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Slang dictionary results for triggered
Synonyms

triggered

American  
[trig-erd] / ˈtrɪg ərd /

adjective

  1. started, set in motion, or released by a specified thing or in a specified way.

    I saw an article online about obesity-triggered heart disease.

    When any of the cameras detects a motion, the LCD screen displays live video from the triggered camera.

  2. fired or exploded by pulling a trigger or releasing a triggering device.

    One of the triggered missiles blew up in the second level of the building, injuring three people.

  3. having an intense negative emotional reaction to something, usually something connected with past trauma or a bad experience.

    When a stressful social encounter makes me feel triggered and panicky, I try to distance myself from the situation.

    Consider using a triggered state, such as anger or anxiety, as a signal to yourself to pause and relax.


verb

  1. the simple past tense and past participle of trigger.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of triggered

trigger ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )

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.

Pilgrims perform most of the hajj's rites outdoors where more than a million devotees gather in stifling conditions, with many attendees succumbing to heatstroke, fainting spells and even cardiac arrest triggered by the heat.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

Now she says she is constantly stressed, triggered even when she watches movies in which female characters are depicted as working or studying.

From BBC • May 24, 2026

Firefighters have determined that the emergency was triggered by a failure of the tank’s internal cooling system on Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026

A frozen housing market has further eroded demand, stalling the renovations and big-ticket home-furnishing purchases typically triggered by a move.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

The invention of the double-outrigger sailing canoe may have been the technological breakthrough that triggered the Austronesian expansion from the Chinese mainland.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

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