Meaning of word triggered

Last Updated:
27 Feb 2023
— Updated example sentences

The formal meaning of the word is important to understanding how it is being used in memes and by young people in the context you describe, so let’s cover that first:

The meaning of «triggered» in a psychological context is that something has «set off» or «sparked» an emotional response in someone. For example, someone who has been trapped in an elevator may develop a fear of confined spaces, and finding themselves in a small space may «trigger» that fear.

It comes from the idea of cause and effect — pulling the trigger on a gun causes it to fire. In fact there is also the expression in British English «to light the touch paper», which uses the analogy of lighting the fuse on an explosive to describe something that causes anger or excitement in somebody.

The memes you refer to feature various people portrayed as having some kind of militant ideology along with an inferiority complex; that is to suggest that they believe everybody is against them and rant about their ideology at the merest mention of it. The idea behind the meme is to suggest that it doesn’t take very much to «trigger» their complex and start ranting.

If someone use the word this way about themselves, my instinct would be that is was hyperbole, and with a knowledge of this meme. Similar expressions have become popular in recent times — one that springs to mind is «I’m cured» to mean you are tired of, or have had enough of something.

So it doesn’t specifically mean someone that is upset, although if somebody’s anxiety or complex was «triggered» they might be upset. Depending on how it was used (and I think its usage will be limited to the demographic of people who are really into quoting internet memes) it could equally mean someone is angry, scared, traumatised etc.

If people are asking «why so triggered?» as you say I would interpret this to mean «why has this made you angry/upset/whatever?» rather than simply «why are you angry/upset/whatever?».

trigger

(redirected from triggered)
Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Idioms, Encyclopedia.

trig·ger

 (trĭg′ər)

n.

1.

a. The lever pressed by the finger to discharge a firearm.

b. A similar device used to release or activate a mechanism.

2. Something that precipitates a particular event or situation.

3. Electronics A pulse or circuit that initiates the action of another component.

tr.v. trig·gered, trig·ger·ing, trig·gers

1. To set off; initiate: remarks that triggered bitter debates; allergens that trigger asthma attacks.

2. To fire or explode (a weapon or an explosive charge).

---

[Dutch trekker, from Middle Dutch trecker, from trecken, to pull.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

trigger

(ˈtrɪɡə)

n

1. (Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery) a small projecting lever that activates the firing mechanism of a firearm

2. (Mechanical Engineering) machinery a device that releases a spring-loaded mechanism or a similar arrangement

3. any event that sets a course of action in motion

vb (tr)

4. (usually foll by off) to give rise (to); set off

5. to fire or set in motion by or as by pulling a trigger

[C17 tricker, from Dutch trekker, from trekken to pull; see trek]

ˈtriggered adj

ˈtriggerless adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

trig•ger

(ˈtrɪg ər)

n.

1. a small projecting tongue in a firearm that, when pressed by the finger, actuates the mechanism that discharges the weapon.

2. a device, as a lever, the pulling or pressing of which releases a detent or spring.

3. anything, as an act or event, that initiates or precipitates a reaction or series of reactions.

v.t.

4. to initiate or precipitate (a reaction, process, or chain of events).

5. to fire or explode (a gun, missile, etc.) by pulling a trigger or releasing a triggering device.

v.i.

6. to release a trigger.

7. to become active; activate.

Idioms:

quick on the trigger,

a. quick to act or respond; impetuous; volatile.

b. ready to act; sensitive; alert.

[1615–25; earlier tricker < Dutch trekker, derivative of trekk(en) to pull (compare trek)]

Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

trigger

Past participle: triggered
Gerund: triggering

Imperative
trigger
trigger

Present
I trigger
you trigger
he/she/it triggers
we trigger
you trigger
they trigger

Preterite
I triggered
you triggered
he/she/it triggered
we triggered
you triggered
they triggered

Present Continuous
I am triggering
you are triggering
he/she/it is triggering
we are triggering
you are triggering
they are triggering

Present Perfect
I have triggered
you have triggered
he/she/it has triggered
we have triggered
you have triggered
they have triggered

Past Continuous
I was triggering
you were triggering
he/she/it was triggering
we were triggering
you were triggering
they were triggering

