Phrase guide

get someone's goat

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌɡɛt ˈsʌmwʌnz ˈɡəʊt/
  • General-American: /ˌɡɛt ˈsʌmwʌnz ˈɡoʊt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To annoy or infuriate someone.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, informal

Examples

  • It really gets my goat when inconsiderate people drop litter in public.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: get someone's nanny, get someone's nanny-goat, get under one's goat, give someone the shits, aggravate, annoy, nettle, rankle, ruffle, sting, antagonize, bother, disgruntle, botherate, bug, get, grate, burn up, bedevil, cheese off, devil, exasperate, frustrate, get up, grotch, hack off, hassle, irk, irritate, jazz, molest, mommick, nark, nerve, pee off, peeve, peeve off, persecute, pique, piss off, provoke, rile, rile up, roil, storm, test someone's patience, tick off, trouble, try one's patience, vex, wind up, Idioms:, boil someone's piss, chap someone's hide, get on someone's nerves, get on someone's tits, get on someone's wick, get someone's back up, get someone's dander up, get someone's goat, get someone's Irish up, get under someone's skin, grind one's gears, harsh one's mellow, put someone's back up, raise someone's hackles, rub someone the wrong way, rub up the wrong way, ruffle someone's feathers, tee off, torque off, affront, anger, awrath, cross, embitter, envenom, gall, get to, honk off, incense, inflame, infuriate, madden, make angry, offend, outrage, put out, set off, steam, get one's back up, make someone see red, make someone's blood boil, raise someone's shag, rattle someone's cage, rub the wrong way, ruffle some feathers, set up someone's birse

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Uncertain; it has been suggested that the term may be derived from French prendre la chèvre (literally “to take the goat”), or refer to the stealing of a goat mascot from a military unit, etc.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • French: courir sur le haricot — to annoy or infuriate someone — see also annoy, infuriate
  • Italian: mandare in bestia — to annoy or infuriate someone — see also annoy, infuriate
  • Polish: działać na nerwy — to annoy or infuriate someone — see also annoy, infuriate
  • Polish: grać na nerwach — to annoy or infuriate someone — see also annoy, infuriate
  • Spanish: dar la tabarra — to annoy or infuriate someone — see also annoy, infuriate
  • Spanish: hacer la puñeta — to annoy or infuriate someone — see also annoy, infuriate
  • Spanish: sacar la piedra — to annoy or infuriate someone — see also annoy, infuriate
  • Spanish: emputecer — to annoy or infuriate someone — see also annoy, infuriate
  • Spanish: cabrear — to annoy or infuriate someone — see also annoy, infuriate