Feelings - Irritation

Explore English idioms that relate to irritation, including "have enough of" and "sour as vinegar".

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to [push|press] {one's} buttons [phrase]

to do something that annoys or irritates someone

Ex:

at the end of {one's} rope [phrase]

left with no energy or patience to deal with something

Ex: They will be at the end of their rope if the financial situation does n't improve soon .

son of a gun [phrase]

used to refer to a person one is very annoyed with or hates

Ex: I ca n't believe that son of a gun tricked me again .

to [have] enough of {sb/sth} [phrase]

to no longer have the tolerance to endure more of something

Ex:

(fed up|sick) to the back teeth (with|of|about) {sth} [phrase]

very annoyed with a situation that has gone on for an extended period of time

Ex: He 's sick to the back teeth with the inefficiency and lack of organization in the company .

(as|) sour as vinegar [phrase]

used to describe someone who is very unpleasant or bad-tempered

Ex: The customer 's complaint left the salesperson feeling as sour as vinegar , despite their efforts to assist .

to [get] in {one's} hair [phrase]

to persistently annoy someone by doing something or by simply being around them

Ex: I know that upcoming project is going to get in my hair ; it 's going to be demanding and time-consuming .

to [get|be] in {one's} face [phrase]

to annoy someone by behaving in a very aggressive or direct manner

Ex: The bully was constantly getting in my face , making my life miserable .

to [get] up {one's} [nose] [phrase]

to annoy someone so much that they run out of patience

Ex: The persistent delays and cancellations of the train service got up their noses last week ; it was incredibly frustrating .

to [drive] {sb} to distraction [phrase]

to constantly annoy someone and ruin their concentration

Ex:

to [be] on {one's} back [phrase]

to force someone do something that is against their will or by putting a lot of pressure on them

Ex:

to [breathe] down {one's} neck [phrase]

to closely watch someone and everything they do, particularly in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable

Ex:

on {one's} [heels] [phrase]

closely following or pursuing someone or something, often in a persistent or bothersome manner

Ex:

to [lose|blow] {one's} cool [phrase]

to become suddenly very angry, often to the point of shouting or behaving in an aggressive manner

Ex: I lost my cool yesterday when my computer crashed .

at {one's} wit's end [phrase]

in a state where a person is so confused or frustrated that they are unable to decide what to do anymore

Ex: They are at their wit 's end trying to manage their overwhelming workload .

to lose {one's} shit [phrase]

to suddenly become very angry so that one completely loses control over one's thoughts and actions

Ex:

son of a bitch [phrase]

used to address someone whom one is annoyed with or angry at

Ex: I 'm afraid we 'll have to face more son of a bitch situations in the future .

Feelings
Happiness	Excitement	Sadness or Discontent	Unhappiness & Disappointment
Anger	Rage	Losing One's Temper	Annoyance
Irritation	Fear & Terror	Anticipation	Shame & Embarrassment