make someone's hair stand on end

verb

To frighten or scare someone.

“That scene in the movie where the killer is stalking his victim made my hair stand on end.”

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Meanings

verbmake someone's hair stand on end (third-person singular simple present makes someone's hair stand on end, present participle making someone's hair stand on end, simple past and past participle made someone's hair stand on end)

present singular third person makes someone's hair stand on end · participle present making someone's hair stand on end · participle past made someone's hair stand on end · past made someone's hair stand on end

  1. informalTo frighten or scare someone.

    That scene in the movie where the killer is stalking his victim made my hair stand on end.

    1 more example

    A commentator in the tabloid Bild said seeing signs like “Harald’s Eck” (“Harald’s Corner”) made his “hair stand on end”, and that the proper use of the genitive form would be bemoaned by lovers of the German language.

    2024 October 7, Philip Oltermann, “Germans decry influence of English as ‘idiot’s apostrophe’ gets official approval”, in The Guardian

Translations

French faire dresser les cheveux sur la tête
  • faire dresser les cheveux sur la têteTranslations
Polish sprawiać, że włosy stają dęba, sprawić, że włosy stają dęba
  • sprawiać, że włosy stają dębaTranslations
  • sprawić, że włosy stają dębaTranslations
Spanish poner el vello de punta
  • poner el vello de puntaTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“make someone's hair stand on end.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20someone's%20hair%20stand%20on%20end. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

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

Source: make someone's hair stand on end on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.