Meanings
present singular third person rubs someone the wrong way · participle present rubbing someone the wrong way · participle past rubbed someone the wrong way · past rubbed someone the wrong way · alternative rub someone up the wrong way
- idiomatictransitiveTo cause someone irritation, discomfort or annoyance, often unintentionally, because of one's behavior, manner, attitude or personality.
1 more example
“Look, I tell you what, Mac. Seeing how as you're my best friend” “Yeah!” “Maybe you can look into it for me. Go snoop around the shop.” “Can-can I stop you for a second? I'm sorry. I'm a little confused here. You-you just said that he was your best friend? How is he your best friend over me?” “Well, I mean... You banged the waitress. Do I even have to explain that to you? That kind of rubbed me the wrong way, dude.” “Okay. I mean, you know, I don't see how that should factor into whether we're best friends or not. Y'know, to be honest with you, man, I'm a little shocked. I'm-I'm kinda-- I'm thunderstruck.” “Oh, well, I'm sorry, man. But y'know I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean to thunderstrike you. But that's just-- I don't know what to tell you. What do you want to hear?” “I need for you to explain to me how it is that you consider Mac to be a better friend to you.” “Look, now this is just becoming awkward when I have a real problem! And all of a sudden it's about some weird feelings thing! And it's not about your feelings right now! It's about my feelings 'cause I have a problem, okay?. Now, Mac, please, do you think you can find this guy and kick his ass for me?”
2008 September 25, David Hornsby, “Mac's Banging the Waitress” (1:38 from the start), in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, season 4, episode 4, spoken by Charlie Kelly (Charlie Day)Synonyms: chap someone's hide, raise someone's hackles, aggravate, annoy, nettle, rankle, ruffle, sting
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo cause someone irritation, discomfort or annoyance, often unintentionally, because of one's behavior, manner, attitude or personality.
Origin
From the negative reaction of a cat to being stroked contrary to the direction its fur lies.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 讓某人很不爽 /让某人很不爽
- 讓某人很不爽 /让某人很不爽 (ràng mǒurén hěn bùshuǎng)to bother
Finnish ärsyttää
- ärsyttääto bother
German jmdn. ein Dorn im Auge sein, jmdn. gegen den Strich gehen
- jmdn. ein Dorn im Auge seinto bother
- jmdn. gegen den Strich gehento bother
- jmdn. über die Hutschnur gehento bother
- juckento bother
- kratzento bother
Italian infastidire, irritare
- infastidireto bother
- irritareto bother
Polish działać na nerwy, grać na nerwach
- działać na nerwyto bother
- grać na nerwachto bother
Spanish no caer bien
- no caer biento bother
Cite this entry
rub someone the wrong way. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rub%20someone%20the%20wrong%20way
“rub someone the wrong way.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rub%20someone%20the%20wrong%20way. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rub someone the wrong way,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rub%20someone%20the%20wrong%20way.
Source: rub someone the wrong way on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.