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
-
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
-
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:
A surprise in hiring or wages could shift expectations for interest rates and trigger fresh volatility.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026
Oil prices fell 8% Wednesday in a move that will ease mining costs and help tame rising inflation that could trigger interest rate rises.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Let's have one moment that can trigger it.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
That disturbance could have helped trigger the enormous release of material that later formed dust and obscured part of the star's light.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
Worse, too-frequent relapse of memory, often in association with trigger object.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
"They emit this very annoying buzz. It triggers my fight or flight response," says the 44-year-old administrative assistant.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
"Weaker or less durable AI investments and profitability could be a shock that triggers a market correction," the report said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026
Tesla’s AI splurge triggers profit squeeze and rare cash burn.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
"This study offers a framework for understanding how different triggers can converge to cause the exact same profound clinical exhaustion."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
I realized I had been suffering from performance anxiety in the moments before competing and had to learn how to manage these anxieties and disarm some of the triggers.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
An Austrian archduke’s visit to Sarajevo in 1914 triggered the war that nearly destroyed European civilization.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
Recounts can be requested by candidates in close races, and in some states recounts are automatically triggered if they fall within a certain margin.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Sean Callow, senior currency strategist at ITC Markets, said the selling may have been triggered by news that the vote to hike was split.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
Some researchers previously suggested that climate change or unusually extreme weather might have triggered the disappearances.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026
Jesper caught himself nervously wiggling the baleen wedged between his teeth with his tongue and forced himself to stop before he triggered it.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
August brought Super Typhoon Dolphin, which churned across the Pacific for 16 days - before slamming into eastern China, triggering heavy floods and dozens of casualties.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Carried by winds to nearby Singapore and Malaysia, the toxic smog has in recent weeks impacted populations across maritime South East Asia, triggering respiratory illnesses and headaches.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
It turned out that rich countries could borrow a lot more than many fiscally conservative economists believed without triggering the sort of crises that hit Greece and Argentina.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
The film, starring Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as grizzled spies on Easter Island in 1973, got a similar reception from gala festival audiences in Venice and Toronto in September, triggering instant Oscar chatter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
“The triggering circuit,” Kadalyi said cheerfully, “isn’t attached. It remains with me. You see?”
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
