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Definitions

short fuse

NOUN
temper
Synonyms
WEAK
acerbity anger annoyance bad humor cantankerousness crossness dander excitability fit fretfulness furor fury grouchiness heat hotheadedness huffiness ill humor impatience irascibility irascibleness ire irritability irritation low boiling point miff outburst passion peevishness petulance pugnacity rage resentment sensitivity slow burn snit sourness spleen stew sullenness surliness tantrum tartness tear temperament tetchiness tiff touchiness wax

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The author is a fan of this feminist hero but acknowledges that Rankin was a family tyrant with a short fuse.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

Maynes remembers Combs having a short fuse in the office, sometimes banging "his hands up against the desk" like a "bratty kid" and yelling if he did not get his way.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2025

“She said that he had trouble in his life, had anger management issues, a short fuse and for no valid reasons, he just gets angry,” he added.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 17, 2024

Brad Bannon, a Democratic strategist, didn’t deny that Mr. Biden showed a short fuse with the press, but he chalked it up to the stress and challenges of a tough midterm campaign entering the homestretch.

From Washington Times • Oct. 21, 2022

He had a short fuse, that was just fact and anybody in the valley could have told you as much.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.