English idiom

bite someone's head off

Register · Informal CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

to answer someone with sudden and often unjustified anger

Word picture

A harsh reply is exaggerated into an angry bite powerful enough to remove someone's head.

Example

“I only asked whether she needed help, but she bit my head off.”

Dictionary details

Component words

bite head

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

do someone's head in

to cause intense mental strain, frustration, or irritation

bury one's head in the sand

to ignore an unpleasant reality hoping it will go away

bite off more than you can chew

to take on more work than you can handle

head for the hills

to flee quickly from a threatening or difficult situation

drive someone up the wall

to make someone feel extremely annoyed or frustrated

sick and tired

extremely annoyed with someone or something and unwilling to tolerate it any longer

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

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