Meanings
present singular third person takes it out on · participle present taking it out on · past took it out on · participle past taken it out on
- idiomaticTo unleash one's anger on (a person or thing other than the one that caused it).
Don't take it out on your husband if you had trouble with your boss at work.
Synonyms: look for a dog to kick
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo unleash one's anger on (a person or thing other than the one that caused it).
Translations
French passer ses nerfs sur
- passer ses nerfs surunleash one's anger
German seinen Ärger auslassen an (jemandem oder etwas)
- seinen Ärger auslassen an (jemandem oder etwas)unleash one's anger
Italian prendersela con
- prendersela conunleash one's anger
Japanese 八つ当たりする
- 八つ当たりする (yatsuatari-suru)unleash one's anger
Polish wyżywać się na, wyżyć się na
- wyżywać się naunleash one's anger
- wyżyć się naunleash one's anger
Portuguese descontar em
- descontar emunleash one's anger
Romanian a se răzbuna pe (altcineva), a-și vărsa focul/mânia/necazul pe
- a se răzbuna pe (altcineva)unleash one's anger
- a-și vărsa focul/mânia/necazul peunleash one's anger
Russian излить свой гнев на кого-либо/что-либо
- излить свой гнев на кого-либо/что-либоunleash one's anger
Spanish desahogarse con
- desahogarse conunleash one's anger
Turkish sinirini birinden çıkarmak
- sinirini birinden çıkarmakunleash one's anger
Cite this entry
take it out on. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20it%20out%20on
“take it out on.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20it%20out%20on. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take it out on,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20it%20out%20on.
Source: take it out on on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.