Idioms are fun and expressive phrases that make our language more colorful and meaningful. Instead of saying someone is simply “angry,” idioms help us describe that emotion in a way that’s more vivid and relatable. Whether you’re feeling a little annoyed or absolutely furious, there’s probably an idiom for that!
Understanding idioms about anger can help you express your feelings clearly without sounding harsh. These sayings are common in everyday conversation, TV shows, and books—so learning them not only helps you speak better but also improves your listening and reading skills.
In this post, you’ll explore 34 popular anger-related idioms, learn their meanings, and see how to use them in real-life situations. There’s even a fun exercise at the end to help you practice. Let’s get fired up and dig in!
Idioms for Anger
1. Blow a fuse
Meaning: To suddenly become very angry.
In a Sentence: Dad blew a fuse when he saw the broken window.
Other Ways to Say: Lose your temper, Explode with anger
2. See red
Meaning: To become very angry or enraged.
In a Sentence: I saw red when my brother deleted my game progress.
Other Ways to Say: Get furious, Boil with anger
3. Hot under the collar
Meaning: Feeling angry or annoyed.
In a Sentence: He got hot under the collar when his friends teased him.
Other Ways to Say: Upset, Steamed up
4. Hit the roof
Meaning: To become extremely angry suddenly.
In a Sentence: Mom hit the roof when I got home past curfew.
Other Ways to Say: Go off, Flip out
5. Fly off the handle
Meaning: To suddenly lose control and become very angry.
In a Sentence: She flew off the handle when her bike was stolen.
Other Ways to Say: Snap, Go ballistic
6. Bite someone’s head off
Meaning: To speak angrily to someone for no good reason.
In a Sentence: I just asked a question, but she bit my head off!
Other Ways to Say: Lash out, Be rude
7. Have a short fuse
Meaning: To get angry quickly and easily.
In a Sentence: Be careful—he has a short fuse today.
Other Ways to Say: Quick-tempered, Touchy
8. Blow one’s top
Meaning: To lose one’s temper completely.
In a Sentence: My coach blew his top when we didn’t follow directions.
Other Ways to Say: Erupt with anger, Get really mad
9. Go through the roof
Meaning: To become extremely angry, especially quickly.
In a Sentence: His parents went through the roof when they saw his grades.
Other Ways to Say: Explode, Freak out
10. At the end of your rope
Meaning: Feeling very frustrated and out of patience.
In a Sentence: I’m at the end of my rope with this loud neighbor.
Other Ways to Say: Fed up, Losing it
11. Steamed up
Meaning: To be very angry or annoyed.
In a Sentence: She was really steamed up about the unfair decision.
Other Ways to Say: Worked up, Irritated
12. Shake with rage
Meaning: To be so angry that your body trembles.
In a Sentence: He was shaking with rage after hearing the news.
Other Ways to Say: Tremble with anger, Be furious
13. Go ballistic
Meaning: To become extremely angry or irrational.
In a Sentence: My sister went ballistic when she saw her broken phone.
Other Ways to Say: Lose control, Blow up
14. Fuming
Meaning: Feeling very angry but not always showing it.
In a Sentence: I could tell she was fuming even though she didn’t say anything.
Other Ways to Say: Boiling inside, Seething
15. See someone’s true colors
Meaning: To finally see how angry or mean someone can really be.
In a Sentence: When we disagreed, he showed his true colors and yelled at me.
Other Ways to Say: Reveal true personality, Show hidden anger
16. Mad as a hornet
Meaning: Extremely angry.
In a Sentence: He was mad as a hornet after losing the game.
Other Ways to Say: Super mad, Fuming
17. Get bent out of shape
Meaning: To get upset or angry about something small.
In a Sentence: Don’t get bent out of shape just because we’re five minutes late.
Other Ways to Say: Overreact, Get worked up
18. Lose your cool
Meaning: To stop being calm and become angry.
In a Sentence: I lost my cool when he kept interrupting me.
Other Ways to Say: Blow up, Snap
19. On the warpath
Meaning: Extremely angry and looking to confront someone.
In a Sentence: She’s on the warpath after seeing the mess in the kitchen.
