get on someone's nerves

verb

To annoy or irritate someone; to bother someone.

“There’s an insect buzzing around in my bedroom tonight, and it’s really getting on my nerves.”

Similar
aggravateannoynettleranklerufflestingburn someone's assantagonize
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Meanings

verbget on someone's nerves (third-person singular simple present gets on someone's nerves, present participle getting on someone's nerves, simple past got on someone's nerves, past participle (UK) got on someone's nerves or (US) gotten on someone's nerves)

present singular third person gets on someone's nerves · participle present getting on someone's nerves · past got on someone's nerves · UK participle past got on someone's nerves · US participle past gotten on someone's nerves

  1. idiomaticTo annoy or irritate someone; to bother someone.

    There’s an insect buzzing around in my bedroom tonight, and it’s really getting on my nerves.

    1 more example

    Gerty wished to goodness they would take their squalling baby home out of that and not get on her nerves...

    1922 February 2, James Joyce, “[13]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company […], →OCLC

    Synonyms: aggravate, annoy, nettle, rankle, ruffle, sting, burn someone's ass, antagonize

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo annoy or irritate someone; to bother someone.

Similar
aggravateannoynettleranklerufflestingburn someone's assantagonizebotherdisgruntlebotheratebuggetgrateburn upbedevilacerbatecheese offdevilexasperate
Also see
annoyget on someone's titsget on someone's wickpush someone's buttons

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 惹毛
  • 惹毛 (rěmáo)annoy or irritate
Czech lézt na nervy
  • lézt na nervyannoy or irritate
Danish gå nogen på nerverne
  • gå nogen på nerverneannoy or irritate
Dutch op de zenuwen werken
  • op de zenuwen werkenannoy or irritate
Finnish käydä hermoille
  • käydä hermoilleannoy or irritate
French courir sur le haricot, taper sur les nerfs
  • courir sur le haricotannoy or irritate
  • taper sur les nerfsannoy or irritate
  • casser les couillesannoy or irritate
German auf die Nerven gehen
  • auf die Nerven gehenannoy or irritate
Hungarian az idegeire megy
  • az idegeire megyannoy or irritate
Icelandic fara á taugarnar á
  • fara á taugarnar áannoy or irritate
Irish duine a chur as a mheabhair
  • duine a chur as a mheabhairannoy or irritate
Italian dare sui nervi, stare sui nervi
  • dare sui nerviannoy or irritate
  • stare sui nerviannoy or irritate
  • fare venire la mosca al nasoannoy or irritate
  • fare venire il latte alle ginocchiaannoy or irritate
Japanese 神経を尖らせる
  • 神経を尖らせる (shinkei o togaraseru)annoy or irritate
Korean 거슬리다
  • 거슬리다 (geoseullida)annoy or irritate
Norwegian gå noen på nervene
  • gå noen på nerveneannoy or irritate
Polish działać na nerwy, grać na nerwach
  • działać na nerwyannoy or irritate
  • grać na nerwachannoy or irritate
Portuguese dar nos nervos
  • dar nos nervosannoy or irritate
Russian де́йствовать на не́рвы, играть на нервах
  • де́йствовать на не́рвы (déjstvovatʹ na nérvy)annoy or irritate
  • играть на нервах (igratʹ na nervax)annoy or irritate
Spanish poner los nervios de punta, alterar los nervios
  • poner los nervios de puntaannoy or irritate
  • alterar los nerviosannoy or irritate
  • crispar los nerviosannoy or irritate
  • poner de los nerviosannoy or irritate
Swedish gå på nerverna
  • gå på nervernaannoy or irritate
Thai กวนประสาท
  • กวนประสาทannoy or irritate
Cite this entry
APA

get on someone's nerves. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20on%20someone's%20nerves

MLA

“get on someone's nerves.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20on%20someone's%20nerves. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “get on someone's nerves,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/get%20on%20someone's%20nerves.

Source: get on someone's nerves on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.