"ruffle someone's feathers" meaning in All languages combined

See ruffle someone's feathers on Wiktionary

Verb [English]

Audio: En-au-ruffle someone's feathers.ogg Forms: ruffles someone's feathers [present, singular, third-person], ruffling someone's feathers [participle, present], ruffled someone's feathers [participle, past], ruffled someone's feathers [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|*|head=ruffle someone's feathers}} ruffle someone's feathers (third-person singular simple present ruffles someone's feathers, present participle ruffling someone's feathers, simple past and past participle ruffled someone's feathers)
  1. (idiomatic) To unease, cause discomfort to someone. Tags: idiomatic Related terms: ruffle some feathers

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ruffles someone's feathers",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ruffling someone's feathers",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ruffled someone's feathers",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ruffled someone's feathers",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*",
        "head": "ruffle someone's feathers"
      },
      "expansion": "ruffle someone's feathers (third-person singular simple present ruffles someone's feathers, present participle ruffling someone's feathers, simple past and past participle ruffled someone's feathers)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              112,
              147
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2012 August 23, Alasdair Lamont, “Hearts 0-1 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport:",
          "text": "Sutton and David Templeton both had efforts just off target as Hearts' tactics of high-tempo, pressing football ruffled the English side's feathers.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To unease, cause discomfort to someone."
      ],
      "id": "en-ruffle_someone's_feathers-en-verb-XZ2MQPig",
      "links": [
        [
          "unease",
          "unease"
        ],
        [
          "discomfort",
          "discomfort"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To unease, cause discomfort to someone."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "ruffle some feathers"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "get someone's dander up"
        },
        {
          "word": "raise someone's hackles"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "aggravate"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "annoy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "antagonize"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "bother"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "botherate"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "bug"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "burn up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "bedevil"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "cheese off"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "devil"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "exasperate"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "frustrate"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "grotch"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "hack off"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "hassle"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "irk"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "irritate"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "jazz"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "molest"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "tags": [
            "US",
            "dialectal"
          ],
          "word": "mommick"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "nark"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "pee off"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "peeve"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "persecute"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "pique"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "tags": [
            "vulgar"
          ],
          "word": "piss off"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "provoke"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "rile"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "rile up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "roil"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "storm"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "test someone's patience"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "tags": [
            "Canada",
            "US"
          ],
          "word": "tick off"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "trouble"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "try one's patience"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "vex"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "wind up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "Idioms:"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "boil someone's piss"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "chap someone's hide"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get on someone's nerves"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "tags": [
            "vulgar"
          ],
          "word": "get on someone's tits"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get on someone's wick"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get someone's back up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get someone's dander up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get someone's goat"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get someone's Irish up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get someone's nanny"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get someone's nanny-goat"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get under one's goat"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "tags": [
            "Australia",
            "colloquial",
            "vulgar"
          ],
          "word": "give someone the shits"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "grind one's gears"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "harsh one's mellow"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "put someone's back up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "raise someone's hackles"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "rub someone the wrong way"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "rub up the wrong way"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "ruffle someone's feathers"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "tee off"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "tags": [
            "US"
          ],
          "word": "torque off"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-ruffle someone's feathers.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3b/En-au-ruffle_someone%27s_feathers.ogg/En-au-ruffle_someone%27s_feathers.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/En-au-ruffle_someone%27s_feathers.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "ruffle someone's feathers"
}
{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ruffles someone's feathers",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ruffling someone's feathers",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ruffled someone's feathers",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ruffled someone's feathers",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*",
        "head": "ruffle someone's feathers"
      },
      "expansion": "ruffle someone's feathers (third-person singular simple present ruffles someone's feathers, present participle ruffling someone's feathers, simple past and past participle ruffled someone's feathers)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "ruffle some feathers"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English verbs",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              112,
              147
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2012 August 23, Alasdair Lamont, “Hearts 0-1 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport:",
          "text": "Sutton and David Templeton both had efforts just off target as Hearts' tactics of high-tempo, pressing football ruffled the English side's feathers.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To unease, cause discomfort to someone."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "unease",
          "unease"
        ],
        [
          "discomfort",
          "discomfort"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To unease, cause discomfort to someone."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "get someone's dander up"
        },
        {
          "word": "raise someone's hackles"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "aggravate"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "annoy"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "antagonize"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "bother"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "botherate"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "bug"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "burn up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "bedevil"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "cheese off"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "devil"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "exasperate"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "frustrate"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "grotch"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "hack off"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "hassle"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "irk"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "irritate"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "jazz"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "molest"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "tags": [
            "US",
            "dialectal"
          ],
          "word": "mommick"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "nark"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "pee off"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "peeve"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "persecute"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "pique"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "tags": [
            "vulgar"
          ],
          "word": "piss off"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "provoke"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "rile"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "rile up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "roil"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "storm"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "test someone's patience"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "tags": [
            "Canada",
            "US"
          ],
          "word": "tick off"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "trouble"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "try one's patience"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "vex"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "wind up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "Idioms:"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "boil someone's piss"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "chap someone's hide"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get on someone's nerves"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "tags": [
            "vulgar"
          ],
          "word": "get on someone's tits"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get on someone's wick"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get someone's back up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get someone's dander up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get someone's goat"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get someone's Irish up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get someone's nanny"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get someone's nanny-goat"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "get under one's goat"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "tags": [
            "Australia",
            "colloquial",
            "vulgar"
          ],
          "word": "give someone the shits"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "grind one's gears"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "harsh one's mellow"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "put someone's back up"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "raise someone's hackles"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "rub someone the wrong way"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "rub up the wrong way"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "word": "ruffle someone's feathers"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "tags": [
            "slang"
          ],
          "word": "tee off"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:annoy",
          "tags": [
            "US"
          ],
          "word": "torque off"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-ruffle someone's feathers.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/3b/En-au-ruffle_someone%27s_feathers.ogg/En-au-ruffle_someone%27s_feathers.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/En-au-ruffle_someone%27s_feathers.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "ruffle someone's feathers"
}

Download raw JSONL data for ruffle someone's feathers meaning in All languages combined (5.4kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-06-16 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-06-01 using wiktextract (074e7de and f1c2b61). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.