Past Perfect
I had triggered
you had triggered
he/she/it had triggered
we had triggered
you had triggered
they had triggered

Future
I will trigger
you will trigger
he/she/it will trigger
we will trigger
you will trigger
they will trigger

Future Perfect
I will have triggered
you will have triggered
he/she/it will have triggered
we will have triggered
you will have triggered
they will have triggered

Future Continuous
I will be triggering
you will be triggering
he/she/it will be triggering
we will be triggering
you will be triggering
they will be triggering

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been triggering
you have been triggering
he/she/it has been triggering
we have been triggering
you have been triggering
they have been triggering

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been triggering
you will have been triggering
he/she/it will have been triggering
we will have been triggering
you will have been triggering
they will have been triggering

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been triggering
you had been triggering
he/she/it had been triggering
we had been triggering
you had been triggering
they had been triggering

Conditional
I would trigger
you would trigger
he/she/it would trigger
we would trigger
you would trigger
they would trigger

Past Conditional
I would have triggered
you would have triggered
he/she/it would have triggered
we would have triggered
you would have triggered
they would have triggered

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	trigger — lever that activates the firing mechanism of a gun gun trigger gun — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel) hair trigger — a gun trigger that responds with little pressure lever — a rigid bar pivoted about a fulcrum
	2.	trigger — a device that activates or releases or causes something to happen device — an instrumentality invented for a particular purpose; «the device is small enough to wear on your wrist»; «a device intended to conserve water» plutonium pit, plutonium trigger — a steel or beryllium sphere containing plutonium 239 that triggers nuclear fission when compressed by explosives
	3.	trigger — an act that sets in motion some course of events initiation, induction causation, causing — the act of causing something to happen instigation, fomentation — deliberate and intentional triggering (of trouble or discord)
Verb	1.	trigger — put in motion or move to act; «trigger a reaction»; «actuate the circuits» activate, actuate, set off, spark, spark off, touch off, trigger off, trip initiate, pioneer — take the lead or initiative in; participate in the development of; «This South African surgeon pioneered heart transplants»
	2.	trigger — release or pull the trigger on; «Trigger a gun»

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

trigger

verb

1. bring about, start, cause, produce, generate, prompt, provoke, set off, activate, give rise to, elicit, spark off, set in motion the incident which triggered the outbreak of the First World War
bring about stop, bar, block, prevent, inhibit, hinder, repress, obstruct, impede

2. set off, trip, activate, set going The thieves must have triggered the alarm.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

trigger

noun

Something that incites especially a violent response:

verb

1. To be the cause of:

bring, bring about, bring on, cause, effect, effectuate, generate, induce, ingenerate, lead to, make, occasion, result in, secure, set off, stir (up), touch off.

2. To stir to action or feeling:

egg on, excite, foment, galvanize, goad, impel, incite, inflame, inspire, instigate, motivate, move, pique, prick, prod, prompt, propel, provoke, set off, spur, stimulate, touch off, work up.

The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

أداة القَدْح أو الأطلاق، مُطْلِقزِناد المُسَدَّسيَبدأ، يُطْلِق، يُشْعِل

spoušťspouštěčspustit

aftrækkerudløseudløser

gikkurkoma/hrinda af staîundirrót, upptök

duoti postūmįgaidukaspostūmis

cēlonisizraisītizšķirošais notikums u.tmlmēlīte

spúšťač

sprožilo

Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

trigger

[ˈtrɪgə^r]

n

(= catalyst) to act as a trigger for sth → provoquer qch

vt

[+ war, recession, strike, demonstration, illness] → déclencher

trigger off

vt [+ war, recession, strike, demonstration, illness] → déclenchertrigger-happy trigger happy [ˌtrɪgə^rˈhæpi] adj [person] → à la gâchette facile
to be trigger-happy → avoir la gâchette facile

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

trigger

n (of gun) → Abzug(shahn) m, → Drücker m (inf); (of bomb) → Zünder m; (of cine camera, machine) → Auslöser m; (Elec) → Trigger m; to pull the trigger → abdrücken; to be quick on the trigger → schnell abdrücken

---

trigger

:

trigger-happy

adj (inf) → schießfreudig (inf), → schießwütig (pej); (hum) photographer → knipswütig (inf)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

trigger

(ˈtrigə) noun

1. a small lever on a gun, which is pulled to make the gun fire. He aimed the rifle at her but did not pull the trigger.

