# torque off

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/torque-off
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To annoy, distress, or anger.

## Examples

- That rude comment really torqued me off.
- Slow internet speeds always torque her off.
- Does it torque you off when people arrive late?
- He was completely torqued off when his flight got delayed for the third time.
- It really torques me off when people leave their shopping carts in the middle of the parking lot instead of returning them.
- My neighbor gets torqued off if I play my music even slightly too loud on the weekend.
- The new office policy about lunch breaks is starting to torque off the entire staff.
- The constant construction noise outside the window torques off the students who are trying to focus on their final exams.
- The manager was visibly torqued off by the team's lack of progress on the critical project.

## Origin

The origin of the phrase is uncertain, though it is probably an alteration of the idiom *tick off*. It may stem from the metaphorical application of mechanical verbs to human emotions, a pattern observed in similar expressions such as *torque up*, *grind one's gears*, and *jacked up*. In these constructions, the person is treated as a mechanical object to be manipulated. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.