We all get angry sometimes, but do you know how to express it in English? Using angry idioms is a fun and creative way to show your frustration or rage.
In this article, you will learn 45 idioms of angry, with their meanings and examples. Whether you’re feeling upset or just want to sound more natural in conversations, these idioms will help you speak like a native.
Keep reading to discover how to use these angry idioms in everyday situations!
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45 Angry Idioms with Meanings and Examples
- Blow a fuse
Meaning: To become extremely angry or lose one’s temper.
Example: He blew a fuse when he found out his car had been towed.
- Go ballistic
Meaning: To become extremely angry or to lose control.
Example: She went ballistic when she saw the mess in the kitchen.
- Lose one’s cool
Meaning: To lose control of one’s temper.
Example: He usually keeps his calm, but he lost his cool during the meeting.
- Hit the roof
Meaning: To become very angry.
Example: She hit the roof when she heard the news about the broken vase.
- Blow one’s top
Meaning: To become very angry.
Example: I could tell he was about to blow his top when he found out the deadline was moved up.
- Lose it
Meaning: To lose control of oneself, especially in anger.
Example: He lost it when the waiter spilled wine on his favorite shirt.
- Fly off the handle
Meaning: To suddenly become very angry.
Example: He flew off the handle when his colleague made a sarcastic remark.
- Have a fit
Meaning: To have an emotional outburst, usually anger.
Example: She had a fit when she saw the damage to her car.
- Fume with anger
Meaning: To be very angry and show it.
Example: He was fuming with anger when he heard the unfair decision.
- See red
Meaning: To become very angry or enraged.
Example: She saw red when she found out someone had lied to her.
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- Throw a tantrum
Meaning: To have an outburst of anger, typically in a dramatic and childish way.
Example: He threw a tantrum when his plans got canceled last minute.
- At the end of one’s rope
Meaning: To be at the point of losing patience due to frustration or anger.
Example: After hours of waiting, she was at the end of her rope.
- Ruffle someone’s feathers
Meaning: To upset or irritate someone.
Example: The comment about her outfit really ruffled her feathers.
- Get on someone’s nerves
Meaning: To irritate or annoy someone.
Example: The constant noise from the construction site is getting on my nerves.
- Steam coming out of one’s ears
Meaning: To be so angry that it seems as if steam is literally coming out of your ears.
Example: He was so furious that there was steam coming out of his ears.
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- Bite someone’s head off
Meaning: To reply to someone in an angry, rude, or harsh manner.
Example: She bit my head off when I asked her about the project deadline.
- Spit fire
Meaning: To speak or act in a very angry way.
Example: He was spitting fire when he found out that his promotion was given to someone else.
- Throw a fit
Meaning: To react angrily or become upset.
Example: The child threw a fit when he was told he couldn’t go outside.
- Blow off steam
Meaning: To release pent-up frustration or anger.
Example: I went for a run to blow off some steam after the argument.
- Have a short fuse
Meaning: To become angry quickly and easily.
Example: She has a short fuse when it comes to people interrupting her.
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- Go off the deep end
Meaning: To become very angry, often to the point of irrational behavior.
Example: He went off the deep end when his team lost the match.
- Flip one’s lid
Meaning: To suddenly become very angry.
Example: She flipped her lid when she realized she had missed the flight.
- Throw in the towel
Meaning: To give up, often after frustration.
Example: After hours of trying to fix the car, he threw in the towel.
- Raise one’s hackles
Meaning: To make someone angry or upset.
Example: His rude comments really raised her hackles.
- Get under one’s skin
Meaning: To annoy or irritate someone.
Example: His constant talking really gets under my skin.
- Burn with rage
Meaning: To feel intense anger.
Example: She burned with rage when she heard the unfair accusation.
- Be on the warpath
Meaning: To be angry and ready to argue or fight.
Example: He was on the warpath after discovering the office mistake.
- Furious as a bull
Meaning: Extremely angry.
Example: He was as furious as a bull when he found out his promotion was given to someone else.
- Go through the roof
Meaning: To become very angry or upset.
Example: She went through the roof when she found out about the surprise party plans.
- Kick up a fuss
Meaning: To complain or protest angrily about something.
Example: He kicked up a fuss when his favorite restaurant closed early.
- Be a hothead
Meaning: To be prone to sudden and excessive anger.
Example: He’s a hothead and often gets into arguments without thinking.
- Chomp at the bit
Meaning: To be impatient and ready to act, often due to anger or frustration.
Example: She was chomping at the bit to confront him after the insult.
- Jump down someone’s throat
Meaning: To angrily interrupt or criticize someone.
Example: He jumped down her throat when she suggested a change in the project plan.
- Lose one’s temper
Meaning: To become angry, usually to the point of losing control.
Example: She lost her temper after hearing the rude remarks from her colleague.
- Gnash one’s teeth
Meaning: To show frustration or anger through facial expressions.
Example: He was gnashing his teeth in frustration after the failed meeting.
- Let off steam
Meaning: To express anger or frustration in a way that reduces tension.
Example: After the argument, he went for a walk to let off steam.
- A hair-trigger temper
Meaning: A temper that can be easily set off.
