bristle with rage

bristle with rage

To show sudden anger. I bristled with rage when I saw that someone had hit my car overnight. You need to be careful here—if she thinks you're questioning her parenting, she'll definitely bristle with rage. Of course I bristled with rage when Jon accused me of stealing money from the cash register!

See also: bristle, rage

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

bristle with rage

 and bristle with anger; bristle with indignation

Fig. to demonstrate one's anger, rage, or displeasure with a strong negative response. (Alludes to a dog or cat raising the hair on its back in anger or as a threat.) She was just bristling with anger. I don't know what set her off. Walter bristled with rage as he saw the damage to his new car.

See also: bristle, rage

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.