rub up the wrong way
Grate on someone
To rub someone up the wrong way is to irritate or annoy them, often unintentionally or through a clash of personalities: Something about his manner just rubs me up the wrong way.
The image comes from stroking an animal against the direction of its fur, which agitates rather than soothes.
Americans more often say rub the wrong way, dropping the "up."
- get under skinAnnoy profoundly and persistently
- irritateCause mild anger
- aggravateMake more severe
- push buttonsDeliberately provoke irritation
- chafeIrritate by friction
antagonize · vex · annoy · tick off · exasperate · irk · ruffle feathers · tactlessness · ruffle · affront · provoke · dismissiveness · brush off · rudeness · inconsideration · miff · nettle · displease
rub up the wrong waycharm
Attractive personal quality
delight · win over · please · put at ease · captivate
rub up the wrong wayhit it off
Connect immediately upon meeting
butter up · break the ice · warm up to · cozy up to · sweet-talk
rubbed, rubbing, rubber, wrong, wrongs, wronged, wrongly, wrongful, wrongfully