Dictionary

trigger-happy en · ADJ

Etymology

From trigger + happy.

Meanings

1. Having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly before adequately identifying the target.
   • Claudine / Don't get trigger happy with me / Don't wave a gun at me 1980, Jagger–Richards, “Claudine”, performed by The Rolling Stones:
   • Crime is increasing / Trigger happy policing / Panic is spreading / God knows where we're heading 1971, “Inner City Blues”, in What's Going On, performed by Marvin Gaye:
   • The bystanders were indiscriminately gunned down by trigger-happy gang members.
2. (broadly) Inclined to behave recklessly or violently at the slightest provocation.
   • In a country like Burma, where the trigger-happy ruling elite resorted to arms even against unarmed students on university campuses, we have drawn lessons from history. It has taught us to resort to arms when fighting against fully armed demons. 2021 December 6, Kenny Coyle, “A new stage of resistance: Burmese communists return to armed struggle”, in Morning Star, archived from the original on 18 Apr 2023:
   • Be careful when you work near him; he's trigger-happy with that chain-saw.
   • He was so trigger-happy that he wheeled and punched me when I brushed by him in the hall.

Forms

Deriveds

trigger-happiness

Relateds

slaphappy

Translations (27)

nl schietgraag (having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly) · de leicht auf achtzig (inclined to behave recklessly) · de unüberlegt (inclined to behave recklessly) · cmn 好战的 (inclined to behave recklessly) · de impulsiv (inclined to behave recklessly) · cmn 動輒開槍的 /动辄开枪的 (having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly) · it grilletto facile (inclined to behave recklessly) · fr gâchette facile (having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly) · es gatillo fácil (having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly) · pl nieodpowiedzialny przy spuście (having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly) · fi väkivaltainen (inclined to behave recklessly) · el φιλοπόλεμος (having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly) · el πολεμοχαρής (having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly) · cmn 好鬥的 /好斗的 (inclined to behave recklessly) · cmn 好動武的 /好动武的 (inclined to behave recklessly) · fr malade de la gâchette (having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly) · de schießfreudig (having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly) · fr fou de la gâchette (having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly) · de schießwütig (having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly) · fr folle de la gâchette (having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly) · da skydegal (having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly) · fi liipaisinherkkä (having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly) · el αψίθυμος (having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly) · sv skjutglad (having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm irresponsibly) · cmn 好鬥的 /好斗的 (inclined to behave recklessly) · fr impulsif (inclined to behave recklessly) · pl nieobliczalny (inclined to behave recklessly)