いきり立つ

• Reading: いきりたつ
• Romaji: ikiritatsu
• Kanji breakdown: 立 (ritsu/ta) — stand, arise; いきり — heating up, agitation (native Japanese root)
• Pronunciation: /i.ki.ɾi.ta.tsɯ/

Meaning

To get worked up; to fly into a rage; to bristle with anger or excitement. Describes a sudden surge of intense emotion, typically anger.

A Group 1 (godan) compound verb combining いきる (to become heated/tense) and 立つ (to stand up/arise). The whole verb suggests a person who abruptly rises up in agitation or fury. The tone is usually negative — an overreaction to a minor provocation. Occasionally used for intense excitement in non-angry contexts, but anger is by far the dominant nuance. More vivid and colloquial than 激怒する.

Examples

1. 些細な一言にいきり立って怒鳴り散らすのは、大人げない振る舞いだ。 Flying into a rage and yelling at someone over a trivial remark is immature behaviour.
2. 判定に不満を持ったファンたちがいきり立ち、会場は一時騒然となった。 Fans dissatisfied with the referee's decision got worked up, and the venue briefly descended into chaos.
3. 少し批判されただけでいきり立つようでは、社会人として通用しない。 If you bristle with anger the moment you receive even mild criticism, you will not last long in the working world.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, sports, conflict, social commentary

Tone: agitated

Origin & History

Compound of いきる (to be tense, agitated; related to 息 breath/spirit) and 立つ (to stand/arise). The image of something rising up suddenly in response to stimulus aptly captures the sudden outburst of temper.

Cultural Context

Era: Contemporary

Generation: All ages

Social background: General