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to get one's dander up

to get one's dander up

1 9.1
To make someone angry
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : enfurecer
  • The unfair treatment of workers really gets my dander up.

Examples

  • Now, don't get your dander up, but I still got a feeling that...

  • How about smiley faces, do they get your dander up too?

    Blog text (27)
  • When she got her dander up, look out.

  • Oh, sure, he do get my dander up once in a while.

  • You're about to get my dander up.

  • "One of these days you'll go too far, and he'll get his dander up."

    Fiction book (1994)
  • I guess that's why I've got my dander up over this one.

    Blog text (20)
  • When she heard the news about the policy change, it really got her dander up.

  • Don't get your dander up over a minor mistake; it's not worth the stress.

Synonyms

to drive (someone) crazy
vsto get one's dander up
  • Informal
271 3.9

Make someone very annoyed or upset

is broader covering both mild and strong provocation rather than only extreme
to annoy
vsto get one's dander up
246 1.0

Make someone slightly angry or bothered by small repeated actions

is stronger used to provoke clear anger or stronger resentment
to get to
vsto get one's dander up
  • Informal
215 6.3

Annoy or upset someone gradually

is about making someone angry or irritated more directly than bother
to pick
vsto get one's dander up
165 4.8

To start a fight or argument by annoying someone

is broader used for causing annoyance without necessarily starting fights
to drive someone crazy
vsto get one's dander up
  • Informal
158 3.2

Make someone very annoyed or upset

is often milder aiming at provoking ordinary irritation or resentment
to provoke
vsto get one's dander up
144 3.6

Annoy someone again and again to make them react

is used more generally to make someone angry or irritated
to frustrate
vsto get one's dander up
137 3.0

Make someone feel annoyed because they cannot do something

is about causing anger or irritation without implying blocked efforts
to anger
vsto get one's dander up
114 1.0

To make someone very upset or annoyed

is a colloquial phrase focused on causing annoyance or resentment
to enrage
vsto get one's dander up
68 3.7

To make someone very angry

is milder typically referring to causing ordinary anger or irritation
to rile
vsto get one's dander up
63 6.9

Make someone annoyed, often by small things

is used more generally to provoke anger or resentment
to stir up
vsto get one's dander up
48 4.8

To make people feel strong emotions like anger or fear

is used for causing anger or irritation but also includes milder acts
to infuriate
vsto get one's dander up
46 5.0

Make someone very angry

is the general phrase for provoking anger or irritation at varying intensity
to aggravate
vsto get one's dander up
43 4.2

Annoy someone and make them angrier

is milder and covers causing ordinary anger or irritation
to agitate
vsto get one's dander up
42 4.8

To make people feel strongly excited or upset

is more focused on causing anger or irritation rather than mere arousal
to inflame
vsto get one's dander up
31 5.8

To make people's feelings stronger, especially anger or hate

is more neutral about provoking initial anger rather than intensifying it
to antagonize
vsto get one's dander up
  • US
31 7.6

To make someone angry or unfriendly

is broader focusing on causing irritation or mild anger
to displease
vsto get one's dander up
28 4.7

To make someone feel annoyed or unhappy

is stronger and often implies clear provocation to anger or resentment
to get at
vsto get one's dander up
  • Informal
25 7.1

To annoy someone with small repeated actions

is used more broadly to mean provoking clear anger or stronger resentment
to get under one's skin
vsto get one's dander up
  • Informal
25 7.2

To annoy someone again and again so they feel bothered

is used for single or short term provocation rather than long persistence
to rankle
vsto get one's dander up
10 8.0

To continue to make someone feel angry or hurt

is typically a one time provocation rather than a long lasting irritation
to get a rise out of
vsto get one's dander up
  • Informal
8 6.8

Make someone angry or annoyed on purpose by teasing them

is commonly used for causing anger or irritation without strong emotion
to gall
vsto get one's dander up
8 7.1

