Idioms are expressions that don’t always mean what the words say—but they sure make the language more exciting! When it comes to emotions, idioms help us describe feelings in a fun, creative way. One of the strongest emotions we experience is anger, and guess what? There are tons of quirky idioms to express it!
Whether you’re seeing red, blowing a fuse, or just feeling a bit ticked off, there’s an idiom that fits. Learning these phrases can help you communicate better, especially when you’re trying to describe how something—or someone—made you mad. These expressions are used in everyday speech and writing, so understanding them will help you follow conversations, jokes, and even TV shows more easily.
In this post, you’ll find 44 common idioms related to anger, their meanings, examples of how to use them, and simpler ways to say them. Let’s get started with some fiery phrases!
Idioms for Angry
1. Blow a fuse
Meaning: To suddenly become very angry.
In a Sentence: When I found out my brother took my phone, I blew a fuse.
Other Ways to Say: Lose your temper, Explode with anger
2. See red
Meaning: To become very angry or furious.
In a Sentence: I saw red when they made fun of my friend.
Other Ways to Say: Rage, Go mad
3. Hot under the collar
Meaning: Feeling very angry or annoyed.
In a Sentence: She got hot under the collar when someone cut in line.
Other Ways to Say: Upset, Boiling with anger
4. Bite someone’s head off
Meaning: To speak angrily at someone without a good reason.
In a Sentence: Sorry I bit your head off earlier—I was just stressed.
Other Ways to Say: Yell at, Snap at
5. Fly off the handle
Meaning: To lose control and become angry quickly.
In a Sentence: He flew off the handle when the game crashed again.
Other Ways to Say: Blow up, Freak out
6. Hit the ceiling
Meaning: To become extremely angry.
In a Sentence: Dad hit the ceiling when he saw the broken window.
Other Ways to Say: Explode, Get furious
7. Get worked up
Meaning: To get upset or excited, usually in a bad way.
In a Sentence: Don’t get so worked up—it’s just a video game.
Other Ways to Say: Overreact, Get upset
8. In a huff
Meaning: Annoyed or angry, usually in a way that’s easy to notice.
In a Sentence: She walked away in a huff after losing the game.
Other Ways to Say: Sulking, Pouting angrily
9. Get bent out of shape
Meaning: To become angry or upset about something small.
In a Sentence: Don’t get bent out of shape over a silly joke.
Other Ways to Say: Overreact, Take it too personally
10. Blow your top
Meaning: To become extremely angry.
In a Sentence: He blew his top when he saw his broken laptop.
Other Ways to Say: Freak out, Lose control
11. 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—you never returned my book!
Other Ways to Say: Have an issue, Want to argue
12. Get your knickers in a twist
Meaning: To get overly upset about something unimportant.
In a Sentence: Don’t get your knickers in a twist—it was just a joke.
Other Ways to Say: Calm down, Don’t overreact
13. Up in arms
Meaning: Very angry or upset, especially about something unfair.
In a Sentence: Everyone was up in arms about the new school rules.
Other Ways to Say: Furious, Protesting
14. Go ballistic
Meaning: To suddenly become very angry.
In a Sentence: My mom went ballistic when I came home past midnight.
Other Ways to Say: Explode, Rage
15. In a black mood
Meaning: Feeling very angry or unhappy.
In a Sentence: He’s in a black mood today—better give him space.
Other Ways to Say: Grumpy, Moody
16. Ruffle someone’s feathers
Meaning: To upset or annoy someone.
In a Sentence: Her rude comment really ruffled my feathers.
Other Ways to Say: Irritate, Offend
17. At the end of your rope
Meaning: Having no more patience or energy left.
In a Sentence: I’m at the end of my rope with this noisy neighbor.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted, Out of patience
18. Have a short fuse
Meaning: To get angry quickly and easily.
In a Sentence: He has a short fuse, so be careful what you say.
Other Ways to Say: Quick-tempered, Easily annoyed
19. Go off the deep end
Meaning: To become very angry or emotionally out of control.
In a Sentence: She went off the deep end after finding out the truth.
Other Ways to Say: Lose it, Break down
20. Get steamed up
Meaning: To become very annoyed or angry.
In a Sentence: He got all steamed up about the parking situation.
Other Ways to Say: Get upset, Boil with anger
21. Jump down someone’s throat
Meaning: To react angrily to what someone says or does.
In a Sentence: I just asked a question—no need to jump down my throat!
Other Ways to Say: Overreact, Lash out
22. Mad as a hornet
Meaning: Extremely angry.
In a Sentence: She was mad as a hornet when someone stole her lunch.
Other Ways to Say: Enraged, Livid
23. Blow a gasket
Meaning: To become extremely angry, especially suddenly.
In a Sentence: Dad blew a gasket when he saw the car dent.
Other Ways to Say: Flip out, Lose your temper
24. Bite the bullet (in anger)
Meaning: To hold back anger and deal with something difficult.
In a Sentence: I wanted to yell, but I bit the bullet and stayed quiet.
