Idioms for describing anger

Hey there and welcome to another episode of The Art of Business English, where we help people like you get the language skills you need to succeed in any business English speaking environment.

This week we are going to turn our attention to some idioms for describing anger. We know that things don’t always go well in life and sometimes this can lead to anger and frustration. So, with that in mind, today I am sharing some expressions with you that will help you put into words some of your frustration and anger.

Let’s dive in an take a look at ten idioms for describing anger.

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Mad at

Meaning: to be angry at a person or situation

Example: The boss is very mad at the team because they completely forgot to attend the quarterly meeting and went to the pub instead. 

Lose it

Meaning: go insane or crazy

Example: I lost it when I found out we had lost the contract to our competitors.

Fit of anger

Meaning: to display a bad temper, often by screaming a lot

Example: When someone stole her parking space, she drove off in a fit of anger.

In a huff

Meaning: to be upset or angry about something

Example: My boss left in a huff this morning after having an argument with the team.

Cry over spilt milk

Meaning: to be upset about things that has already been done

Example: It is okay if you didn’t get the promotion. There is no use crying over spilt milk.

Bite someone’s head off

Meaning: to react angrily or rudely to someone for no reason

Example: I was just asking how the sales meeting went. There is no need to bite my head off.

Blow your top

Meaning: to lose your temper.

Example: I blew my top after the children broke my grandmother’s clock.

To have a bone to pick with someone

Meaning: to want to talk to someone about something annoying they have done.

Example: I have a bone to pick with you. I did not like what you said about me in the meeting.

For crying out loud

Meaning: to emphasize that you are impatient or annoyed.

Example: Oh, for crying out loud, hurry up! Our plane is leaving in less than an hour!

Drive someone up the wall

Meaning: to make someone irritated or angry

Example: He just talked about himself for the whole evening. He was driving me up the wall. 

Final thoughts

There you have my ten idioms for describing anger. Remember, the keys to being an effective communicator is not shouting or getting angry at your employees or colleagues, yet some of these expressions are great to help you “describe” your anger.

If you are interested in improving your business vocabulary, then why don’t you grab a copy of my eBook entitled “500 business English collocations for everyday use”. It is packed full of useful expressions, plus you get all the pronunciation in MP3 format.

I hope you enjoyed this episode, please feel free to leave me a comment below and if you like the AOBE podcast then share it with your friends.

Till next week