Are you looking for some good angry idioms?
If so, you are in the right place.
Let’s take a look at 39 common angry idioms and how to use them.
39 Angry Idioms And Phrases (Meaning & Examples)
1. To Fly Off The Handle
- Meaning: used to describe a person that suddenly gets really angry.
- Use In A Sentence: Every time someone talks about the changes in the school policy, Jessica flies off the handle.
2. To Blow A Fuse
- Meaning: to lose one’s temper.
- Use In A Sentence: Dad blew a fuse when he found out that my brother had skipped school that day. Good thing he didn’t realize Cathy skipped school too.
3. To Have A Short Fuse
- Meaning: a person who gets angry very easily. A person with a short temper.
- Use In A Sentence: I always thought Jeff was a calm person, but after spending a weekend with him I learned he has a short fuse.
4. To Have A Fit
- Meaning: to become very upset.
- Use In A Sentence: Don’t have a fit! I will clean up the living room when I am done. In the meantime, I need to use the room for my art project.
5. To Drive One Up A Wall
- Meaning: to annoy someone to the point that they get upset.
- Use In A Sentence: The neighbor’s dog drives my dad up a wall. If they don’t learn to keep their dog quiet, I am afraid my dad my do something he will later regret.
6. To Flip Out
- Meaning: to suddenly become angry.
- Use In A Sentence: Dad is going to flip out when he finds out that we broke the back window playing soccer in the house. I just hope I’m not here when he finds out.
7. The Last Straw
- Meaning: the final irritation that causes a person to lose his patience and become very upset.
- Use In A Sentence: Ok, that is the last straw! I can’t take this anymore! I told you, kids, to stop fighting, but now I am going to turn the car around and we are going home.
8. To Be Mad As A Hornet
- Meaning: to be enraged.
- Use In A Sentence: He was as mad as a hornet when he saw the damage to the house.
9. To Get One’s Panties In A Bunch/Knot
- Meaning: to get angry about something.
- Use In A Sentence: Don’t get your panties in a bunch, I am sure it was just a misunderstanding.
10. To Get/Be Hot Under The Collar
- Meaning: to become upset.
- Use In A Sentence: I know you are hot under the collar about what happened at work, but please try to calm down. Let’s go for a walk and talk about it.
11. To Blow A Gasket
- Meaning: to lose one’s temper.
- Use In A Sentence: Hurry up, we need to get this done. If the boss comes back and we aren’t yet finished, he is going to blow a gasket.
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12. Don’t Get Mad, Get Even
- Meaning: to use your anger to seek revenge on someone that hurt you.
- Use In A Sentence: Don’t get mad, get even! Think about what we can do to get him back.
13. To Have A Conniption
- Meaning: to get very angry.
- Use In A Sentence: Dad is going to have a conniption when he finds out that Barry damaged his truck.
14. To Have A Cow
- Meaning: to get upset over something.
- Use In A Sentence: Don’t have a cow! I will pay for the damages. Just tell me how much I owe you.
15. To Have A Bone To Pick With Someone
- Meaning: when a person does something that annoys you or upsets you and you want to talk to them about it. It usually means there is going to be a disagreement.
- Use In A Sentence: I have a bone to pick with you! You told me that you were going to meet me at the library, but you never did!
16. To Jump Down One’s Throat
- Meaning: to get angry with someone because of something they said or did. It usually results in a lot of yelling.
- Use In A Sentence: Don’t jump down my throat! I am just telling you what he told me.
17. To Piss Off
- Meaning: (slang) to greatly irritate someone.
- Use In A Sentence: John was pissed off when he learned that he had to work tomorrow even though he had requested the day off.
18. To Go Off The Deep End
- Meaning: someone that becomes very upset.
- Use In A Sentence: Mark went off the deep end when he found out I totaled his car. I don’t blame him though, if the situation was reversed, I’d be quite upset too.
19. To Flip One’s Wig
- Meaning: to suddenly become filled with anger.
- Use In A Sentence: Stanley always flips his wig when we start talking about how much better things used to be.
20. To Be Hopping Mad About Something
- Meaning: to get upset about something.
- Use In A Sentence: Dad was hopping mad when he saw my brother’s report card.
21. Bent Out Of Shape
- Meaning: to be angry.
- Use In A Sentence: Don’t get all bent out of shape, I am sure she didn’t mean anything by what she said. She is just ahving a bad day and is taking it out on you.
22. To Tick Off
- Meaning: to make someone angry.
- Use In A Sentence: It ticks me off that he never returned my call.
23. To Do A Slow Burn
- Meaning: to slowly become angry over a long period of time.
- Use In A Sentence: It makes him do a slow burn when he has to wait in line for hours.
24. To Step On One’s Toes
- Meaning: to annoy, irritate, insult or upset someone.
- Use In A Sentence: Are you sure I won’t be stepping on Erika’s toes if I host the family dinner this time?
25. To Be As Mad As A Wet Hen
- Meaning: enraged.
- Use In A Sentence: He was as mad as a wet hen when he saw the damage done to his car.
26. To Hit The Roof/Ceiling
- Meaning: to become angry.
- Use In A Sentence: My parents hit the roof when they learned my brother crashed the family car.
27. To Skin One Alive
- Meaning: To punish someone with anger.
- Use In A Sentence: My parents will skin me alive if they find out we had a party in the house when they were gone. Please, whatever you do, do not tell them!
28. To Go Ballistic
- Meaning: to lose one’s temper.
- Use In A Sentence: My dad went ballistic when he found out we had a party in the house.
29. Mad/Angry Enough To Chew Nails
- Meaning: to become so upset that one is at the point of being irrational.
- Use In A Sentence: My boss was mad enough to chew nails when he learned we lost one of the company’s biggest clients.
30. To Go Postal
- Meaning: (slang) Uncontralablely upset; enraged.
- Use In A Sentence: I don’t want to talk to him. I am afraid he is going to go postal on me. He is already a bit unstable. This will just push him over the edge.
31. To Scream Bloody Murder
- Meaning: to scream in an angry manner.
- Use In A Sentence: She was so mad at him the whole neighborhood could hear her screaming bloody murder.
32. To Drive Someone Bananas
- Meaning: to irritate them to the point they no longer can take it.
- Use In A Sentence: It drives me bananas that he always is late for the meeting.
33. To Blow Off Some Steam
- Meaning: to do some activity to calm oneself down after being angry about something.
- Use In A Sentence: I was so mad about work that I went to the gym to blow off some steam.
34. To Vent One’s Spleen
- Meaning: to express your anger about something, usually by talking about it.
- Use In A Sentence: I just sat there and listened to them vent their spleen for about an hour.
35. To Burn With A Low Blue Flame
- Meaning: to be extremely angry about something and yet not express it.
- Use In A Sentence: She was sitting there with the letter still in her hand, burning with a low blue flame.
36. To Be Out For Blood
- Meaning: used to describe someone who is angry about something and is seeking revenge.
- Use In A Sentence: Watch your back. Tommy is out for blood!
37. To Be Up In Arms About Something
- Meaning: to be angry about something.
- Use In A Sentence: Mom was up in arms about what we did to the kitchen.
38. To See Red
- Meaning: to be upset.
- Use In A Sentence: Mom was seeing red when she saw the high electric bill.
39. To Make One’s Blood Boil
- Meaning: to make one upset.
- Use In A Sentence: He really knows how to make my blood boil.
There you have it! 39 Angry Idioms! Did we miss one? Be sure to tell us in the comments below.
