World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English Dictionariesjemanden aus der Ruhe bringen
Pronunciation / Transliteration: ˈjeːmandən aʊs deːɐ̯ ˈʁuːə ˈbʁɪŋən
"Lass dich von seiner Kritik nicht aus der Ruhe bringen."
Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
To annoy, irritate, or provoke someone, especially deliberately to get a reaction.
"He loves to debate controversial topics just to rattle his colleagues' cages." - 2
To make someone feel nervous, unsettled, or anxious by disturbing their routine or peace of mind.
"The unexpected audit really rattled the manager's cage."
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
The idiom originates from mid-20th century American English, likely drawing imagery from disturbing animals kept in cages, such as zoo animals or pets, causing them to become agitated or react angrily. Over time, the phrase shifted from literal animal confinement contexts to metaphorical human psychology, describing actions intentionally taken to provoke, annoy, or challenge someone.
Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Rattle someone's cage"?
10 Global Lexicons: How "Rattle someone's cage" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
provoquer quelqu'un
Transliteration: pʁovɔke kɛl.kœ̃
"Il aime provoquer ses collègues de travail."
jemanden aus der Ruhe bringen
Transliteration: ˈjeːmandən aʊs deːɐ̯ ˈʁuːə ˈbʁɪŋən
"Lass dich von seiner Kritik nicht aus der Ruhe bringen."
provocare qualcuno
Transliteration: provoˈkare kwalˈkuːno
"Gli piace provocare i suoi amici per vedere la loro reazione."
sacar de quicio
Transliteration: saˈkaɾ de ˈkiθjo
"Siempre intenta sacar de quicio a su jefe con comentarios sarcásticos."
tirar do sério
Transliteration: tiˈɾaɾ du ˈsɛɾju
"Aquela pergunta tirou o professor do sério."
परेशान करना
Transliteration: pareshan karna
"उसे दूसरों को परेशान करना पसंद है।"
惹恼
Transliteration: rěnǎo
"他故意说那些话来惹恼大家。"
비위를 건드리다
Transliteration: biwireul geondeurida
"그는 늘 상사의 비위를 건드리곤 한다."
いらつかせる
Transliteration: iratsukaseru
Script: 苛つかせる
"彼の皮肉な態度は同僚たちをいらつかせた。"
Related Vocabulary Words to Explore
View all German termsThe quality of being even-tempered and not easily angered or upset; calmness and steadiness of mood.
Any of various North American perennial plants of the evening primrose family (Oenothera) bearing showy yellow flowers that typically open during the day.
A number that expresses amount or quantity, such as one, two, three, etc., as opposed to an ordinal number.
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