raise someone's hackles

raise (one's) hackles

To greatly irritate, annoy, or aggravate one. The disrespect he showed our professor during class raised my hackles so badly that I had to go take a walk to calm down. The politician has a gift for raising his opponents' hackles during debates.

See also: hackle, raise

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

raise someone's hackles

COMMON If something raises your hackles, it makes you angry. The taxes will be designed not to raise voters' hackles too much. Note: You can also say that something raises hackles if it makes people angry. Certainly Smedley's pay packet of $1 million-plus would have raised a few hackles among the medical profession. Note: When something makes you angry or annoyed, you can say that your hackles rise. My hackles rose when I read his letter. Note: `Hackles' are feathers on the necks of cockerels and some other birds. They rise up when the bird becomes aggressive.

See also: hackle, raise

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012