25 Idioms for Anger

Anger is a natural and powerful emotion, one that can be triggered by frustration, injustice, or conflict. The English language has a variety of idioms and expressions to describe the intensity and different types of anger. From expressions that suggest an emotional outburst, like “blow a fuse,” to those describing the simmering intensity of frustration, like “simmering with rage,” these idioms provide a vivid way to express the complex and often fiery nature of anger.

In this article, we will explore 25 idioms for anger, each representing a unique aspect of this intense emotion. These idioms help to convey everything from the initial spark of anger to its full-blown eruption, offering a range of colorful ways to describe feeling enraged or upset.

1. Blow a fuse

Meaning: To suddenly become very angry, often resulting in a dramatic outburst
In a Sentence:
– “She blew a fuse when she found out someone had used her car without asking.”
– “He blew a fuse over the unfair comment made by his colleague.”
Other Ways to Say: Lose your temper / Blow your top

2. See red

Meaning: To become extremely angry, often so much so that it clouds your judgment
In a Sentence:
– “I saw red when I realized my phone had been stolen.”
– “She saw red after hearing the unfair criticism about her work.”
Other Ways to Say: Get furious / Become enraged

3. Hit the roof

Meaning: To become very angry, often leading to loud reactions or extreme behavior
In a Sentence:
– “He hit the roof when he discovered that his project had been canceled.”
– “She hit the roof when she found out the event had been rescheduled without her knowledge.”
Other Ways to Say: Lose it / Go ballistic

4. Blow your top

Meaning: To lose your temper completely, often with a visible or loud outburst
In a Sentence:
– “He blew his top when the meeting was delayed for the third time.”
– “She blew her top when she heard about the mistake on her report.”
Other Ways to Say: Lose your cool / Flip out

5. Fuming with rage

Meaning: To be very angry, often simmering quietly and visibly expressing frustration
In a Sentence:
– “He was fuming with rage after the unfair decision by the judge.”
– “She was fuming with rage after hearing the false rumors about her.”
Other Ways to Say: Steaming mad / Boiling with anger

6. Blow off steam

Meaning: To release pent-up anger or frustration, often by venting or expressing it loudly
In a Sentence:
– “After the heated meeting, he went for a run to blow off steam.”
– “She had to blow off steam after a long day of dealing with difficult customers.”
Other Ways to Say: Vent / Let off steam

7. Fly off the handle

Meaning: To suddenly and unexpectedly lose your temper, often without warning or control
In a Sentence:
– “He flew off the handle when someone questioned his decisions.”
– “She flew off the handle when her plans were disrupted.”
Other Ways to Say: Snap / Lose it

8. Go through the roof

Meaning: To become extremely angry or enraged, often in an explosive or dramatic manner
In a Sentence:
– “The customer went through the roof when he received the wrong order.”
– “When he found out about the mistake, he went through the roof.”
Other Ways to Say: Blow a gasket / Hit the ceiling

9. Bite someone’s head off

Meaning: To speak angrily or sharply to someone, often without much provocation
In a Sentence:
– “She bit his head off over something trivial, and he didn’t even understand why.”
– “I didn’t mean to bite his head off, but I was already upset about other things.”
Other Ways to Say: Snap at / Lash out

10. Get under someone’s skin

Meaning: To irritate or annoy someone to the point of anger
In a Sentence:
– “The way he kept interrupting me really got under my skin.”
– “Her constant criticism got under my skin, and I couldn’t keep quiet anymore.”
Other Ways to Say: Irritate / Agitate

11. Seethe with anger

Meaning: To be extremely angry, but holding the anger in, often bubbling with frustration or rage
In a Sentence:
– “He was seething with anger after the unfair decision but didn’t say anything.”
– “She seethed with anger as she waited for an apology that never came.”
Other Ways to Say: Fume / Boil inside

12. Rage against the machine

Meaning: To fight against something powerful or oppressive, often used in a figurative sense of rebellion or frustration
In a Sentence:
– “He’s always raging against the machine, trying to change the system that seems unfair.”
– “Their protests were a way to rage against the machine, pushing for change.”
Other Ways to Say: Rebel / Fight against authority

13. Have a short fuse

Meaning: To have a tendency to get angry quickly and easily
In a Sentence:
– “He has a short fuse, so it’s best to avoid bringing up sensitive topics.”
– “She’s got a short fuse lately—one wrong word and she’ll snap.”
Other Ways to Say: Be quick-tempered / Be easily irritated

14. Lose your cool

Meaning: To lose control of your emotions, especially anger, and react in a way that is out of character
In a Sentence:
– “He lost his cool when the team didn’t meet the deadline.”
– “I almost lost my cool during the meeting, but I kept my composure.”
Other Ways to Say: Lose your temper / Blow your top

15. Boiling over

Meaning: To reach the point where anger becomes uncontrollable, often with a visible emotional eruption
In a Sentence:
– “Her anger was boiling over when she found out the truth.”
– “After being ignored for so long, his frustration was boiling over.”
Other Ways to Say: Erupt / Explode in anger

16. At the end of your tether

Meaning: To be at the limit of your patience or endurance, often from frustration or anger
In a Sentence:
– “I’m at the end of my tether with these constant delays; I can’t take it anymore.”
– “She was at the end of her tether after hours of waiting and no answers.”
Other Ways to Say: Out of patience / At your wit’s end

