trigger-happy

[trig-er-hap-ee] / ˈtrɪg ərˌhæp i /

ADJECTIVE

combative

Synonyms

STRONGEST

antagonistic bellicose belligerent cantankerous contentious energetic

WEAK

cussed fire-eating gladiatorial hawkish militant ornery pugnacious quarrelsome ructious scrappy strenuous truculent warlike warring

Antonyms

STRONGEST

kind nice

WEAK

agreeable compromising peaceful peaceloving

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.

It is designed to weed out the insecure and trigger-happy, the reckless hotheads with something to prove.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

Many of those stocks soon after clawed back much of their losses, leaving some investors to describe the market as trigger-happy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

Don’t get trigger-happy and sell because of headlines.

From Barron's • Nov. 20, 2025

Paranoid or jealous people who want to believe the rest of the world is out to get them tend to be trigger-happy.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2023

The man in charge saw Gilgamesh on the alarm screens and got trigger-happy.

From The Lost Kafoozalum by Ashwell, Pauline

trigger-happy

Example Sentences

Related Words