drive (someone) up the wall

idiomatic phrase

variants or less commonly drive (someone) up a wall
informal
: to make (someone) very irritated, angry, or annoyed
Your constant tapping is driving me up the wall!

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of drive (someone) up the wall was in 1952

Dictionary Entries Near drive (someone) up the wall

Cite this Entry

“Drive (someone) up the wall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drive%20%28someone%29%20up%20the%20wall. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!