triggered

[trig-erd]

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

• untriggered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of triggered¹

trigger ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

In scrambling over Franco’s back fence, the two triggered a motion sensor light.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Thousands have been killed and millions displaced since a military coup in 2021, which triggered a civil war with armed resistance groups and ethnic militias.

Read more on BBC

When strands of DNA - our genetic building blocks - are damaged, a mechanism is triggered whereby another undamaged strand of DNA is used as a template to repair the break.

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News of the agreement triggered celebrations across Gaza, with residents exhausted by Israel’s no-holds-barred assault that had upended their lives, erased entire families and brought famine to the enclave expressing cautious hope.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A minor move in mortgage rates triggered a strong reaction from borrowers.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bring about 
• cause 
• generate 
• produce 
• prompt 
• provoke 
• set off 
• spark 
• start