Meaning & use
gets your goat
Last updated
“gets your goat” is a form of “get your goat”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
phraseidiom
To annoy or irritate you, especially in a minor but persistent way.
Grammar: Used with a possessive adjective before 'goat': gets my/your/his/her goat.
Patterns
- gets someone's goat
- gets your goat
It really gets your goat when the internet is slow, doesn't it?
His constant complaining gets your goat after a while.
She has a way of saying things that gets your goat.
Common combinations
- really gets your goat
- Traffic jams really get your goat when you're late.
- gets your goat when
- It gets your goat when people interrupt you.
- something gets your goat
- That noise from the neighbors gets your goat every night.
Synonyms and how they differ
- annoys
- A direct verb meaning to make you slightly angry; 'gets your goat' is the informal idiom with the same meaning.
- irritates
- Slightly more formal and often used for repeated annoyance; 'gets your goat' is more conversational.
Opposites
Commonly confused: gets your goat or gets your back up?
gets your goat vs gets your back up
Also means to annoy, but often implies making you defensive or stubborn, not just irritated.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
'Gets your goat' is the complete idiom. Adding 'up', 'on', or 'off' changes the meaning or is not part of the expression.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gets your goat”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.