trigger
Americannoun
-
triggers
plural
-
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.
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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
-
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:
But if AI disappoints, a bust could trigger a sharp economic pullback, hitting rich and poor nations alike.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
They pointed out that if the amount of water flowing into Lake Mead decreases further, it will trigger the state’s right to sue its upriver neighbors for a violation of the compact.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Slower neutrons are more likely to trigger additional fission reactions in uranium, helping sustain the chain reaction needed for a working reactor.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
In the nearer term, he cautioned, even a small amount of S&P 500 underperformance could trigger that momentum crowd to flee, speeding up a selloff.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
I know all about hornets: If one sends out a distress signal, it can trigger a whole nest attack.
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
Tesla’s AI splurge triggers profit squeeze and rare cash burn.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 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
Building on earlier work, including a program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Stanford programmed the monitors with time delays and conditional triggers so that some monitor readings didn’t automatically set off an alarm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
He’s something of a whiz with snares, rigging them to bent saplings so they pull the kill out of the reach of predators, balancing logs on delicate stick triggers, weaving inescapable baskets to capture fish.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
The US-brokered ceasefire was the first phase of a deal to end the war in Gaza, which had been triggered by a deadly Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
That incident triggered the 2025 investigation that led to the removal of the children from the Arcadia mansion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Researchers found that increasing Menin helped protect cultured hippocampal cells against inflammation and a form of programmed cell death triggered by exposure to the stress hormone corticosterone.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
This cohort kept “buying the dip” even during April 2025, when a global trade war rattled professional investors and triggered a deep selloff.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
The pictures triggered a memory of something Jeremy had read.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
These experiments provided evidence that declining NRF2 activity can directly disrupt oligodendrocyte function, potentially triggering changes in myelin and nerve fibers that contribute to cognitive decline.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
The Norte fire in south Orange County broke out amid strong Santa Ana winds on Friday morning, triggering mandatory evacuations in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
For that reason, he said now is an opportune moment to invest in gold and silver, pointing to monetary easing triggering a bull market for commodities.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
South Korea’s Kospi rose 3.6% after falling 7.6% and triggering a temporary trading halt in the previous session.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
That Great Leap Forward poses two major unresolved questions, regarding its triggering cause and its geographic location.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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