Idioms About Anger with Meaning and Examples

Idioms are expressions that don’t mean exactly what the words say but have a hidden, often colorful meaning. When it comes to anger, English has many idioms that describe this strong emotion in unique ways. These sayings are used in everyday conversations and help to paint a picture of how someone feels. Learning these idioms can make understanding and speaking English more fun and interesting. They show how language can be creative and express feelings in different ways. Here, we will explore some common idioms about anger, explaining their meanings and giving examples to help you understand and use them in your conversations.

Idioms for Anger

Get someone’s dander up

1. • Meaning: Make someone angry.
   • Example: That rude remark got her dander up.

Up in arms

1. • Meaning: Very angry, ready to protest.
   • Example: The community was up in arms over the proposed highway.

Seeing red

1. • Meaning: Extremely angry.
   • Example: When he found out about the betrayal, he was seeing red.

Spitting nails

1. • Meaning: Extremely angry.
   • Example: She was spitting nails after her project was rejected.

Bristle with rage

1. • Meaning: Show anger visibly.
   • Example: He bristled with rage when confronted.

Go ballistic

1. • Meaning: Become extremely angry.
   • Example: He went ballistic when he found out about the extra charges.

Fire breathing

1. • Meaning: Very angry, ferocious.
   • Example: The fire-breathing boss scared all the new employees.

Fit to be tied

1. • Meaning: Extremely angry.
   • Example: He was fit to be tied when he found out his flight was canceled.

Fly off the handle

Meaning: Suddenly become extremely angry.

Example: He flew off the handle when he saw the broken window.

On the warpath

1. • Meaning: Extremely angry and looking for confrontation.
   • Example: After the mistake, the boss was on the warpath.

Bite someone’s head off

1. • Meaning: Respond angrily to someone.
   • Example: She bit my head off when I asked if she needed help.

Red mist

1. • Meaning: A state of extreme anger.
   • Example: When he was insulted, a red mist descended on him.

Get bent out of shape

1. • Meaning: Become very upset or angry.
   • Example: Don’t get bent out of shape over little things!

Throw a tantrum

1. • Meaning: Display a fit of anger, usually childishly.
   • Example: The child threw a tantrum in the store.

Kick up a fuss

1. • Meaning: Make a loud complaint or protest.
   • Example: They’re going to kick up a fuss about the new regulations.

Steam coming out of one’s ears

1. • Meaning: Extremely angry.
   • Example: You could almost see steam coming out of his ears when he heard the news.

At the end of one’s rope

1. • Meaning: Losing patience.
   • Example: I’m at the end of my rope with these delays.

Lose one’s cool

1. • Meaning: Become angry or agitated.
   • Example: Try not to lose your cool during the negotiation.

Hopping mad

1. • Meaning: Very angry.
   • Example: She was hopping mad after her team lost the game.

Ruffle someone’s feathers

1. • Meaning: Annoy or irritate someone.
   • Example: His comments ruffled a few feathers in the meeting.

Blow a fuse

1. • Meaning: Lose one’s temper.
   • Example: She blew a fuse when she realized her car was towed.

Blow your stack

1. • Meaning: Lose your temper.
   • Example: He blew his stack when he saw the bill.

Boil over

1. • Meaning: Lose one’s temper, like a liquid boiling over a container.
   • Example: Her frustration finally boiled over during the meeting.

Foaming at the mouth

1. • Meaning: Extremely angry, almost to the point of irrationality.
   • Example: He was foaming at the mouth with rage during the argument.

Give someone an earful

1. • Meaning: Scold or express one’s anger vocally.
   • Example: She gave him an earful for coming home late.

Have a cow

1. • Meaning: Overreact with anger or concern.
   • Example: My mom will have a cow if she finds out I failed my test.

Blow one’s top

1. • Meaning: To become extremely angry.
   • Example: She blew her top when she saw the mess in the kitchen.

Chew someone out

1. • Meaning: Scold or reprimand someone harshly.
   • Example: The coach chewed the team out after they lost the game.

Hot under the collar

1. • Meaning: Angrily agitated or annoyed.
   • Example: He got hot under the collar during the debate.

See smoke

1. • Meaning: Become very angry.
   • Example: He saw smoke when he heard about the fraud.

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