English Reference
Idiom idiom

get the wind up


To become frightened or disturbed.

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


SIMPLE

The strange noise in the dark got the wind up.

CONTEXTUAL

When the boss started asking questions about the missing files, the employees really got the wind up.

COMPLEX

The sudden silence in the forest got the wind up, as the travelers sensed they were being watched by something unseen.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    as it gets

    As it is possible to be.

  2. 02

    as the wind blows

    According to any given circumstances.

  3. 03

    been there, done that, got the T-shirt

    Alternative form of been there, done that, bought the T-shirt.

  4. 04

    break wind

    To expel gases generated during digestion, especially through the anus; to fart.

  5. 05

    can't get enough

    Greatly enjoys; likes a lot.

  6. 06

    candle in the wind

    A fragile or vulnerable thing, likely to be put in jeopardy.

  7. 07

    cat got someone's tongue

    Why is someone not saying anything?

  8. 08

    could not get elected dogcatcher

    Said of someone, particularly a politician, who is extremely unpopular.

Last updated August 10, 2026