trigger

[ trig-er ]

/ ˈtrɪg ər /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: trigger / triggered / triggering / triggers on Thesaurus.com

noun

a small projecting tongue in a firearm that, when pressed by the finger, actuates the mechanism that discharges the weapon.

a device, as a lever, the pulling or pressing of which releases a catch or spring.

anything, as an act or event, that serves as a stimulus and initiates or precipitates a reaction or series of reactions.

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.

Slang. triggerman.

verb (used with object)

to initiate or precipitate (a chain of events, scientific reaction, psychological process, etc.): Their small protest triggered a mass demonstration.

to fire or explode (a gun, missile, etc.) by pulling a trigger or releasing a triggering device: He accidentally triggered his rifle.

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)

to release a trigger.

to become active; activate.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about trigger

quick on the trigger, Informal. quick to act or respond; impetuous; alert.

Origin of trigger

First recorded in 1615–25; earlier tricker, from Dutch trekker, equivalent to trekk(en) “to pull” + -er -er¹

Words nearby trigger

trigeminal nerve, trigeminal neuralgia, trigeneration, Trigère, trig function, trigger, triggered, trigger finger, triggerfish, trigger-happy, triggerman

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use trigger in a sentence

So if the media agency wants to pull the trigger, it’s a simple export or recreation for an actual activation.
Media Buying Briefing: To own or not to own, that’s the question with agencies and data — Part I: Publicis/Epsilon|jim cooper|January 25, 2021|Digiday
The process of marketing a children’s magazine to parents You’ve got a really interesting set of purchase triggers that you go through.
‘Convince the gatekeepers’: How The Week Jr. is growing its U.S. subscriber base|Kayleigh Barber|January 19, 2021|Digiday
Understanding your triggers means you can avoid them, but more importantly it means you can identify in advance when something might make you feel anxious—and therefore, you can recognize early on when you’re experiencing anxiety.
How to keep your anxiety from spiraling out of control|Sara Chodosh|January 15, 2021|Popular-Science
Here, the task force recommends that Congress potentially clarify a trigger for a transition to begin, rather than leaving it to the discretion of officials.
How to avoid another election year like 2020|Jen Kirby|January 15, 2021|Vox

If you find any resistance—meaning, you find a trigger point or any kind of stiffness in your temporalis—stop the movement and apply whatever pressure you’re comfortable with for 30 seconds to a minute.
A step-by-step guide to giving yourself a massage|Sandra Gutierrez G.|January 14, 2021|Popular-Science
One report has the AirAsia Airbus flying at a speed very close to what would trigger a low speed stall.
Did Bad Weather Bring Down AirAsia 8501?|Clive Irving|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
People felt that crossed all lines, and then it became a story, so there are tipping points that trigger a public response.
Laura Poitras on Snowden's Unrevealed Secrets|Marlow Stern|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was the one to trigger the detonator, and for that I take full responsibility.
Hell Hath No Fury Like Valerie Trierweiler, the French President’s Ex|Lizzie Crocker|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even private institutions, which most likely have less bureaucratic hurdles to deal with, have been slow to pull the trigger.
Millions Promised for Ebola Not Adding Up|Abby Haglage|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But witnesses say Muataz definitely was the shooter, and he even went so far as to apologize to Glick before pulling the trigger.
In Jerusalem Home Demolitions, the Biblical Justice of Revenge|Creede Newton|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"I ordered you not to come," said Aspinall: "I can still pull a trigger, Sir," replied the man.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
Not while I had the open prairie underfoot and the summer sky above, and hands to strike a blow or pull a trigger.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Every thicket will have its troop; every finger, for a hundred leagues round, will be on the trigger.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
The gunner, who sits on the seat behind the gun, points it and pulls the trigger.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick
Inside the case was some sort of a trigger mechanism operated by a button on the outside.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various

British Dictionary definitions for trigger

trigger

/ (ˈtrɪɡə) /

noun

a small projecting lever that activates the firing mechanism of a firearm

machinery a device that releases a spring-loaded mechanism or a similar arrangement

any event that sets a course of action in motion

verb (tr)

(usually foll by off) to give rise (to); set off

to fire or set in motion by or as by pulling a trigger

Derived forms of trigger

triggered, adjectivetriggerless, adjective

Word Origin for trigger

C17 tricker, from Dutch trekker, from trekken to pull; see trek

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with trigger

trigger

In addition to the idiom beginning with trigger

trigger happy

also see:

quick on the draw (trigger)

trigger

Idioms about trigger

Origin of trigger

Words nearby trigger

Words related to trigger

How to use trigger in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for trigger

Derived forms of trigger

Word Origin for trigger

Other Idioms and Phrases with trigger