a pain in the neck

pain in the neck

A person or thing that is extremely annoying or inconvenient. Getting boxes in and out of the attic is a real pain in the neck.

See also: neck, pain

a pain in the neck

INFORMAL

COMMON If someone or something is a pain in the neck, they are very annoying. He was a pain in the neck. I was glad when he left my department. `Sorry,' he said. `They've forgotten to insure the plane. It's a pain in the neck, but what can I do?'

See also: neck, pain

a pain in the neck

an annoying or tedious person or thing. informal

There are a number of vulgar slang alternatives to neck in this idiom, such as a pain in the arse or, in the USA, ass .

See also: neck, pain

a pain in the ˈneck

(British English also a pain in the ˈarsetaboo/ˈbum/ˈbackside) (American English also a pain in the ˈasstaboo/ˈbutt) (informal) a person or thing that you find annoying: Her new boyfriend is a real pain in the neck — he never stops talking.

See also: neck, pain