trigger-happy
adjective
trig·ger-hap·py
ˈtri-gər-ˌha-pē 
1
: irresponsible in the use of firearms
especially
: inclined to shoot before clearly identifying the target
2
a
: inclined to be irresponsible in matters that might precipitate war
b
: aggressively belligerent in attitude
Examples of trigger-happy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The screenplay even pays tribute to the island’s anti-fascist heritage with an elderly, trigger-happy partisan shooting from her balcony and singing Communist songs with the Mayor.
—
Alissa Simon, Variety, 16 Aug. 2024
Dancing next to the procession of kids and the trigger-happy xylophone infant.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 22 July 2024
On the other hand, post-Soviet Russia’s nuclear strategy seemed more trigger-happy than before.
—Olga Oliker, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2018
Add to the mix the trigger-happy culture of hiring and firing traders, and the hunt for clever managers is as important as stellar returns and raising cash.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 21 June 2024
He’s been a renegade sheriff in The Hateful Eight, an outlaw on Justified, a Navy SEAL on Six and a trigger-happy train robber in Shanghai Noon — but Fallout marks the first time he’s been two versions of one cowboy.
—Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 June 2024
As played by Paul Newman, William Bonney is a trigger-happy hothead who’s more misunderstood than evil.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2024
Ricki Tarr is not a trigger-happy super-spy but a low-level field agent who happens to be a bit of a romantic gentleman.
—Elliott Smith and Chris Bellamy, EW.com, 23 May 2024
Worst off were grizzly bears, who overwhelmingly perished near roads—not because they were struck by cars, though that happened, but because roads pumped the woods full of trigger-happy humans.
—Ben Goldfarb, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
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Alissa Simon, Variety, 16 Aug. 2024
Dancing next to the procession of kids and the trigger-happy xylophone infant.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 22 July 2024
On the other hand, post-Soviet Russia’s nuclear strategy seemed more trigger-happy than before.
—Olga Oliker, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2018
Add to the mix the trigger-happy culture of hiring and firing traders, and the hunt for clever managers is as important as stellar returns and raising cash.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 21 June 2024
He’s been a renegade sheriff in The Hateful Eight, an outlaw on Justified, a Navy SEAL on Six and a trigger-happy train robber in Shanghai Noon — but Fallout marks the first time he’s been two versions of one cowboy.
—Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 June 2024
As played by Paul Newman, William Bonney is a trigger-happy hothead who’s more misunderstood than evil.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2024
Ricki Tarr is not a trigger-happy super-spy but a low-level field agent who happens to be a bit of a romantic gentleman.
—Elliott Smith and Chris Bellamy, EW.com, 23 May 2024
Worst off were grizzly bears, who overwhelmingly perished near roads—not because they were struck by cars, though that happened, but because roads pumped the woods full of trigger-happy humans.
—Ben Goldfarb, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near trigger-happy
Cite this Entry
“Trigger-happy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trigger-happy. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.
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