phrasal verb · informal

get someone's goat

UK/ɡet ˈsʌmwʌnz ɡəʊt/US/ɡet ˈsʌmwʌnz ɡoʊt/GOAT

speaking

to annoy or irritate someone

Examples

It really gets my goat when people talk loudly on their phones in public.

Her constant complaining gets his goat, so he avoids the topic.

Little delays can get the goat of students who are anxious about deadlines.

Band 8 sentence

In group discussions, a few dominating speakers often get others' goat and reduce overall participation.

Collocations

  • get someone's goat
  • really/get someone’s goat

Word family

goat (idiom) phraseget verb

Common mistakes

get someone's goatedget someone's goat

make someone's goatget someone's goat

Say it for a higher band

5annoy6get on someone's nerves7+get someone's goat

Synonyms

annoy

irritate

Easily confused

get on someone's nerves

His constant humming really gets on my nerves.

Related words

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