nose out of joint

noun

An emotional state where someone is in a bad mood because they have been offended by or taken exception (objected) to some action, usually involving being seen in an inferior light to another person.

“I think he got his nose out of joint when they promoted his friend but not him.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounnose out of joint (plural noses out of joint)

plural noses out of joint

  1. idiomaticAn emotional state where someone is in a bad mood because they have been offended by or taken exception (objected) to some action, usually involving being seen in an inferior light to another person.

    I think he got his nose out of joint when they promoted his friend but not him.

Translations

German die Nase voll haben, die Schnauze voll haben
  • die Nase voll habenidiom
  • die Schnauze voll habenidiom
  • bedient seinidiom
Italian storcere il naso
  • storcere il nasoidiom
Cite this entry
APA

nose out of joint. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nose%20out%20of%20joint

MLA

“nose out of joint.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nose%20out%20of%20joint. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “nose out of joint,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/nose%20out%20of%20joint.

Source: nose out of joint on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.