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
Muasher, the former Jordanian foreign minister, argued that the strategic difficulty of defeating and replacing the Iranian regime may prove too confounding for a trigger-happy White House that seems more invested in the spectacle of victory than in the complex project of building peace.
—
Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
Torched by the Warriors from 3-point range last Sunday, Denver limited the trigger-happy Celtics to a 12-for-43 clip downtown.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026
We should be asked how our youth retain the impulse to be free when trigger-happy Israeli soldiers and snipers are ordered to kill unarmed children demanding their human rights.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
The fifth pick in the 2025 draft has shown flashes as a scorer and pull-up shooter and has surprised many with his ability to make quick-decision passes, something that wasn’t exactly a feature of his game in his one trigger-happy season at Rutgers.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
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Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
Torched by the Warriors from 3-point range last Sunday, Denver limited the trigger-happy Celtics to a 12-for-43 clip downtown.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026
We should be asked how our youth retain the impulse to be free when trigger-happy Israeli soldiers and snipers are ordered to kill unarmed children demanding their human rights.
—Literary Hub, 11 Feb. 2026
The fifth pick in the 2025 draft has shown flashes as a scorer and pull-up shooter and has surprised many with his ability to make quick-decision passes, something that wasn’t exactly a feature of his game in his one trigger-happy season at Rutgers.
—John Hollinger, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trigger-happy
Cite this Entry
“Trigger-happy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trigger-happy. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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