🗓️ Idiom: Throw a Tantrum (v)
💬 Meaning
- To react with sudden, strong anger.
- To complain loudly or behave in an unreasonable way when upset.
- To be like a child getting angry over something small.
🧠 Example Sentences
- The supervisor threw a tantrum when the team missed the deadline.
- A customer threw a tantrum at the service desk after being told the item was out of stock.
- He tries to stay professional, but he sometimes throws a tantrum when things do not go as planned.
🏛️ Origin
The idiom comes from children’s behaviour. A “tantrum” is an emotional outburst that young children often have when they are frustrated or cannot get what they want. The phrase began to describe adults who act with sudden anger in a similar, dramatic way, especially in workplaces or customer situations.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
The customer __________ when she heard her refund would take three days.
Answer
threw a tantrum
2. Multiple choice:
What does “throw a tantrum” mean?
A. To calmly negotiate a solution
B. To react with sudden, unreasonable anger
C. To ignore a problem on purpose
Answer
B To react with sudden, unreasonable anger
3. Change the sentence using “throw a tantrum”:
“He reacted in an unreasonable and angry way when the office printer stopped working.”
Answer
He threw a tantrum when the office printer stopped working.
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