Originally a clinical term for a trauma response; now used loosely (often pejoratively) to describe someone reacting strongly to something.
🤣😂🤣 I had to shut my cat out of the bedroom during sheets change for YEARS! So triggered by this memory of sheer terrorism!! 🤣😂🤣
Wow - now resorting to name calling when you're caught out! Hope you enjoyed being triggered by 'Just another anonymous account...'
Originally a clinical term for a trauma response; now used loosely (often pejoratively) to describe someone reacting strongly to something. Has become a culture-war flashpoint, where deploying "triggered" mockingly is itself politically marked.
"You seem triggered."
Triggered means: Originally a clinical term for a trauma response; now used loosely to describe someone reacting strongly to something. Has become a culture-war flashpoint, where deploying "triggered" mockingly is. It has drug-related associations; worth a calm conversation about which side of the topic your teen is on. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Triggered means: Originally a clinical term for a trauma response; now used loosely to describe someone reacting strongly to something. Has become a culture-war flashpoint, where deploying "triggered" mockingly is. It has drug-related associations; worth a calm conversation about which side of the topic your teen is on. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "triggered".
Head-to-head pages explaining the difference.
Viral internet speak — memes, ratios, main-character moments, and the algospeak of every platform from Twitter to Reddit to TikTok comment sections.
See all Internet & Memes slang on Slangora.
Browse all slang words starting with T.
An event that initiates others, or incites a response.
(metaphor, US) Any unstable situation.
An emotional trigger; something that arouses strong emotion or opinions.
AAVE-influenced respelling of "trigger" — often used as a term of address among friends ("my trigga") or as a stylized form of "n***a" replacement in hip-hop lyrics and casual speech.
Reminder: What triggered Stonewall was the NYPD enforcing anti-trans ordinances that allowed them to arrest anyone who was wearing non-conforming clothing.
triggered means: Originally a clinical term for a trauma response; now used loosely to describe someone reacting strongly to something. Has become a culture-war flashpoint, where deploying. Register: very informal, often derogatory or vulgar. Avoid in formal, business, academic, or polite writing. Even in casual speech the word can offend and is best left out of a learner's active vocabulary. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
“Also sorry if I triggered anyone”
“Reform UK’s latest immigration policy – widely condemned as vindictive and divisive – has triggered a fierce backlash across the political spectrum.”
“Ppl get triggered when i ask if an image or video is AI”
“There is mounting concern that the pursuit of Trump’s agenda has triggered an exodus of experienced prosecutors and hampered Miami’s expertise in building major white collar crime and narcotics trafficking cases.”
“💲 Cointelegraph: XRP's current market structure mirrors a 2025 fractal that previously triggered a 66% asset price surge #XRP #crypto #blockchain”
No comments yet — say something.
Earnest sense: experiencing a real psychological reaction (anxiety, distress) due to a trigger. Distinguished from the dismissive online sense, but the same word.
“🤣😂🤣 I had to shut my cat out of the bedroom during sheets change for YEARS! So triggered by this memory of sheer terrorism!! 🤣😂🤣”
“Wow - now resorting to name calling when you're caught out! Hope you enjoyed being triggered by 'Just another anonymous account...'”
“Reminder: What triggered Stonewall was the NYPD enforcing anti-trans ordinances that allowed them to arrest anyone who was wearing non-conforming clothing.”
“Africa: WHO Leads Response to Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak https://www.europesays.com/africa/219401/ An outbreak of deadly hantavirus aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has triggered an international public…”
“Things you learn while out canvassing: ‘I am racist, I am very racist’. Triggered by a photo of the British Asian candidate on the leaflet. #localelections”
No comments yet — say something.