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Definitions

trigger-happy

[trig-er-hap-ee] / ˈtrɪg ərˌhæp i /
ADJECTIVE
combative
Synonyms
STRONGEST
antagonistic bellicose belligerent cantankerous contentious energetic
WEAK
cussed fire-eating gladiatorial hawkish militant ornery pugnacious quarrelsome ructious scrappy strenuous truculent warlike warring
Antonyms
STRONGEST
kind nice
WEAK
agreeable compromising peaceful peaceloving

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.

Many of those stocks soon after clawed back much of their losses, leaving some investors to describe the market as trigger-happy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

Don’t get trigger-happy and sell because of headlines.

From Barron's • Nov. 20, 2025

Vance was also, in effect, portraying the American military personnel who sank the boats as trigger-happy, prone to mistake a fishing boat for a drug vessel and feeling guiltless about doing so.

From Slate • Sep. 18, 2025

Paranoid or jealous people who want to believe the rest of the world is out to get them tend to be trigger-happy.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2023

The man in charge saw Gilgamesh on the alarm screens and got trigger-happy.

From The Lost Kafoozalum by Ashwell, Pauline

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