Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

hair-trigger

/ˈhɛɚˌtɹɪɡ.ɚ/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.19 in modern English

Syllables: hair-trig-ger
IPA: /ˈhɛɚˌtɹɪɡ.ɚ/

16

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A trigger that will set off a firearm when even a very small pressure is applied.

adj

Unstable; in a situation that could be worsened by the slightest mistake.

adj

Easily angered; having a short temper.

Example Sentences

"[…]the hunter brings the sight of his rifle to bear; lightly and delicately his finger presses upon the hair-trigger."
"Is your laugh hung on a hair-trigger?—that is, is it critical, or can you get it off easy?"
""Gus," the latter began, "am I right in assuming that you possess a reasonable amount of influence with that hair-trigger partner of yours, Live Wire Luiz?""
"[I]n the 575 days since [Oscar] Pistorius shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, there has been an unseemly scramble to construct revisionist histories, to identify evidence beneath that placid exterior of a pugnacious, hair-trigger personality."

Etymology

From hair + trigger.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈhɛɚˌtɹɪɡ.ɚ/

Inflected Forms

hair-triggers (plural) hair trigger (alternative)

Synonyms

hair-triggered

Questions

How do you pronounce hair-trigger?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈhɛɚˌtɹɪɡ.ɚ/.
What does hair-trigger mean?: A trigger that will set off a firearm when even a very small pressure is applied.
Where does hair-trigger come from?: From hair + trigger.

How to pronounce hair-trigger

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “hair-trigger”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈhɛɚˌtɹɪɡ.ɚ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “hair-trigger”.
Repeat and practice — Say “hair-trigger” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.