Sometimes people get upset, and they show it in different ways. When someone is angry, they may raise their voice, cross their arms, or walk away. In English, there are special phrases called idioms that describe these angry feelings. Idioms help us understand emotions by comparing them to actions, sounds, or pictures. These expressions are often short and easy to remember.
In this article, you will learn idioms that people use when they are angry. Each idiom comes with a meaning and a short sentence to show how it is used. This will help you see how these phrases fit in everyday talk. You will also try an activity where you rewrite simple sentences using the idioms. Learning these can help you talk about feelings in a clearer and more fun way.
Idioms for Angry
1. Blow a fuse
Meaning: To become very angry suddenly
Example: Mom blew a fuse when she saw the muddy footprints on the white carpet. Jason blew a fuse after his sister broke his video game.
Put Differently: She got really mad in a second. / He suddenly lost his temper.
2. Hot under the collar
Meaning: Feeling angry or annoyed
Example: I got hot under the collar when my brother took my phone without asking. Dad got hot under the collar during the traffic jam.
Put Differently: I was getting mad. / He was very upset.
3. See red
Meaning: To become so angry that you can’t think clearly
Example: I saw red when my teammate blamed me for the loss. / She saw red after someone pushed her in line.
Put Differently: I was furious. / She felt like shouting right away.
4. Hit the roof
Meaning: To get very angry quickly
Example: My mom hit the roof when I spilled juice on her new book. / Coach hit the roof after the team missed practice.
Put Differently: She yelled in anger. / He got mad fast.
5. Bite someone’s head off
Meaning: To speak in an angry or mean way
Example: Don’t bite my head off , I just asked a question! / She bit his head off when he interrupted her.
Put Differently: She snapped at him. / He answered in a harsh voice.
6. Lose your cool
Meaning: To stop being calm and become angry
Example: I lost my cool when I saw my project was deleted. / He lost his cool when his dog chewed up his homework.
Put Differently: I couldn’t stay calm. / He got upset quickly.
7. Go bananas
Meaning: To act wild or angry
Example: The kids went bananas when recess was canceled. / My sister went bananas after I spilled paint on her shirt.
Put Differently: They started yelling and jumping. / She got really mad.
8. Blow your top
Meaning: To get very angry
Example: Dad blew his top when the dishes weren’t done. / I blew my top when my bike was taken.
Put Differently: He was really mad. / I couldn’t stay quiet.
9. Have a short fuse
Meaning: To get angry easily
Example: My cousin has a short fuse and gets mad over small things. / Don’t tease her—she has a short fuse.
Put Differently: He gets upset fast. / She gets angry quickly.
10. Fed up
Meaning: Tired and annoyed
Example: I’m fed up with doing chores every day. / She was fed up with her noisy neighbor.
Put Differently: I’ve had enough. / She was tired of it.
11. Up in arms
Meaning: Very upset or angry about something
Example: Parents were up in arms about the new school rule. / The whole class was up in arms over the canceled field trip.
Put Differently: Everyone was mad. / They didn’t like the change.
12. In a huff
Meaning: Annoyed and showing it
Example: She walked away in a huff after losing the game. / He left in a huff when we said no.
Put Differently: She was upset. / He showed he was mad.
13. At your wits’ end
Meaning: So upset that you don’t know what to do
Example: Mom was at her wits’ end with all the noise. / I was at my wits’ end trying to fix my tablet.
Put Differently: She didn’t know what to do. / I felt helpless and mad.
14. Have steam coming out of your ears
Meaning: To look very angry
Example: I had steam coming out of my ears when I failed the test. / Dad looked like he had steam coming out of his ears.
Put Differently: I looked furious. / He was really mad.
15. Go off the deep end
Meaning: To react with extreme anger
Example: She went off the deep end when someone messed with her locker. / He went off the deep end when his toy broke.
Put Differently: She got really upset. / He lost control of his temper.
16. At boiling point
Meaning: About to lose control because of anger
Example: I was at boiling point during the long wait. / He reached boiling point when his name was left off the list.
Put Differently: I was just about to blow up. / He was close to yelling.
17. Fit to be tied
Meaning: Extremely angry
Example: She was fit to be tied when her backpack was stolen. / Dad was fit to be tied after getting a parking ticket.
Put Differently: She was super mad. / He looked really upset.
18. Have a cow
Meaning: To get upset or overreact
Example: Don’t have a cow it’s just a broken pencil. / My friend had a cow when I beat him at the game.
Put Differently: Calm down, it’s not that bad. / He overreacted.
19. Go ballistic
Meaning: To get extremely angry
Example: She went ballistic when she saw the mess in her room. / He went ballistic after the team lost.
Put Differently: She got very angry. / He couldn’t hold it in.
20. Mad as a hornet
Meaning: Very angry
Example: I was mad as a hornet when someone lied to me. / He was mad as a hornet about being left out.
Put Differently: I was super mad. / He was really upset
21. Burn with anger
Meaning: To feel very angry inside
Example: I was burning with anger when I was blamed for something I didn’t do. / She burned with anger after her little brother ruined her book.
Put Differently: I was really mad inside. / She felt furious.
22. Go off on someone
Meaning: To yell at someone out of anger
Example: He went off on his friend after the prank. / She went off on her brother for messing up her stuff.
Put Differently: He shouted at him. / She yelled because she was angry.
