We’ve all been there—something minor ticks us off and suddenly we’re simmering with irritation.
It’s not rage, but it’s definitely more than a mild inconvenience.
Luckily, English is packed with slang that nails that feeling of being annoyed, without tipping over into full-blown anger.
From the classic “ticked off” to the more colorful “having a cow,” these phrases are our go-to when we need to express our frustration.
So, let’s take a look at some of the best slang for when we’re just not feeling it.
Aggravated
Feeling annoyed or bothered, especially because of minor issues or disruptions.
Examples in sentences:
- “The constant noise from the construction site has really aggravated me.”
- “She was aggravated by his lack of punctuality.”
- “Finding out the meeting was postponed again left him feeling quite aggravated.”
Bent out of shape
Getting overly upset or stressed about something, often more than the situation warrants.
Examples in sentences:
- “He got all bent out of shape over a small comment.”
- “Don’t get bent out of shape; it was just a joke.”
- “I can’t believe she’s still bent out of shape about that.”
Bugged
Annoyed or irritated by something, often something minor or persistent.
Examples in sentences:
- “I’m really bugged by these mosquitoes.”
- “It bugged him that he couldn’t find a solution.”
- “She was bugged by the constant interruptions.”
Burned up
Feeling extremely annoyed, angry, or frustrated.
Examples in sentences:
- “He was burned up about the decision to cancel the project.”
- “She’s burned up at the thought of being lied to.”
- “Finding his car towed, he was absolutely burned up.”
Cheesed off
British slang for being annoyed, frustrated, or displeased with someone or something.
Examples in sentences:
- “I’m completely cheesed off with the internet service here.”
- “He was cheesed off after waiting in line for hours.”
- “She got really cheesed off when her vacation got cancelled.”
Cross
Feeling annoyed or angry, often used in British English.
Examples in sentences:
- “She was quite cross about the changes to the plan without her input.”
- “He gets cross when people are late to meetings.”
- “The kids knew they were in trouble by the cross look on their mum’s face.”
Fit to be tied
Extremely angry or annoyed, to the point of being unable to contain oneself.
Examples in sentences:
- “After seeing the mess, she was fit to be tied.”
- “He was fit to be tied when he found out his car had been towed.”
- “They were fit to be tied after the flight got canceled again.”
Fuming
Very angry or enraged, often to the point of being visibly upset or steaming.
Examples in sentences:
- “She was fuming after the argument with her boss.”
- “He left the room fuming over the unfair accusation.”
- “I could tell she was fuming, even though she didn’t say a word.”
Galled
Feeling annoyed or vexed, especially by something that’s perceived as unfair or wrong.
Examples in sentences:
- “He was galled by the lack of recognition for his work.”
- “It galled her to have to apologize when she wasn’t in the wrong.”
- “They were galled by the new policy changes at work.”
Having a cow
Overreacting or getting extremely upset over something, often more than what’s considered reasonable.
Examples in sentences:
- “Mom’s going to have a cow when she sees the broken vase.”
- “He’s having a cow over the smallest mistake.”
- “Try not to have a cow; it’s just a tiny scratch on the car.”
Hot under the collar
Feeling angry or annoyed, often in a way that’s hard to hide.
Examples in sentences:
- “The rude comment left him feeling hot under the collar.”
- “She got hot under the collar when they ignored her request.”
- “The delay made him hot under the collar, as he had plans later.”
In a huff
Upset or offended, often withdrawing in a show of displeasure.
Examples in sentences:
- “He left the room in a huff after the disagreement.”
- “She’s in a huff because she didn’t get her way.”
- “Don’t go off in a huff; let’s talk this through.”
Irked
Feeling annoyed or bothered by something, often something minor.
Examples in sentences:
- “She was irked by his constant tapping.”
- “The interruption irked him during his presentation.”
- “I’m really irked that they started without us.”
Miffed
Slightly annoyed or offended by something.
Examples in sentences:
- “He was miffed at being left out of the meeting.”
- “She felt miffed by his lack of acknowledgment.”
- “They were miffed by the change in plans.”
Out of sorts
Feeling mildly annoyed or upset, often without a specific cause.
Examples in sentences:
- “I’ve been feeling out of sorts all day, and I don’t know why.”
- “He’s a bit out of sorts this morning; best to give him some space.”
- “The bad news left her feeling out of sorts.”
Peeved
Mildly annoyed or irritated by something.
Examples in sentences:
- “She was peeved at having to wait an extra hour.”
- “He’s been peeved since they changed the software at work.”
- “I’m a bit peeved that you didn’t call me back.”
Piqued
Annoyed or irritated, especially because one’s pride is hurt.
Examples in sentences:
- “His dismissive comment really piqued her.”
- “I was piqued that they went ahead without my input.”
- “His curiosity was piqued, but so was his annoyance.”
Rankled
To cause persistent irritation or resentment.
Examples in sentences:
- “The unfair critique rankled him for days.”
- “She was rankled by the snide remarks.”
- “It rankled me that he was so dismissive of my ideas.”
Ruffled
Disturbed or annoyed, especially in one’s composure or plans.
Examples in sentences:
- “Her calm demeanor was ruffled by the unexpected news.”
- “He seemed ruffled by the interruption during his speech.”
- “The last-minute changes ruffled the team’s preparations.”
Snappy
Quick to respond in an irritated or sharp manner.
Examples in sentences:
- “She gets snappy when she’s under a lot of stress.”
- “Sorry for being snappy earlier; I hadn’t had my coffee.”
- “His snappy comeback silenced the room.”
Steamed
Very annoyed or angry.
Examples in sentences:
- “He was steamed when he found out about the delay.”
- “She’s really steamed about the mistake on her order.”
- “They were steamed at the team for losing the lead.”
Teed off
Angry or annoyed, often used in a slightly more intense context.
Examples in sentences:
- “He was teed off by the unnecessary criticism.”
- “She’s teed off about having to work overtime again.”
- “I’m really teed off that you forgot our anniversary.”
Ticked off
Feeling annoyed or upset by something.
Examples in sentences:
- “I’m ticked off that we missed the beginning of the movie.”
- “She was ticked off by his lack of attention.”
- “They were ticked off about the change in policy.”
Up in arms
Very upset or angry about something, ready to protest or fight.
Examples in sentences:
- “The community was up in arms over the proposed development.”
- “He’s up in arms about the unfair treatment.”
- “They were up in arms when their favorite show was canceled.”
Vexed
Feeling annoyed, frustrated, or worried about something.
Examples in sentences:
- “She was vexed by the puzzle’s complexity.”
- “The issue has vexed him for days, with no solution in sight.”
- “They were vexed at the thought of starting over.”
And that wraps up our journey through the colorful world of slang for feeling annoyed.
From being “peeved” to “fuming,” it’s clear we’ve got no shortage of ways to express our irritation.
These terms not only enrich our language but also allow us to vent our frustrations with a bit of humor and creativity.
Next time you find yourself getting “steamed” or “in a huff,” remember, you’re not alone.
There’s a whole vocabulary out there dedicated to those moments when life just gets under your skin.
-
Founder -
@PollyWebster
Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.
Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.
Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.