get under someone's skin
Idioms-
Irritate someone, as in She really knows how to get under my skin with her nagging . This expression no doubt alludes to burrowing or stinging insects that cause itching or similar skin irritations. [Late 1800s]
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Obsess someone or affect someone's deep feelings, as in Jean's really gotten under his skin; he misses her terribly . Cole Porter used this sense in his love song, “I've Got You Under My Skin” (1936).
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He is a 5-foot-8 ball of energy who can sway to the beat, get under someone's skin and cause cold sweats.
From Los Angeles Times
I mean, really it's one extra thing you do to get under someone's skin.
From Newsweek
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.