17. Blow a gasket

Meaning: To become extremely angry, often in a sudden or dramatic way
In a Sentence:
– “He blew a gasket when he found out his team had missed the deadline.”
– “She nearly blew a gasket when the issue was dismissed without consideration.”
Other Ways to Say: Lose your temper / Explode with anger

18. Go ballistic

Meaning: To become extremely angry or enraged, often in an exaggerated way
In a Sentence:
– “He went ballistic when the car broke down in the middle of his road trip.”
– “She went ballistic after the company changed the terms without informing anyone.”
Other Ways to Say: Lose control / Blow your top

19. Throw a tantrum

Meaning: To have a sudden outburst of anger, often irrational or childish in nature
In a Sentence:
– “He threw a tantrum when he didn’t get what he wanted.”
– “She threw a tantrum when the plan was changed without consulting her.”
Other Ways to Say: Throw a fit / Have a meltdown

20. Fury knows no bounds

Meaning: To express an extreme or uncontrollable level of anger, often suggesting it is limitless
In a Sentence:
– “Her fury knows no bounds after the injustice was done to her family.”
– “When he found out what happened, his fury knew no bounds—he was furious.”
Other Ways to Say: Wild rage / Uncontainable anger

21. Burn with anger

Meaning: To feel intense, smoldering anger, often with a sense of being consumed by it
In a Sentence:
– “He burned with anger when he learned that his efforts had been ignored.”
– “Her face burned with anger after hearing the false accusations about her.”
Other Ways to Say: Seethe with rage / Boil with anger

22. Blow your stack

Meaning: To lose your temper suddenly, often with a dramatic outburst
In a Sentence:
– “He blew his stack when he found out his hard work had been undone.”
– “She blew her stack when they canceled her project without explanation.”
Other Ways to Say: Blow your top / Lose control

23. Get in a lather

Meaning: To become extremely agitated or angry over something
In a Sentence:
– “He got in a lather over the mistake, causing unnecessary stress in the office.”
– “She got in a lather when her ideas were dismissed without consideration.”
Other Ways to Say: Get worked up / Get upset

24. Lose your cool

Meaning: To become angry or upset, often in a way that is out of character
In a Sentence:
– “I almost lost my cool during the meeting when they ignored my suggestion.”
– “She lost her cool when her team didn’t follow through on their responsibilities.”
Other Ways to Say: Lose your temper / Snap

25. Go off the deep end

Meaning: To react with extreme anger or frustration, often in an exaggerated or irrational way
In a Sentence:
– “He went off the deep end when he found out about the project delay.”
– “She went off the deep end after her proposal was rejected for the fifth time.”
Other Ways to Say: Overreact / Go berserk

Practice Exercise

Fill in the blanks using the correct idiom from the list:

1. When I saw the surprise on my desk, I __________, unable to believe it was happening.
2. The boss __________ when he found out the report was late again.
3. She was so upset that she just had to __________ to calm down.
4. His behavior was so outrageous that it __________, and he couldn’t stop yelling.
5. I could see he was about to __________ when they raised the price again.
6. The constant interruptions during the meeting __________.
7. I tried to stay calm, but the unfair treatment made me __________.
8. She was __________ when she found out that her promotion was delayed.
9. The injustice of the situation really __________, and I couldn’t keep quiet anymore.
10. He couldn’t believe how they had treated him; he was __________.
11. When he was denied the promotion, he __________ and stormed out of the room.
12. She was clearly about to __________ when she saw the chaos in the office.
13. His __________ shocked everyone in the room; they had never seen him so upset.
14. After hearing the rumors, she just __________ and couldn’t hold it in.
15. He was __________ when he found out his team had failed to deliver the project.
16. The unfair decision __________, and it took a lot of self-control not to react.
17. After hours of waiting, I __________ and said something I regretted.
18. The injustice he faced made him __________, unable to stay composed.
19. The constant disrespect really __________, and I couldn’t stay silent.
20. When they delayed the event again, she __________, unable to hide her anger.
21. He __________ after hearing the false accusations, his patience running thin.
22. The sudden announcement about the budget cuts __________, leaving everyone stunned.
23. He __________ when his hard work was dismissed by his manager.
24. She was about to __________ when the discussion turned personal.
25. The heated argument made him __________, and he had to leave the room to cool off.

Answer Key

1. Got the shock of his life
2. Blow his stack
3. Blow off steam
4. Went ballistic
5. Blow a gasket
6. Got under my skin
7. Lose your cool
8. Burned with anger
9. Made my hair stand on end
10. Went through the roof
11. Threw a tantrum
12. Blow a fuse
13. Blew his mind
14. Went off the deep end
15. Blow his top
16. Hit the roof
17. Fume with rage
18. Go berserk
19. Lost it
20. Blow your top
21. Flew off the handle
22. Dropped a bombshell
23. Blow up
24. Blow off steam
25. Blow a fuse

Conclusion

Anger is a powerful emotion, and these 25 idioms for anger provide a variety of ways to describe the intensity, outbursts, and simmering frustration that can arise from different situations. From “blowing a fuse” to “going ballistic,” these idioms give you creative ways to convey anger in your conversations, whether it’s a dramatic outburst or a more subdued simmering frustration.

Using idioms like these allows you to express feelings of anger in a more colorful and engaging way, whether you’re writing or speaking. These expressions help add depth to your communication and can make your descriptions of intense emotions more relatable and vivid.