23. Blow a gasket
Meaning: To suddenly get very mad
Example: Dad blew a gasket when the lamp broke. / She blew a gasket when her shoes got wet in the rain.
Put Differently: He got super mad. / She was very upset quickly.
24. Ruffle someone’s feathers
Meaning: To annoy or upset someone
Example: He ruffled her feathers when he teased her. / That comment really ruffled my feathers.
Put Differently: He annoyed her. / I felt angry after hearing that.
25. Get bent out of shape
Meaning: To get upset about something small
Example: Don’t get bent out of shape, it was just a joke. / She got bent out of shape over losing a pencil.
Put Differently: Calm down, it’s not a big deal. / She overreacted to something small.
26. Storm off
Meaning: To leave angrily
Example: He stormed off after the argument. / She stormed off when no one listened to her.
Put Differently: He walked away mad. / She left because she was upset.
27. All worked up
Meaning: Feeling very angry or excited
Example: He got all worked up about the game. / She was all worked up after the teacher scolded her.
Put Differently: He was upset. / She was not calm.
28. See stars
Meaning: To be very mad or in pain
Example: I saw stars when I got hit with the ball and no one helped. / He saw stars when someone stepped on his foot and didn’t say sorry.
Put Differently: I was mad and hurt. / He was angry and in pain.
29. Get in someone’s face
Meaning: To confront someone angrily
Example: She got in my face and shouted at me. /He got in the teacher’s face after being marked wrong.
Put Differently: She was angry and stood close. / He talked back in anger.
30. At the end of your rope
Meaning: Tired and ready to explode
Example: I was at the end of my rope after cleaning all day. / She was at the end of her rope after hearing the same complaint.
Put Differently: I couldn’t take it anymore. / She was about to get mad.
31. Kick up a fuss
Meaning: To complain loudly and angrily
Example: He kicked up a fuss when he didn’t get the toy. / She kicked up a fuss over her lunch order.
Put Differently: He made a big deal. / She complained loudly.
32. Go nuts
Meaning: To act wild, often because of anger
Example: I went nuts when I lost my wallet. / My brother went nuts after losing the game.
Put Differently: I got very upset. / He acted crazy because he was mad.
33. Get worked up
Meaning: To become upset or angry
Example: Don’t get worked up about the test just do your best. / He got worked up over the score.
Put Differently: Try to stay calm. / He got too upset.
34. Pitch a fit
Meaning: To throw a tantrum or get angry
Example: My sister pitched a fit when her tablet died. / He pitched a fit at the store over candy.
Put Differently: She cried and yelled. / He got mad in public.
35. Chew someone out
Meaning: To scold someone harshly
Example: Coach chewed us out for being late. / Dad chewed me out after I broke the vase.
Put Differently: He scolded us. / I got in trouble.
36. Fire up
Meaning: To get excited or angry
Example: He gets fired up before a big game. / She got fired up after hearing the bad news.
Put Differently: He was full of energy and emotion. / She became upset quickly.
37. Freak out
Meaning: To react in a wild or angry way
Example: I freaked out when I saw my broken glasses. / She freaked out about the pop quiz.
Put Differently: I got upset. / She didn’t handle it calmly.
38. Raise your voice
Meaning: To speak loudly because you are angry
Example: Mom raised her voice when we didn’t listen. / He raised his voice during the fight.
Put Differently: She spoke louder because she was upset. / He yelled a little.
39. Get snappy
Meaning: To speak in a rude, angry way
Example: She got snappy when I asked too many questions. / He got snappy after a long day.
Put Differently: She answered in a rude way. / He was not being nice.
40. Boil over
Meaning: When anger builds up and then comes out
Example: His anger boiled over during the meeting. / My feelings boiled over when no one listened.
Put Differently: He finally got mad. / I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
“Rewrite the Sentence” Activity: Idioms for Angry
Below are 10 simple sentences that show someone feeling angry. Your task is to rewrite each one using an idiom you learned. Use the idiom in a way that makes sense with the sentence.
Sentences to Rewrite:
- Sarah got really mad when her little brother ruined her school project.
- James yelled at his friend for taking his pencil without asking.
- Dad was very angry when no one cleaned the kitchen.
- I felt so mad that I almost cried after my team lost the game.
- Mia quickly became upset when her friend ignored her.
- Josh walked away because he was upset that his friends didn’t pick him for the game.
- Olivia felt very angry but didn’t know how to say it.
- Ethan shouted loudly because someone called him a name.
- My sister got mad over something small and silly.
- I got angry very fast when I saw my tablet screen was cracked.
Answer Key:
- Sarah blew a fuse when her little brother ruined her school project.
- James bit his friend’s head off for taking his pencil without asking.
- Dad blew his top when no one cleaned the kitchen.
- I was mad as a hornet after my team lost the game.
- Mia had a short fuse when her friend ignored her.
- Josh stormed off because his friends didn’t pick him for the game.
- Olivia was burning with anger but didn’t know how to say it.
- Ethan raised his voice because someone called him a name.
- My sister got bent out of shape over something small.
- I lost my cool when I saw my tablet screen was cracked.
Conclusion
Idioms help us talk about feelings in a more interesting way. When someone is angry, they might say “blow a fuse” or “see red” instead of just saying “I’m mad.” Learning these phrases can make writing and speaking clearer.
Now that you know some idioms for anger, try using them in your daily life. It can help you explain how you feel without using the same words all the time.