2. anything which starts a series of actions or reactions.

verb

(often with off) to start (a series of events). The attack triggered (off) a full-scale war.

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

trig·ger

n. desencadenamiento; impulso o reacción que inicia otros eventos;

___ points → puntos de ___;

v. desencadenar, iniciar.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

trigger

n gatillo; — finger dedo en gatillo; — point punto gatillo; vt provocar

English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Originally tricker, from Dutch trekker (“pull”, noun, as in drawer-pull, bell-pull), from Dutch trekken (“to drag, draw, pull”).

Pronunciation[edit]

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹɪɡə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹɪɡɚ/
• Rhymes: -ɪɡə(ɹ)

Noun[edit]

trigger (plural triggers)

1. (firearms) A finger-operated lever used to fire a gun.

   Just pull the trigger.

2. A similar device used to activate any mechanism.
3. An event that initiates others, or incites a response.

   Sleeping in an unfamiliar room can be a trigger for sleepwalking.

4. A concept or image that upsets somebody by sparking a negative emotional response.

   I can’t watch that violent film. Blood is one of my triggers.

5. (psychology) An event, experience or other stimulus that initiates a traumatic memory or a strong reaction in a person.
6. (music) An electronic transducer allowing a drum, cymbal, etc. to control an electronic drum unit or similar device.
7. (music) A device that manually lengthens (or sometimes shortens) the slide or tubing of a brass instrument, allowing the pitch range to be altered while playing.
8. (electronics) A pulse in an electronic circuit that initiates some component.
9. (databases) An SQL procedure that may be initiated when a record is inserted, updated or deleted; typically used to maintain referential integrity.
10. (online gaming) A text string that, when received by a player, will cause the player to execute a certain command.
11. (archaic) A catch to hold the wheel of a carriage on a declivity.

Derived terms[edit]

[edit]

• trek

Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

trigger (third-person singular simple present triggers, present participle triggering, simple past and past participle triggered)

1. (transitive) To fire a weapon.

   Synonyms: activate, detonate, fire

   • 2011, Baggott, Jim, The First War of Physics, Pegasus Books, →ISBN:

     A U235 bomb would therefore need to incorporate a gun weighing ten tons. Then there was the question of initiating or triggering the bomb.

2. (transitive) To initiate something.

   Synonyms: activate, initiate

   The controversial article triggered a deluge of angry letters from readers.

   • 2020 August 26, Philip Haigh, “Network News: Three die in ScotRail landslip derailment at Carmont”, in Rail, page 6:

     The accident followed torrential early morning rain that triggered widespread flooding across Scotland’s tracks, including south of Carmont.

3. (transitive, figurative) To spark a response, especially a negative emotional response, in (someone).

   Synonym: push someone’s buttons

   This story contains a rape scene and may be triggering for rape victims.

   • 2020 January 25, Ernesto Londoño; Letícia Casado, “Glenn Greenwald in Bolsonaro’s Brazil”, in The New York Times‎^[2], →ISSN:

     “I think I trigger a lot of their primal rage,” Mr. Greenwald said, referring to Brazilians who support the president. “They view me as someone who deserves to be punished.”

   1. (transitive, figurative, by extension of above, Internet slang) To intentionally offend someone, especially by expressing radical or edgy opinions.

      I encountered a forum user who didn’t agree with me, so I wrote some comments with my political slogans to trigger that clueless kiddo.

4. (intransitive, especially electronics) To activate; to become active.

   • 1997, Mill Operators’ Conference, page 182:

     Sodium nitrite (750 ppm) was added after the alarm triggered at three hours, and corrosion did not occur for over eight hours.

Usage notes[edit]

• Among movements to promote mental health awareness, especially concerning autism; epilepsy; and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), using the to spark an esp. negative emotional response in sense for lesser matters is often considered offensive to and exclusive of those who regularly deal with triggers that aggravate their symptoms (meltdowns; seizures, anxiety attacks; etc.).

Descendants[edit]

• → German: triggern

Translations[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Romanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Unadapted borrowing from English trigger.

Noun[edit]

trigger n (plural triggere)

1. trigger

Declension[edit]