Idiom
rub up the wrong way
Meanings
to annoy or irritate someone, especially by one’s manner or behaviour
Definition
To rub up the wrong way means to annoy or irritate someone by what you say or do.
If someone or something rubs you up the wrong way, it makes you feel annoyed or irritated, often for reasons that are hard to explain. It can be caused by a person’s attitude, tone of voice, or behaviour. In British English, it is commonly used for small but persistent irritations rather than one big offence.
Examples
- His sarcastic tone really rubs me up the wrong way.
- Something about her attitude rubs people up the wrong way.
- Try not to rub your new manager up the wrong way in your first week.
- The way he interrupts rubs me up the wrong way every time.
Common mistake
Learners often misuse the idiom to mean physical rubbing, but it is mainly used figuratively to mean ‘annoy’ or ‘irritate’.
More at B2 level
- Bob's your uncle Used to say that something will be easy or will happen exactly as expected after a simple step.
- touch base To touch base means to briefly contact someone to share updates, confirm plans, or check progress.
- ballpark figure A ballpark figure is an approximate number or estimate, not an exact one.
- take the mickey To take the mickey means to mock someone or tease them in an unkind or cheeky way.
- cheap as chips Very cheap; costing very little money.
More idiom (verb phrase)s
- touch base To touch base means to briefly contact someone to share updates, confirm plans, or check progress.
- take the mickey To take the mickey means to mock someone or tease them in an unkind or cheeky way.
- drop the ball To drop the ball means to make a mistake or fail to do something you were responsible for.
- have a chinwag To have a chinwag means to have a relaxed, friendly chat with someone.
- face the music To accept and deal with the unpleasant consequences of what you have done or a difficult situation.