short fuse

noun

: a tendency to get angry easily : a quick temper

… was seen as the bad guy, the one whose short fuse was scary, destructive and uncontrollable.

—Rick Telander

short-fused

ˈshȯrt-ˌfyüzd 

adjective

… a fiery and short-fused 30-year-old driver as well known for tantrums and bad behavior as he is for being the best rookie in history …

—The New York Times

Examples of short fuse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

During it all, Kraemer could find things that brought out his infectious laugh, mixed with a short fuse that seemed to make his red hair glow brighter, and an extensive vocabulary for words that could be printed in a family newspaper and those that could not. —Gene Myers, Freep.com, 23 Nov. 2025

Branch's short fuse can be a liability for the Lions moving forward. —Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025

Read the full Pisces Daily Horoscope Aries (March 21 - April 19) Got a short fuse? —Usa Today, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025

After that bruising prelude, the movie introduces us to Mark as a champion who grooves on fighting, especially the winning part, but who at home with his girlfriend, Dawn (Emily Blunt), seems more like a broken soul with a short fuse. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for short fuse

• accrues
• accuse
• aircrews
• amuse
• bamboos
• breakthroughs
• canoes
• cashews
• chartreuse
• confuse
• construes
• defuse

Kids Definition

short fuse

noun

: a tendency to get angry easily