angry as a wet hen

9.9

Feeling very angry and upset

idiom

: furioso como una gallina mojada

He became angry as a wet hen when he found his car had been towed.

Examples

After hearing the unexpected news, she was angry as a wet hen and stormed out of the room.
Whenever his team loses, he gets angry as a wet hen for the rest of the day.
After hearing the news, she was angry as a wet hen and refused to speak to anyone.
She was angry as a wet hen when she found out.
Why is he angry as a wet hen today?
He was angry as a wet hen when he discovered that someone had borrowed his favorite tool without asking.
My mom gets angry as a wet hen when we forget to put our shoes away after playing outside.

Synonyms

angry

vsangry as a wet hen

∞ 1.0

Feeling very annoyed or upset

is the idiomatic, more vivid way to show that same strong displeasure

mad

vsangry as a wet hen

∞ 1.0

Feeling angry or upset with someone

is the idiomatic, more exaggerated way to express that emotion

furious

vsangry as a wet hen

238 3.0

Very angry and ready to shout or complain

is the idiomatic, more informal way to express that intensity

pissed off

vsangry as a wet hen

Informal

197 8.6

Very angry or annoyed

is the family-friendly idiom that uses a humorous image instead

outraged

vsangry as a wet hen

27 4.1

Feeling very angry and shocked because something seems unfair

is the idiom that signals strong upset without the shocked moral tone

irate

vsangry as a wet hen

23 5.3

Very angry and showing it

is the idiom version that sounds more vivid and less formal

livid

vsangry as a wet hen

19 5.5

Very angry and hard to calm

is the colorful idiom used instead of that direct descriptor

apoplectic

vsangry as a wet hen

6 8.6

So angry that you cannot speak or act calmly

is the idiom that paints emotion without implying physical collapse

ticked off

vsangry as a wet hen

Informal

5 7.9

Feeling angry or annoyed about something

is a stronger, more idiomatic simile expressing extreme upset

rageful

vsangry as a wet hen

1 4.8

Feeling very angry and likely to shout or lose control

is the idiom that uses a vivid picture rather than abstract fury

infuriated

vsangry as a wet hen

1 4.5

Feeling very angry because someone treated you unfairly

is the figurative phrase used more playfully than that direct term

pissed

vsangry as a wet hen

Informal

1 8.4

Feeling very angry or annoyed

is the idiom with a vivid image rather than blunt slang

riled

vsangry as a wet hen

Informal

1 7.1

Feeling annoyed or angry

is the idiom that signals a higher, more intense emotional state

mad as a wet hen

vsangry as a wet hen

Informal

1 9.8

Very angry or upset

is the alternative idiom using the other basic adjective

boiling mad

vsangry as a wet hen

Informal

1 4.8

Feeling very angry

is the playful idiom that paints a similar heated image

mad as a meat axe

vsangry as a wet hen

Archaic

1 9.9

Very angry and acting without thinking

is the idiom that feels more colloquial and less violently vivid

enraged

vsangry as a wet hen

4.1

Very angry and likely to act violently

is the idiom form that feels more colloquial and vivid

rip-snorting mad

vsangry as a wet hen

Informal

9.5

Being very angry and hard to calm

is the idiom drawing on a domestic animal image rather than coarse slang

ireful

vsangry as a wet hen

Archaic

9.9

Feeling very angry and showing that anger in words or actions

is the colloquial idiom that sounds more playful than that term

mad as hops

vsangry as a wet hen

Archaic

9.9

Feeling very angry and showing it

is the idiom that uses a different domestic bird image

wild as a wet hen

vsangry as a wet hen

Informal

9.4

Feeling very angry and upset

is the other idiom that emphasizes extreme upset with familiar wording

mad as a mongoose

vsangry as a wet hen

Informal

9.9

Very angry and unable to stay calm

is the idiom using a different domestic bird image for the same idea

mad enough to chew nails

vsangry as a wet hen

Archaic

9.9

Very angry and ready to do something extreme

is the idiom that uses a domestic bird image rather than violent action

mad as a cut snake

vsangry as a wet hen

Australian

9.9

Feeling extremely angry and acting wildly

is the idiom that signals severe upset without stressing irrational actions

maddened

vsangry as a wet hen

5.2

Very angry and acting out of control

is the idiom that expresses similar fury using a playful image

angered

vsangry as a wet hen

2.5

Feeling very furious because someone did something unfair or rude

is the colorful idiom often used for sudden, intense upset

incensed

vsangry as a wet hen

Formal

6.2

Very angry because of something unfair or wrong

is the idiom that lacks the specific unfairness cause emphasis

roiled

vsangry as a wet hen

8.4

Angry and upset because something caused trouble

is the idiom that focuses on raw, idiomatic upset rather than disturbance

in a radge

vsangry as a wet hen

Slang

9.9

Feeling very angry and annoyed

is the idiomatic simile that feels more old-fashioned or rural

steamed

vsangry as a wet hen

Informal

6.3

Feeling very angry or annoyed

is the idiom that implies a stronger, more extreme upset

How Angry

angry as a wet hen

9.9

angry

∞ 1.0

irritated

44 3.1

Surface Forms

angry as a wet hen positive

Morphology

angry + as + a + wet + hen

The simile structure 'as a ...' signals a comparison that intensifies 'angry', so a learner who knows 'angry', 'wet', and 'hen' may guess it describes a strong or vivid anger. However, the specific image of a 'wet hen' being especially irate is culturally based and not fully predictable from the constituents, so the exact force and conventional meaning will likely require exposure.

Etymology

Angry as a wet hen may come from farm life: one popular story says that when a hen gets wet, her feathers lie flat, she shakes and clucks loudly, and looks very upset, so people used that image to mean 'extremely angry or upset'.