Other Ways to Say: Ready to fight, Furious
20. Ruffle someone’s feathers
Meaning: To annoy or upset someone.
In a Sentence: His comments really ruffled her feathers.
Other Ways to Say: Irritate, Aggravate
21. Let off steam
Meaning: To release built-up anger or frustration.
In a Sentence: I went for a run to let off some steam after our argument.
Other Ways to Say: Cool down, Vent
22. Like a bull in a china shop
Meaning: Acting clumsily and causing upset or damage—often when angry.
In a Sentence: He rushed in like a bull in a china shop, knocking things over.
Other Ways to Say: Reckless, Careless and angry
23. Drive someone up the wall
Meaning: To annoy someone a lot.
In a Sentence: The constant noise is driving me up the wall!
Other Ways to Say: Irritate, Make crazy
24. Burn with anger
Meaning: To feel intense anger.
In a Sentence: She was burning with anger after hearing the unfair news.
Other Ways to Say: Rage inside, Be furious
25. Storm out
Meaning: To leave a place angrily and suddenly.
In a Sentence: He stormed out of the room after the argument.
Other Ways to Say: Leave in anger, March out
26. Boil over
Meaning: To reach a point where anger can’t be controlled anymore.
In a Sentence: His frustration finally boiled over during the meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Overflow with anger, Snap
27. A face like thunder
Meaning: A very angry expression.
In a Sentence: He walked in with a face like thunder after the bad news.
Other Ways to Say: Look furious, Angry face
28. Have a bone to pick
Meaning: To have a reason to be angry or complain about something.
In a Sentence: I have a bone to pick with you about yesterday’s prank.
Other Ways to Say: Have an issue, Want to confront
29. Jump down someone’s throat
Meaning: To suddenly criticize or yell at someone.
In a Sentence: Don’t jump down my throat—I was just asking a question!
Other Ways to Say: Overreact, Snap at someone
30. In a huff
Meaning: Feeling and showing annoyance.
In a Sentence: He left the room in a huff after not getting his way.
Other Ways to Say: Angry mood, Grumpy
31. Turn the air blue
Meaning: To use very angry or rude language.
In a Sentence: He turned the air blue when his computer crashed.
Other Ways to Say: Swear, Use strong words
32. Spit nails
Meaning: To be extremely angry.
In a Sentence: She was so mad, she looked like she could spit nails.
Other Ways to Say: Seethe with rage, Be livid
33. Blow your stack
Meaning: To lose your temper completely.
In a Sentence: I blew my stack when I saw the mess in my room.
Other Ways to Say: Explode in anger, Snap
34. Get worked up
Meaning: To become very upset or angry.
In a Sentence: Don’t get worked up over a small mistake.
Other Ways to Say: Overreact, Be upset
Exercise to Practice
Fill in the blanks:
- I could tell she was ready to _______ a fuse when she saw her broken phone.
- He totally _______ down my throat just for asking a question.
- She was so mad she looked like she could _______ nails.
- He left in a _______ after losing the video game.
- Don’t get _______ up over a small misunderstanding.
- My teacher had a _______ fuse and yelled at the class for talking.
- Dad almost _______ the roof when he saw my test results.
- After that rude comment, she walked in with a face like _______.
- I let off some _______ by going for a bike ride.
- Stop trying to _______ my feathers—I’m not in the mood!
- I had a _______ to pick with my friend for ditching me at lunch.
- His anger finally _______ over during the meeting.
Answers:
blow, jumped, spit, huff, worked, short, hit, thunder, steam, ruffle, bone, boiled
Conclusion
Anger is a powerful emotion, and idioms help us describe it in ways that are both expressive and creative. Whether you’re just slightly annoyed or ready to explode, these phrases can help you explain your feelings clearly—and sometimes with a bit of humor, too!
Try using these idioms in your daily conversations. It’s a great way to boost your vocabulary and sound more natural when speaking English. Plus, the more you use them, the more they’ll stick in your memory.
So the next time you’re fuming or about to blow your top, reach for one of these idioms instead. Language can be your best tool—even when you’re seeing red.
