ruffle some feathers
ruffle some feathers · ruffles some feathers · ruffled some feathers · ruffling some feathers
To cause a disturbanceTo cause a disturbance; to arouse resentment, anger, or concern.
Meaning
1 senses(figuratively, informal)To cause a disturbance; to arouse resentment, anger, or concern.
Any frank discussion of politics is sure to ruffle some feathers.
Origin
Evoking the image of roosters, who ruffle their neck feathers when threatened. OED's earliEvoking the image of roosters, who ruffle their neck feathers when threatened. OED's earliest attestation is from 1829. Perhaps a variant of an earlier phrase "ruffle the tempers", attested since at least 1722.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
ruffles some feathers, ruffling some feathers, ruffled some feathers, ruffled some feathers| Base form | ruffle some feathers · to ruffle some feathers |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | ruffles some feathers |
| Present participle | ruffling some feathers |
| Past simple | ruffled some feathers |
| Past participle | ruffled some feathers |
irregular
Synonyms
3 synonymsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.