Example: She has a hair-trigger temper and gets upset over the smallest things.
- Burn with fury
Meaning: To be intensely furious.
Example: He burned with fury when he found out that someone had stolen his idea.
- Be in a stew
Meaning: To be in a state of agitation or anger.
Example: She was in a stew after hearing the news about her demotion.
- Throw a hissy fit
Meaning: To have a temper tantrum.
Example: The child threw a hissy fit when she didn’t get the toy she wanted.
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- Be beside oneself with anger
Meaning: To be overwhelmed with rage.
Example: He was beside himself with anger after the unfair treatment.
- Burn the candle at both ends
Meaning: To work excessively hard, causing stress and irritability.
Example: She burned the candle at both ends and was irritable all week.
- Cuss someone out
Meaning: To angrily criticize or swear at someone.
Example: He cussed the driver out after his car was nearly hit.
- Let someone have it
Meaning: To scold or yell at someone angrily.
Example: She let him have it when he broke her favorite vase.
- Get in someone’s face
Meaning: To confront someone aggressively or angrily.
Example: He got in my face about the report being late.
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Exercises to Practice Angry Idioms
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the sentences with the correct angry idiom from the list.
- When I found out that my flight was delayed, I was about to ___________.
- She really ___________ when she heard someone had taken her parking spot.
- I could see that he was starting to ___________ when the meeting went off track.
- Sarah ___________ when she realized that her presentation was lost.
- He was so angry, it looked like there was ___________ coming out of his ears.
Exercise 2: Match the Idiom to its Meaning
Match each idiom on the left with its correct meaning on the right.
- Blow a fuse
- Get on someone’s nerves
- Throw a hissy fit
- Go off the deep end
- Lose one’s cool
a) To act in an overly dramatic and angry manner
b) To lose control of one’s temper
c) To make someone very irritated
d) To become very angry suddenly
e) To become extremely enraged
Exercise 3: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct answer for each sentence.
- If she keeps getting frustrated about every little thing, she’ll ___________.
- a) get on someone’s nerves
- b) lose her cool
- c) bite someone’s head off
- d) blow a fuse
- He was so upset that he ___________ when he realized the mistake.
- a) blew a fuse
- b) threw in the towel
- c) kicked up a fuss
- d) went ballistic
- You can always tell when he’s mad because he ___________ instantly.
- a) flips his lid
- b) goes off the deep end
- c) blows off steam
- d) raises his hackles
Exercise 4: True or False
Read the sentences and decide if the use of the idiom is correct. Write “True” or “False.”
- When Jane saw the broken vase, she went ballistic. (True/False)
- He’s known for blowing off steam by going for a walk when he’s upset. (True/False)
- After working nonstop, she started to feel more relaxed and calm, not at the end of her rope. (True/False)
- He flipped his lid when he got a compliment. (True/False)
Exercise 5: Write Your Own Sentences
Write sentences using at least five of the angry idioms you’ve learned. Try to use each idiom in a different context.
Answers to Exercises for Practicing Angry Idioms
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
- When I found out that my flight was delayed, I was about to blow a fuse.
- She really hit the roof when she heard someone had taken her parking spot.
- I could see that he was starting to lose his cool when the meeting went off track.
- Sarah went ballistic when she realized that her presentation was lost.
- He was so angry, it looked like there was steam coming out of his ears.
Exercise 2: Match the Idiom to its Meaning
- Blow a fuse – e) To become extremely enraged
- Get on someone’s nerves – c) To make someone very irritated
- Throw a hissy fit – a) To act in an overly dramatic and angry manner
- Go off the deep end – d) To become very angry suddenly
- Lose one’s cool – b) To lose control of one’s temper
Exercise 3: Multiple Choice
- If she keeps getting frustrated about every little thing, she’ll ___________.
- b) lose her cool
- He was so upset that he ___________ when he realized the mistake.
- a) blew a fuse
- You can always tell when he’s mad because he ___________ instantly.
- a) flips his lid
Exercise 4: True or False
- When Jane saw the broken vase, she went ballistic. (True)
- He’s known for blowing off steam by going for a walk when he’s upset. (True)
- After working nonstop, she started to feel more relaxed and calm, not at the end of her rope. (False – “At the end of her rope” means she’s about to lose patience or is frustrated, not relaxed.)
- He flipped his lid when he got a compliment. (False – “Flipped his lid” means to get very angry, not to react to a compliment.)
Exercise 5: Write Your Own Sentences
(Here are some example sentences, feel free to create your own!)
- He was so angry about the late delivery, he blew a fuse.
- Every time he talks, he gets on my nerves.
- When she didn’t get what she wanted for her birthday, she threw a hissy fit.
- John was so upset that he went off the deep end and started yelling at everyone.
- After the argument, I decided to go for a run to blow off steam.
Conclusion:
Now that you’ve learned 45 angry idioms, you can express your anger in a more interesting way.
These idioms of angry will make your speech more colorful and help you sound more fluent in English.
Don’t be afraid to use these expressions next time you feel frustrated or annoyed. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll be using these angry idioms without even thinking!
