Idioms are powerful tools for expressing feelings—and when it comes to anger, the English language is packed with vivid, dramatic, and sometimes downright explosive phrases to describe it.
In this listicle, we’ll explore 49 idioms related to being angry. These expressions add color and emotion to your writing and conversations. Whether you’re boiling over with rage or simply irritated, these idioms can help you put your feelings into words in a more interesting way.
What is an Idiom for Angry?
An idiom for anger is a figurative phrase that helps describe different levels and types of anger—from mild annoyance to full-blown fury. These idioms make everyday communication more relatable and expressive. Let’s dive into the first 25 idioms and see how they bring anger to life through language.
Idioms for Angry
1. Blow a fuse
Meaning: To suddenly become very angry.
In a Sentence: When she saw the mess in the kitchen after cleaning all morning, she completely blew a fuse and shouted at everyone in the house.
2. Hit the roof
Meaning: To become extremely angry very quickly.
In a Sentence: Dad hit the roof when he found out I had scratched his brand-new car while parking.
3. See red
Meaning: To become so angry that you lose control.
In a Sentence: The moment he was falsely accused of cheating, he saw red and stormed out of the meeting room.
4. Hot under the collar
Meaning: To be visibly angry or embarrassed.
In a Sentence: She got hot under the collar when her coworkers teased her about the mistake in her presentation.
5. Bite someone’s head off
Meaning: To reply in a very angry or aggressive way.
In a Sentence: I just asked him a simple question, but he bit my head off like I had deeply offended him.
6. Go ballistic
Meaning: To become violently angry.
In a Sentence: My mom went ballistic when she found out I had failed all my final exams despite studying all semester.
7. Fly off the handle
Meaning: To lose your temper suddenly.
In a Sentence: He tends to fly off the handle over the smallest things, like a slightly burnt piece of toast.
8. Have a short fuse
Meaning: To get angry very easily or quickly.
In a Sentence: My older brother has a short fuse and gets irritated even if you breathe too loudly near him.
9. Ruffle someone’s feathers
Meaning: To upset or annoy someone.
In a Sentence: His sarcastic jokes during serious meetings really ruffle the boss’s feathers, though he pretends not to care.
10. Up in arms
Meaning: To be very angry or upset about something, especially in protest.
In a Sentence: The entire neighborhood was up in arms when they heard the park would be replaced by a shopping center.
11. Blow your top
Meaning: To lose your temper suddenly and show extreme anger.
In a Sentence: She blew her top when the team missed another important deadline for the third time in a row.
12. See sparks fly
Meaning: To witness a heated argument or intense confrontation.
In a Sentence: Sparks flew at the family dinner table when politics came up and everyone started yelling at once.
13. Kick up a fuss
Meaning: To make a big deal out of something, especially in anger or protest.
In a Sentence: She kicked up a fuss at the restaurant when they messed up her order for the second time.
14. Fit to be tied
Meaning: Extremely angry or enraged.
In a Sentence: After hearing the unfair decision from the judge, he was fit to be tied and walked away grumbling.
15. Boiling with rage
Meaning: Feeling extremely angry inside, like emotions are bubbling over.
In a Sentence: Though he didn’t say much during the argument, he was clearly boiling with rage under the surface.
16. Get someone’s goat
Meaning: To irritate or annoy someone.
In a Sentence: The way he constantly interrupted people really got my goat and made the meeting unbearable.
17. Vent your spleen
Meaning: To express your anger freely and openly.
In a Sentence: She vented her spleen in an angry email to the manager after being unfairly blamed for the team’s failure.
18. Blow off steam
Meaning: To release built-up anger or frustration.
In a Sentence: After the argument, I went for a long walk to blow off steam before saying something I’d regret.
19. Jump down someone’s throat
Meaning: To respond angrily and unexpectedly.
In a Sentence: He jumped down my throat just for reminding him about his deadline, and I was taken aback.
20. Get bent out of shape
Meaning: To get unnecessarily upset or angry.
In a Sentence: She got bent out of shape just because I asked her to be a little quieter during the call.
21. Go through the roof
Meaning: To reach an extreme level of anger.
In a Sentence: My parents went through the roof when they discovered I had lied about where I went last night.
22. Have a cow
Meaning: To react with strong anger or frustration, usually over something small.
In a Sentence: Don’t have a cow, Mom—it’s just a little scratch on the wall and I’ll repaint it tomorrow!
23. Mad as a hornet
Meaning: Extremely angry.
In a Sentence: She was mad as a hornet when she realized someone had eaten the last piece of her birthday cake.
24. Raise Cain
Meaning: To cause trouble or become angry and loud.
In a Sentence: The students raised Cain after the principal canceled their field trip without explanation.
25. Get your knickers in a twist
Meaning: To get overly upset or angry about something minor.
In a Sentence: Don’t get your knickers in a twist just because I borrowed your charger—I’ll give it back in five minutes.
26. Storm out
Meaning: To leave a place angrily and suddenly.
In a Sentence: After the argument turned heated, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
27. See your blood boil
Meaning: To become extremely angry.
In a Sentence: Watching the news about the unfair treatment made her blood boil with frustration and helplessness.
28. Make your blood boil
Meaning: To cause someone to feel intense anger.
In a Sentence: The way they treated that innocent puppy made my blood boil with rage and disbelief.
29. Spit nails
Meaning: To be so angry that you seem capable of doing harm.
In a Sentence: He was spitting nails when he found out his teammates had left the project halfway.
30. Foam at the mouth
Meaning: To be uncontrollably furious.
