain via cloud seeding.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
The larger permitting challenges frequently arise when federal approvals are required, particularly when projects cross federal lands or otherwise trigger federal regulatory or legal review.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
In central Chile, it is expected to trigger above-average rainfall.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Starting now, the wizards of the Order of the Clean Hand are going to send out the trigger signal every five minutes.
From "The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge" by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin
She listed anorexia and severe stress, such as going through a divorce, as other possible triggers.
From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2026
"Ultra-processed food triggers dopamine, the pleasure hormone, which promotes craving. Food companies work with scientists to find just the right amount of sugar, salt, and fat that make you want to eat more and more."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
Even moving something from one box to another triggers a brief encounter with the past.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
"Our industry can be crushed" if a court win for TikTok triggers "unbridled" AI voice cloning on social media, actor Bin Shimada told AFP.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
“It could be the pills are delaying your sickness. Even without any pills, it could be you just haven’t met any of your triggers yet.”
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
The uproar at her eviction triggered national demonstrations, with hundreds of people camping in central Madrid's Puerta del Sol square in the most symbolic protest.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
The “Avengers” star previously opened up about his hometown of Montecito, noting that the emotional weight of the change triggered some physical side effects.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
The event was meant to herald Jaguar's future as a luxury all-electric marque, but it triggered a furious backlash in the press and on social media.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
His final journey through three countries triggered concerns about the number of people he could have been in contact with along the way.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
The name triggered a memory, something I hadn’t thought of for years.
From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
Over the past decade, legal activists have successfully taken a number of national governments to court, triggering the adoption of more climate-friendly policies in countries including the Netherlands, Pakistan, Switzerland, South Korea and others.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
In late June, footage of a young Muslim man kicking a dog following Hindu pilgrims circulated widely on social media, triggering religious arguments online.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
In effect, the measure would allow the governor and the Legislature to put more money into budget reserves, creating another option to avoid triggering rebates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
The compound acts on a specific amino acid within the protein, triggering a pathway associated with cardiovascular benefits.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026
At the periphery, interstellar matter is compressed by the supernova shock wave, triggering new generations of cloud collapse and star formation.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