To annoy someone deeply

is milder meaning to provoke annoyance or mild resentment
to get on someone's nerves
vsto get one's dander up
  • Informal
7 4.9

To bother someone again and again until they feel angry

is broader and can mean provoke a single instance of anger
to make one's blood boil
vsto get one's dander up
  • Informal
6 7.0

To cause someone to feel very angry

is broader used for causing anger or irritation at any degree
to get one's panties in a bunch
vsto get one's dander up
  • Informal
4 9.9

To become too upset about a small problem

is about provoking anger or irritation in others rather than overreacting oneself
to get under someone's skin
vsto get one's dander up
  • Informal
4 7.4

To annoy someone a lot by small things another person does

is a more general phrase for causing anger or irritation without depth
to peeve
vsto get one's dander up
2 6.8

To make someone feel annoyed

is a general phrase focused on provoking anger or irritation
to pique
vsto get one's dander up
2 8.2

To offend someone and make them feel annoyed or hurt

is focused on general provocation that causes anger or irritation
to get your knickers in a twist
vsto get one's dander up
  • UK
2 9.1

To become upset or worried about small things

is used to mean provoking anger in others rather than expressing self worry
to raise hackles
vsto get one's dander up
1 7.9

To make someone angry or upset

is broader describing making someone annoyed or resentful more generally
to get someone's back up
vsto get one's dander up
  • UK
1 7.9

To annoy someone or make them feel defensive

is a general term for provoking anger or irritation not only defensiveness
to do someone's head in
vsto get one's dander up
  • UK
1 9.8

To make someone feel very annoyed or upset

is narrower focusing on causing anger or irritation more than confusion
to disgruntle
vsto get one's dander up
1 8.0

To make someone feel unhappy or annoyed

is about actively provoking anger or irritation rather than mere dissatisfaction
to get someone's goat
vsto get one's dander up
  • Informal
8.4

To annoy someone or make them angry

is the general verb for causing anger or irritation
to get on someone's wick
vsto get one's dander up
  • UK
9.9

To annoy someone by doing the same small things again and again

is used more generally to cause anger or resentment in many situations
to put someone's back up
vsto get one's dander up
  • UK
7.7

To make someone angry or ready to argue

is less tied to becoming defensive and covers any annoyance or anger
to put up someone's back
vsto get one's dander up
  • UK
8.9

To annoy someone so they become defensive

is a general phrase applied to provoking anger or irritation in contexts
to get one's monkey up
vsto get one's dander up
  • Informal
9.9

To become angry or upset

is about causing others to feel anger or irritation rather than self upset
to get one's shorts in a knot
vsto get one's dander up
  • Informal
9.9

To become upset over a small problem

is used for actively making someone angry or irritated rather than becoming upset
to get up the wall
vsto get one's dander up
  • UK
9.9

To become very annoyed or frustrated by something small and repeated

is a phrase used for causing anger or irritation in others rather than self frustration

Antonyms

to calm down
  • Informal
594 1.4

To become less angry, excited, or upset

63 3.4

To make someone feel calmer or reduce their pain

How Angry

to enrage
68 3.7
to get one's dander up
  • Informal
1 9.1
to annoy
246 1.0
to bother
1.0

Surface Forms

get one's dander up infinitive
getting one's dander up present participle
gets one's dander up third person singular
got one's dander up past participle

Morphology

get + one + dander + up

Given knowledge of the constituents (especially 'dander' as anger), the phrase is compositionally interpretable: 'get' + 'one's dander' + 'up' straightforwardly means to cause someone's anger to rise. The pattern 'get one's X up' meaning 'raise X' is a regular, transparent construction that a B1 learner can deduce from the parts.

Etymology

Get one's dander up may come from the picture of an angry dog. When a dog is upset its hair stands up, and that raised hair was called dander, so to get your dander up came to mean to become 'angry' or 'annoyed'.