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 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
The Iranian government has long maintained a rather trigger-happy approach to censorship, to put it mildly.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
On one hand, some argue that Good was attempting to leave the scene, and a trigger-happy ICE agent fired his weapon at her, an abuse of authority.
—Andrew Adeolu, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
Will Timberwolves president Tim Connelly, the famously trigger-happy former Nuggets GM, take another bold swing to get Anthony Edwards a point guard?
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 30 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trigger-happy
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John Hollinger, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
The Iranian government has long maintained a rather trigger-happy approach to censorship, to put it mildly.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
On one hand, some argue that Good was attempting to leave the scene, and a trigger-happy ICE agent fired his weapon at her, an abuse of authority.
—Andrew Adeolu, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026
Will Timberwolves president Tim Connelly, the famously trigger-happy former Nuggets GM, take another bold swing to get Anthony Edwards a point guard?
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 30 Nov. 2025
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 14 Feb. 2026.
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