In a Sentence: He was practically foaming at the mouth after being insulted in front of his colleagues.
31. In a huff
Meaning: Annoyed or offended, often shown by storming off or staying silent.
In a Sentence: She left the party in a huff after someone made a joke about her cooking.
32. Blow your stack
Meaning: To lose your temper and explode with anger.
In a Sentence: When the contractor didn’t show up for the third time, he blew his stack and canceled the job.
33. Be on the warpath
Meaning: To be extremely angry and ready to confront someone.
In a Sentence: The manager was on the warpath after learning that the quarterly reports were never submitted.
34. Chew someone out
Meaning: To scold someone harshly.
In a Sentence: The coach chewed out the team for being lazy during practice and not showing any hustle.
35. Lose it
Meaning: To lose control of your emotions, especially anger.
In a Sentence: She completely lost it when she realized her wallet had been stolen while shopping.
36. Hit the ceiling
Meaning: To suddenly become extremely angry.
In a Sentence: He hit the ceiling when he found out his kids had broken the TV by playing ball indoors.
37. Be seeing things
Meaning: To be so angry that your perception might be exaggerated.
In a Sentence: I was so mad, I swear I was seeing things that weren’t even there—like the walls closing in on me.
38. Blowing smoke
Meaning: To talk angrily but without real action or impact.
In a Sentence: He threatened to report everyone, but we knew he was just blowing smoke to scare us.
39. Cross as two sticks
Meaning: Very angry or irritable.
In a Sentence: She was as cross as two sticks after being left out of the team’s decision-making process.
40. Rant and rave
Meaning: To complain or shout angrily for a long time.
In a Sentence: He ranted and raved for half an hour about the slow internet connection before finally calming down.
41. See someone’s true colors
Meaning: To see someone’s real, often unpleasant nature, usually when they’re angry.
In a Sentence: When things didn’t go his way, we saw his true colors as he lashed out at everyone.
42. All worked up
Meaning: To be very agitated or upset.
In a Sentence: Don’t get all worked up about the comment—it wasn’t meant to be personal.
43. Burn with anger
Meaning: To be consumed by anger inside.
In a Sentence: He burned with anger while watching his hard work being dismissed without a second thought.
44. Bark orders
Meaning: To give orders angrily and aggressively.
In a Sentence: She barked orders at everyone during the crisis, not realizing she was only making people more nervous.
45. At the end of your rope
Meaning: Out of patience or emotional strength.
In a Sentence: After days without sleep and constant stress at work, she was at the end of her rope and ready to scream.
46. Flip out
Meaning: To lose control in anger or frustration.
In a Sentence: He flipped out when he realized his little brother had deleted all his saved game progress.
47. Jump out of your skin
Meaning: To react strongly, sometimes with fear or anger.
In a Sentence: I jumped out of my skin when the fire alarm went off right after I had just fallen asleep.
48. Go ape
Meaning: To become extremely excited or angry.
In a Sentence: My dad went ape when he saw the surprise party decorations—he hates surprises.
49. Bite the hand that feeds you
Meaning: To act badly toward someone who has helped or supported you.
In a Sentence: He really bit the hand that fed him by spreading rumors about the mentor who got him the job.
Quiz About the Idioms in the Article
Quiz 1: Blow a Fuse
What does “blow a fuse” mean?
a) To fix something broken
b) To become very angry suddenly
c) To shout for fun
d) To leave quickly
Quiz 2: Vent Your Spleen
When someone vents their spleen, what are they doing?
a) Getting medical help
b) Expressing anger openly
c) Hiding their emotions
d) Talking about their stomach
Quiz 3: Have a Cow
What does the idiom “have a cow” mean?
a) Start a farm
b) Get extremely angry over something minor
c) Laugh loudly
d) Cry from joy
Quiz 4: Ruffle Someone’s Feathers
What does it mean to ruffle someone’s feathers?
a) To compliment someone
b) To groom someone
c) To annoy or upset someone
d) To surprise someone with a gift
Quiz 5: In a Huff
What is the meaning of “in a huff”?
a) Feeling tired
b) Being confused
c) Being angry or offended
d) Running quickly
Quiz 6: Fit to Be Tied
What does “fit to be tied” describe?
a) A person who is extremely angry
b) Someone trying to wear a tie
c) A calm individual
d) A tired person
Quiz 7: Bark Orders
What does it mean to bark orders?
a) To give instructions politely
b) To whisper commands
c) To give orders in an angry way
d) To train a dog
Quiz 8: Boil Over with Rage
When someone is boiling over with rage, what are they feeling?
a) Deep sadness
b) Pure joy
c) Nervousness
d) Intense anger
Quiz 9: Hit the Roof
What situation fits the idiom “hit the roof”?
a) You trip and fall
b) You clean your house
c) You become extremely angry
d) You go on a vacation
Quiz 10: Go Ape
When someone “goes ape,” what does it mean?
a) They start acting silly
b) They climb a tree
c) They get very angry or overly excited
d) They eat a lot
Answers:
- b
- b
- b
- c
- c
- a
- c
- d
- c
- c
Conclusion
Anger can show up in many forms—quiet frustration, explosive fury, or even humorous outbursts. These 49 idioms help capture all those shades with creativity and emotion. Whether you’re expressing your own anger or describing someone else’s reaction, idioms give your words more power, humor, and personality.
Start using these expressions in your conversations, and you’ll sound more natural, relatable, and expressive. And next time you feel like you’re about to “blow your stack,” just remember—you’ve got the perfect idiom to say it