35 Idioms for Anger: Meanings, Examples, and Alternatives
Anger is a powerful emotion with many vivid expressions in English. Here are 35 unique idioms for anger, each explained with its meaning, an example in a sentence, and alternative phrases. Perfect for English learners wanting to express frustration, rage, or irritation naturally.
Explore the 35 Idioms for Anger
1. Blow a Fuse
Meaning: To suddenly become extremely angry and lose control.
Example: When the team lost the match due to a bad call, the coach blew a fuse on the sidelines.
Alternatives: Lose your temper, explode with anger, go ballistic.
2. Fly Off the Handle
Meaning: To become very angry suddenly and without warning.
Example: She flies off the handle every time someone interrupts her.
Alternatives: Snap, lose it, blow your top.
3. See Red
Meaning: To become intensely angry, often to the point of rage.
Example: I saw red when I discovered they had damaged my new car.
Alternatives: Become furious, see the red mist, boil with rage.
4. Hit the Roof
Meaning: To become extremely angry very quickly.
Example: Dad hit the roof when he saw the broken window from the ball game.
Alternatives: Hit the ceiling, go through the roof, explode.
5. Bite Someone’s Head Off
Meaning: To speak to someone very angrily and rudely for no good reason.
Example: Don’t bite my head off; I was only trying to help.
Alternatives: Snap at someone, lash out, chew someone out.
6. Hot Under the Collar
Meaning: Feeling angry or irritated, often visibly.
Example: He got hot under the collar during the heated debate.
Alternatives: Worked up, steamed up, agitated.
7. Make Your Blood Boil
Meaning: To cause extreme anger or fury.
Example: Seeing injustice like that really makes my blood boil.
Alternatives: Infuriate, enrage, drive someone mad.
8. Go Ballistic
Meaning: To become uncontrollably angry and explosive.
Example: She went ballistic when she found out about the betrayal.
Alternatives: Explode, go berserk, lose control.
9. Steam Coming Out of Your Ears
Meaning: To be extremely angry, as if visible steam is rising.
Example: After the insult, he had steam coming out of his ears.
Alternatives: Fuming, seething, livid.
10. Blow Your Top
Meaning: To lose your temper suddenly and dramatically.
Example: Mom blew her top when she saw the messy room.
Alternatives: Blow a gasket, erupt in anger, lose your rag.
11. Have a Short Fuse
Meaning: To get angry very easily and quickly.
Example: Be careful; he has a short fuse and can snap anytime.
Alternatives: Quick-tempered, easily irritated, touchy.
12. Bent Out of Shape
Meaning: To become upset or angry over something small.
Example: Don’t get bent out of shape; it’s just a minor mistake.
Alternatives: Get upset, take it personally, overreact.
13. Up in Arms
Meaning: To be very angry and protesting strongly.
Example: The neighbors were up in arms about the noisy party.
Alternatives: Outraged, protesting, in revolt.
14. Bristle with Anger
Meaning: To show obvious signs of anger or irritation.
Example: She bristled with anger when accused unfairly.
Alternatives: Seethe with rage, get defensive, flare up.
15. Lose Your Cool
Meaning: To become angry and stop being calm.
Example: Try not to lose your cool during the argument.
Alternatives: Lose composure, get flustered, crack under pressure.
16. Fit to Be Tied
Meaning: Extremely angry and frustrated.
Example: He was fit to be tied after the delay.
Alternatives: Livid, furious, hopping mad.
17. On the Warpath
Meaning: Actively seeking to confront or punish someone in anger.
Example: The boss is on the warpath after the error.
Alternatives: Out for revenge, seeking confrontation, angry and determined.
18. Spit Nails
Meaning: To be extremely angry and ready to explode.
Example: She was spitting nails when she heard the news.
Alternatives: Fuming mad, ready to burst, seething.
19. Foam at the Mouth
Meaning: To be uncontrollably angry, like rabies.
Example: He was foaming at the mouth after the insult.
Alternatives: Rage uncontrollably, be rabid with anger.
20. Rant and Rave
Meaning: To shout angrily and complain loudly.
Example: He ranted and raved about the poor service.
Alternatives: Rave angrily, go on a tirade.
21. Drive Someone Up the Wall
Meaning: To annoy or irritate someone greatly.
Example: His constant talking drives me up the wall.
Alternatives: Get on someone’s nerves, annoy intensely.
22. Get on Someone’s Nerves
Meaning: To irritate or bother someone repeatedly.
Example: The loud music gets on my nerves.
Alternatives: Irritate, bug someone, grate on nerves.
23. Have a Bone to Pick
Meaning: To have a reason to complain or argue with someone.
Example: I have a bone to pick with you about the missed deadline.
Alternatives: Have an issue, want to confront.
24. Give Someone a Piece of Your Mind
Meaning: To angrily tell someone exactly what you think.
Example: She gave him a piece of her mind for being late.
Alternatives: Tell off, scold angrily.
25. Get Someone’s Goat
Meaning: To annoy or irritate someone deliberately.
Example: His jokes always get my goat.
Alternatives: Rile up, provoke anger.
26. Rub Someone the Wrong Way
Meaning: To irritate someone unintentionally.
Example: His attitude rubs me the wrong way.
Alternatives: Annoy, grate on someone.
27. Flip Your Lid
Meaning: To become suddenly and extremely angry.
Example: She flipped her lid when the plan failed.
Alternatives: Lose it, blow up.
28. Boil Over
Meaning: Anger that builds up and explodes.
Example: His frustration finally boiled over.
Alternatives: Overflow with rage, erupt.
29. Burn Up
Meaning: To become very angry.
Example: The unfair decision burned me up.
Alternatives: Get furious, seethe.
30. Get Steamed Up
Meaning: To become angry or excited.
Example: Don’t get steamed up over nothing.
Alternatives: Get worked up, agitated.
31. Be in a Black Mood
Meaning: To be very angry or depressed.
Example: Stay away; he’s in a black mood today.
Alternatives: Foul mood, bad temper.
32. Go Off the Deep End
Meaning: To react with extreme anger or emotion.
Example: He went off the deep end over the small issue.
Alternatives: Overreact, lose control.
33. Have a Meltdown
Meaning: To lose control due to overwhelming anger or stress.
Example: She had a meltdown after the argument.
Alternatives: Break down, explode emotionally.
34. Vent Your Spleen
Meaning: To express anger forcefully.
Example: He vented his spleen about the injustice.
Alternatives: Let off steam, rant angrily.
35. That’s the Last Straw
Meaning: The final event that makes someone lose all patience.
Example: When he was late again, that was the last straw.
Alternatives: Final insult, breaking point.
Exercise to Practice: Anger Idioms Quiz Wizard
Test Your Knowledge: Anger Idioms Quiz (15 Questions)
Answer all questions to see your score. You must complete all before results.
Question 1 of 15
What does “blow a fuse” mean?
Sources
- Learn English Today: https://www.learn-english-today.com/idioms/idiom-categories/anger-annoyance/
- Leverage Edu: https://leverageedu.com/explore/learn-english/idioms-for-angry
- Idiom Insider: https://idiominsider.com/idioms-for-anger
- Improving Your English: https://improving-your-english.com/vocabulary/idioms/anger-idioms
- Idiom and Metaphor: https://idiomandmetaphor.com/idioms-for-anger
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