blow a gasket
Meaning
To suddenly become very angry or lose your temper; to “explode” with rage.
Origin
From engine mechanics: if pressure gets too high, a gasket can fail (“blow”), causing a dramatic breakdown. The idiom uses that mechanical failure as a metaphor for a person “blowing up” in anger.
Notes
Informal, vivid way to say someone got extremely angry. Common in spoken English; sometimes also used for machines failing under pressure.
Examples
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My dad is going to blow a gasket when he sees the dent in the car.
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She almost blew a gasket after waiting on hold for an hour.
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Don’t blow a gasket—I'll fix the mistake before the meeting.
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The coach blew a gasket when the referee made that call.
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If my boss finds out we missed the deadline, he’ll blow a gasket.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Usually used as a verb phrase: blow a gasket / blew a gasket / is blowing a gasket. Often with a person as subject; can take a trigger with “when/at/about.” Article is typically “a.”
Synonyms
- blow up
- lose your temper
- flip out
- hit the roof
- go ballistic
Antonyms
- keep your cool
- stay calm
- remain composed