Have a Chip on Your Shoulder.
English
idiom
To get angry or offended easily because of past bad experiences or feelings of not being good enough.
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To get angry or offended easily because of past bad experiences or feelings of not being good enough.
Trusted by1.5M+English learners & teachers worldwide
To carry an ongoing feeling of resentment or grievance about something from the past.
When someone has a chip on their shoulder, they are easily offended or argumentative because they feel they were treated unfairly.
It's used when someone's past experience makes them defensive or bitter.
"Hold a Grudge"
—
To stay angry at a specific person for something they did to you
"A Sore Loser"
—
Someone who reacts badly to losing or being criticized
"Have a Chip on Your Shoulder"
—
Carrying a deep, ongoing sense of resentment from a past injustice
Why does James always seem so defensive in team meetings?
He's had a chip on his shoulder ever since the restructuring last year.
I feel like you still resent me for what happened in college.
Maybe — I've been carrying a chip on my shoulder about it, honestly.
He always seems to be trying to prove himself to everyone.
He has a chip on his shoulder — it goes back to how he grew up.
