ready to fire a gun at the least provocation, regardless of the situation or probable consequences.
a trigger-happy hunter.
heedless and foolhardy in matters of great importance and recklessly advocating action that can result in war.
Some called him a trigger-happy candidate.
eager to point out the mistakes or shortcomings of others; aggressively or wantonly critical.
He's a trigger-happy editor with a nervous blue pencil.
tending to resort to the use of firearms or violence irresponsibly
tending to act rashly or without due consideration
First recorded in 1940–45
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Nah ah / Don’t get, don’t get trigger happy with me, Claudine.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
But opponents fear people will become trigger happy and not take other precautions against bears.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 7, 2024
“I feel like in the first half I was a little antsy, and I was a little trigger happy just by being excited and being in the atmosphere,” Hemby said.
From Washington Times • Sep. 10, 2023
As one veteran of the May and Johnson premierships put it: "Some of the 2019 intake are feeling trigger happy."
From BBC • Jan. 13, 2022
Mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle and get trigger happy around those openings.
From Salon • Sep. 12, 2021
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.
