get on someone’s case (to) [exp]

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Meaning:

to keep complaining to someone regarding their behavior.

Examples:

Every time I drive a car, she gets on my case.
My mother gets always on my case, because I don’t do what she wants.

His boss got on his case about missing multiple deadlines.
She gets on my case whenever I leave dishes in the sink.
My parents are always getting on my case to study harder.

Synonyms idioms for the idiom” get on someone’s case”

To make someone’s hackles rise

To make somebody’s hackles rise or rise someone’s hackles means to make them angry

He talked a little frankly about her work really and it made her hackles rise.
You could see it made his hackles rise when they ridicule his father.

Being such sarcastic, definitely to make people’s hackles rise. Be careful of who to speak with them.
Her self-satisfied attitude about her capabilities during the meeting raised my hackles instantly.

To breathe down somebody’s neck

To pay very close attention to what people are doing especially when they are not willing to, in a way that makes them irritated.

I can’t concentrate. Because my manager constantly breathing down my neck while I’m doing my tasks.
She must finish the project, but her mom kept breathing down her neck about cleaning her room.
These are critical days for him. Don’t breathe down his neck. I think he’ll never finish it if you keep talking to him like that!

Thanks for your help, but it feels like you’re breathing down my neck, and it’s makes me feel stressed out.

To give a hard time

To make someone feel unpleasant by criticizing and harassing them, in a way that make them aggressive.

The teacher keeps giving him a hard time for his little mistake, and it totally causes him lose his confidence.

She is entitled to give me a hard time just because I was thirty minutes late.
They always give her a hard time at the gym, I think she will withdraw the contest because they are making the situation hard for her.
He was just trying his best to successfully finish the task, but his brother gave him a hard time and didn’t let him to do so.

To get on one’s wick

To make someone irritated.

That continuous noise in the background is really getting on my wick.
He gets on my wick when he interrupts me every all the time and don’t let me focus!

Don’t keep tapping on the table! it’s seriously getting on my wick.
Her singing song totally gets on my wick. It sounds like a broken radio!

To pick on

To people someone more than their tolerance.

All his classmates at school always pick on him because he’s quiet, and it’s really unfair.
She felt like their parents were constantly picking on her, even when her siblings made the same mistakes.
Don’t pick on your little sister. He’s already had a hard day.

He used to pick on me all the time, but I found that how to behave toward him.

To carp about

To keep grumbling in a bad-tempered way so that make someone annoying.

He’s carping about the clothes, even when they are perfectly fine and fit.

I beg you stop carping about how messy the house is, I just cleaned it!
They keep carping about every little detail of the plan, it drives all of us crazy.
I wish he’d stop carping about the traffic. He talks as if we can control it!

To bend someone’s ear

When someone talk to you about something that is boring for you specially for a long time they are bending your ear.

My teammate bent my ear for the way I played soccer. He thinks that was my fault that we lost the game. Because I didn’t score the goal at the last opportunity.
She always bends my ear about my co-worker’s mistake as if I’m a member of his department.

Every time I sit next to Uncle Joe, he starts to bend my ear about some topics that are none of my business.
He always bends his parents’ ear, because he believes they didn’t obtain some facilities when he was younger.

To intrude upon

To try to know about someone’s private life in an unpleasant way and interrupt them.

I didn’t mean to intrude upon your life, but I couldn’t continue with this belief.
The celebrities think that the reporters want to intrude upon their private life with the private questions.
She felt like her manager was intruding upon her borders by sending messages to her late at night.

I hate to intrude upon you, but we really need to know your decision before tomorrow.

To get on someone’s nerve

If someone gets on your nerves, they make you unhappy or angry, in particular by doing it continuously.

His continual talking in the class really gets on my nerves. He doesn’t let me understand what the teacher says.

Although this little girl is sweet, but the way she repeats everything gets on my nerves.
It really gets on my nerves when he chews loudly with his mouths during eating.
He’s been repeating to ask just one question from start to the end of the class. It’s seriously getting on my nerves now.

To give somebody grief

To express your disapproval of someone in an unwilling way.

My parents always give me grief when I go out and come home past last night.
She gave him grief over the clothes he wore, even though he liked it.

They’re still giving me grief about that one little mistake I made last week!
Don’t give her grief. She’s doing her best to do it under such a pressure.

To drive up the wall

To cause somebody feel very annoyed.

That alarm has been beeping for almost one and a half hour. It is driving me up the wall!
His nonstop complaining about everything is really driving her up the wall.
The kids’ screaming during the whole travel drove me up the wall.

It drives me up the wall when people talk on the library.

To rub somebody the wrong way

To annoy a person by the irritating things you tell them.

I like him, but sometimes his acts just rub me the wrong way.

Her discipline during the meeting rubbed a few people the wrong way.
He didn’t want to offend you; he just rubbed you the wrong way without realizing it.
That comments about my plans and seriously rubbed me the wrong way.

To grate on someone’s nerve

That ringtone really grates on my nerves. I can’t stand it anymore!
The way he blew his nose during meeting grated on everyone’s nerves.
She has habit of interrupting people grates on my nerves.

It’s not a big deal at first, but over the long time, little things like that really grate on your nerves.

Quiz

Quiz; "get on someone’s case"

Read the essay carefully about the details of the "get on someone’s case" and select the correct answer.

1 / 4

What does the idiom "to get on someone’s case" mean?

To help someone solve a mystery

To criticize or nag someone persistently

To file a complaint against someone

To support someone in a difficult situation

2 / 4

Which of the following sentences uses "to get on someone’s case" correctly?

The detective got on the case of a missing person.

She got on my case by helping me finish my project.

We should get on their case to make sure they feel supported.

My parents always get on my case about keeping my room clean.

3 / 4

If someone says, "Stop getting on my case," how are they likely feeling?

Grateful and encouraged

Relaxed and carefree

Excited and motivated

Frustrated and annoyed

4 / 4

Which scenario best illustrates someone "getting on someone’s case"?

A teacher repeatedly reminding a student to complete their homework

A friend complimenting you on a job well done

A manager praising an employee’s work ethic

A family member offering to help with a task

Your score is

The average score is 0%