Meanings
present singular third person takes the piss · participle present taking the piss · past took the piss · participle past taken the piss · alternative piss-take · alternative pisstake
- CommonwealthIrelandUKidiomaticintransitiveslangvulgarTo tease, ridicule or mock (someone).
A lot of that stuff that people take the piss out of all the time is actually useful.
1999, Carole Zucker, In the company of actors: reflections on the craft of acting, page 1521 more example
You know, cos he was like taking the piss out of them and they took the piss out of him.
1987, Judy Vermorel, Sex Pistols: the inside story, page 16 - CommonwealthIrelandUKidiomaticintransitiveslangvulgarTo subject those present to teasing, ridicule or mockery, or to show contempt.
He's either taking it easy or taking the piss by arriving at the eleventh hour.
2008, Will Swanton, Some Day: Inside the Dream Tour and Mick Fanning's 2007 Championship Win - CommonwealthIrelandUKidiomaticintransitiveslangvulgarTo be outrageously unreasonable.
I've got three exams on the same day! That's taking the piss!
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
Possibly from piss-proud (“falsely presenting as successful”). In which case taking the piss out of would mean deflating their false pride, usually through disparagement or mockery. As the piss-proud metaphor became dated, taking the piss out of someone came to refer to disparagement or mockery itself, regardless of the pride of the subject. Eventually the shortened, intransitive form taking the piss became common.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French se foutre de la gueule
- se foutre de la gueuleto mock or ridicule (transitive)
German sich lustig machen über, verarschen
- sich lustig machen überto mock or ridicule (transitive)
- verarschento mock or ridicule (transitive)
Italian prendere per il culo, prendere in giro
- prendere per il culoto mock or ridicule (transitive)
- prendere in giroto mock or ridicule (transitive)
Polish robić sobie jaja
- robić sobie jajato mock or ridicule (transitive)
Portuguese tirar sarro
- tirar sarroto mock or ridicule (transitive)
Romanian bate pula, lua la pulă
- bate pulato mock or ridicule (transitive)
- lua la pulăto mock or ridicule (transitive)
Russian подъёбывать
- подъёбывать (podʺjóbyvatʹ)to mock or ridicule (transitive)
Spanish vacilar, tomar el pelo
- vacilarto mock or ridicule (transitive)
- tomar el peloto mock or ridicule (transitive)
Swedish driva
- drivato mock or ridicule (transitive)
Turkish taşak geçmek
- taşak geçmekto mock or ridicule (transitive)
Cite this entry
take the piss. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20the%20piss
“take the piss.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20the%20piss. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take the piss,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20the%20piss.
Source: take the piss on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.