What it means
Means deliberately teasing or messing with someone to get a reaction. It’s often just friendly banter, but it can slide into proper annoyance if you keep pushing it. A wind-up is the prank or the stitched-up story, and if you’re wound up, they’ve got under your skin and you’re fuming. Everyone else will be sat there acting innocent.
Usage examples
"Mate, did you hide my biscuits again? Stop winding me up. You’re grinning like it’s nothing, and they’re sat in the freezer."
"He told her the meeting was cancelled just to wind her up, then watched her panic-email half the office."
"Don’t let him wind you up about the football, he supports whoever is winning that week anyway."
"She kept telling him the pub had run out of Guinness just to wind him up, and he nearly marched to the bar to complain."
"Ignore your brother, he's only saying your new trim looks tragic to wind you up."
Got something to say?
Edit, fix or tell us something. We review it and, if it is true, you will see it applied with your name on it.
Where it comes from
It comes from the literal idea of winding up a mechanism, like a clock or toy, then letting it spring off. That figurative use for deliberately irritating or teasing someone is recorded in English by the late 19th century. Same image, just aimed at a person instead of a bit of clockwork.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
Your vote counts
Is this real street talk or have we lost the plot? Cast your vote.
