English Reference
Idiom idiom

bite someone's head off


To severely berate someone.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

Don't bite my head off just for asking a question.

CONTEXTUAL

I only asked why the report was late, but my boss bit my head off in front of everyone.

COMPLEX

Although he was clearly exhausted from the long flight, he did not need to bite my head off when I politely offered to help with his luggage.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all bark and no bite

    Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.

  2. 02

    another nail in someone's coffin

    An event that increases the likelihood of or causes further failure.

  3. 03

    answer someone's prayers

    To be or do exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.

  4. 04

    answer to someone's prayers

    Exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.

  5. 05

    apple of someone's eye

    The object of somebody's affections; a person (or sometimes a thing) that someone strongly prefers; a favorite, a loved one.

  6. 06

    bane of someone's existence

    Someone or something that poses a significant problem to someone.

  7. 07

    bang one's head against a brick wall

    To waste effort on a futile project.

  8. 08

    bang some heads together

    Attempt to get results from a previously ineffectual or argumentative group, typically by coercion or force.

Last updated August 10, 2026