Other Ways to Say: Keep calm, Swallow anger
25. Fit to be tied
Meaning: Extremely angry or agitated.
In a Sentence: He was fit to be tied after getting blamed unfairly.
Other Ways to Say: Furious, Very upset
26. Raise hackles
Meaning: To cause someone to get angry or annoyed.
In a Sentence: His attitude really raised my hackles.
Other Ways to Say: Annoy, Provoke
27. See one’s blood boil
Meaning: To make someone feel very angry.
In a Sentence: That comment made my blood boil.
Other Ways to Say: Infuriate, Enrage
28. On the warpath
Meaning: Angry and ready to argue or fight.
In a Sentence: The teacher was on the warpath after seeing the messy classroom.
Other Ways to Say: Furious, Ready to confront
29. Blow one’s stack
Meaning: To lose one’s temper completely.
In a Sentence: He blew his stack when his phone was taken.
Other Ways to Say: Explode, Snap
30. All hot and bothered
Meaning: Angry, upset, or agitated about something.
In a Sentence: She got all hot and bothered when her order was wrong.
Other Ways to Say: Worked up, Flustered
31. Rub someone the wrong way
Meaning: To irritate or annoy someone.
In a Sentence: His bragging really rubs me the wrong way.
Other Ways to Say: Annoy, Get on someone’s nerves
32. Lose it
Meaning: To suddenly become very angry or upset.
In a Sentence: I totally lost it when my project disappeared from the computer.
Other Ways to Say: Snap, Go off
33. In a fit of rage
Meaning: A sudden, intense burst of anger.
In a Sentence: He threw the book across the room in a fit of rage.
Other Ways to Say: In a fury, Angry outburst
34. Get in someone’s face
Meaning: To confront someone aggressively.
In a Sentence: She got in my face about the missing markers.
Other Ways to Say: Confront, Argue forcefully
35. Have a cow
Meaning: To become very upset or angry (informal and humorous).
In a Sentence: My mom had a cow when she saw my messy room.
Other Ways to Say: Freak out, Overreact
36. Storm off
Meaning: To leave a place angrily.
In a Sentence: He stormed off when we disagreed about the game.
Other Ways to Say: March away, Walk off angrily
37. Get on someone’s nerves
Meaning: To annoy someone repeatedly.
In a Sentence: All that tapping is getting on my nerves!
Other Ways to Say: Bother, Irritate
38. Drive someone up the wall
Meaning: To make someone extremely annoyed.
In a Sentence: That constant humming is driving me up the wall.
Other Ways to Say: Aggravate, Make crazy
39. Lose your cool
Meaning: To lose control of your temper.
In a Sentence: He lost his cool when his team lost the match.
Other Ways to Say: Blow up, Lash out
40. Have steam coming out of your ears
Meaning: To be visibly and extremely angry.
In a Sentence: When I saw the mess, I had steam coming out of my ears.
Other Ways to Say: Furious, Boiling mad
41. Tear someone a new one
Meaning: To severely scold or criticize someone.
In a Sentence: The coach tore him a new one after the sloppy performance.
Other Ways to Say: Yell at, Chew out
42. Go bananas (in anger)
Meaning: To act wild or crazy from anger.
In a Sentence: He went bananas when he realized he’d lost his wallet.
Other Ways to Say: Freak out, Go crazy
43. Be fuming
Meaning: To be silently or visibly very angry.
In a Sentence: She was fuming after being blamed for something she didn’t do.
Other Ways to Say: Boiling, Furious
44. Shake with rage
Meaning: To be so angry that your body trembles.
In a Sentence: He was shaking with rage after hearing the unfair decision.
Other Ways to Say: Tremble in anger, Overcome with fury
Exercise to Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct idioms:
- When she saw her phone cracked, she almost ________ a fuse.
- I was ________ with rage when they lied straight to my face.
- That noise is really ________ me up the wall!
- He ________ off after losing the game in overtime.
- She was ________ with steam coming out of her ears.
- He ________ down my throat just for asking a question.
- My teacher was ________ arms about the cheating scandal.
- I had to ________ the bullet and not yell back.
- The coach ________ him a new one for skipping practice.
- When she’s hungry, she gets ________ under the collar easily.
- Stop ________ your knickers in a twist over something so small.
- I didn’t mean to ________ your feathers, I was just joking!
Answers:
blow, shaking, driving, stormed, fuming, jumped, up in, bite, tore, hot, getting, ruffle
Conclusion
Anger is a natural emotion, and these idioms give us colorful ways to talk about it. Whether you’re boiling mad, losing your cool, or just a little annoyed, idioms help you express those feelings with flair. Understanding and using them can make your conversations more lively and relatable.
Try using these idioms in your daily life, in your journal, or even during a heated moment—just maybe not too heated! Over time, these phrases will become a natural part of how you express yourself. Keep practicing, and you’ll master the art of idiomatic expression in no time.
Let your words sizzle (without blowing a fuse)!
