to get on someone's nerves
60
4.9
- phrasal verb
- Informal
- She always talks loudly, and it's really starting to get on my nerves.
- get on each other's nerves a little
- starts to get on people's nerves
- ever get on anyone's nerves
Examples
-
They're getting on my nerves!
-
I just thought I'd spend the evening with someone who gets on my nerves.
-
And you are getting on my nerves!
-
You getting on my nerves.
-
I tell you, we sure got on each other's nerves!
Fiction book (2001) -
Don't you think I might get on your nerves a little bit?
-
Because you're starting to get on my nerves.
-
You're starting to get on my nerves.
-
You're getting on my nerves.
-
It was hot enough that swimming didn't help, and we were getting on each other's nerves.
Fiction book (1997)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To annoy or disturb someone
399
2.0
To disturb or interrupt someone and make them feel annoyed
229
3.7
To annoy someone by bothering them repeatedly
222
6.3
Annoy or upset someone gradually
220
3.9
Make someone very annoyed or upset
144
1.0
Make someone slightly angry or bothered by small repeated actions
87
3.6
Annoy someone again and again to make them react
57
2.9
Make someone feel annoyed or impatient, often by repeated small actions
52
7.1
To annoy someone with small repeated actions
46
7.1
To do or say something on purpose to annoy someone
46
3.2
Make someone very annoyed or upset
32
3.2
To annoy someone by asking for things again and again
28
7.6
To make someone angry or unfriendly
24
6.3
Make someone feel annoyed
22
6.9
Make someone annoyed, often by small things
15
4.2
Annoy someone and make them angrier
10
6.8
Make someone angry or annoyed on purpose by teasing them
9
6.7
Annoy someone more and more over time
8
8.4
To annoy someone or make them angry
6
7.1
To annoy someone deeply
3
7.9
To make someone angry or upset
3
9.9
To make someone very annoyed or angry
2
5.9
Make someone very annoyed by doing the same thing again and again
2
7.9
To annoy someone or make them feel defensive
1
6.8
To make someone feel annoyed
1
8.0
To make someone feel slightly annoyed
1
7.2
To annoy someone again and again so they feel bothered
1
9.1
To make someone angry
1
9.9
To annoy someone by doing the same small things again and again
To annoy someone so they become defensive
Antonyms
How Annoying
- Informal
46
3.2
2
5.9
- Informal
60
4.9
144
1.0
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally suggests affecting someone’s 'nerves' and thus causing discomfort, so a learner who knows 'get', 'on' and 'nerves' can often infer it means to bother or irritate someone. However, the use of 'nerves' as a metaphor for patience/peace of mind and the fixed phrase 'get on someone's nerves' make the connection partially idiomatic rather than purely compositional, so prior exposure helps solidify the exact meaning and usage.
Etymology
Get on someone's nerves may come from a simple image: imagine someone keeps pressing a very sensitive spot in your body — the nerves — so you feel bothered and tense. So when someone gets on your nerves today, it means 'to annoy or irritate'.