ruffle someone's feathers

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Verb

ruffle someone's feathers (third-person singular simple present ruffles someone's feathers, present participle ruffling someone's feathers, simple past and past participle ruffled someone's feathers)

1. (idiomatic) To unease, cause discomfort to someone.
   • 2012 August 23, Alasdair Lamont, “Hearts 0-1 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     Sutton and David Templeton both had efforts just off target as Hearts' tactics of high-tempo, pressing football ruffled the English side's feathers.

Related terms

• ruffle some feathers