drive (one) crazy
drive (one) crazy
1. To upset, irritate, or annoy one to the point of distraction. It drives me crazy seeing all these people just staring at their phones all day long. Would you stop shouting, you're driving me crazy!
2. To cause one to become unhinged, insane, or mentally unstable. All that pressure finally drove Steve crazy in the end. You kids are going to drive me crazy one of these days with all your arguing.
See also: crazy, drive
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
drive someone crazy
and drive someone insane; drive someone mad1. . Lit. to force someone into a state of insanity or mental instability. The sound of the wind howling drove me crazy. The dog's constant barking drove me insane.
2. Fig. to annoy or irritate someone. This itch is driving me crazy. All these telephone calls are driving me mad.
See also: crazy, drive
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
drive someone crazy
Also, drive someone mad or bananas or bonkers or nuts or up the wall ; drive someone to drink. Greatly exasperate someone, annoy to distraction. For example, His habitual lateness drives me crazy, or Apologizing over and over drives me bananas, or These slovenly workmen drive me up the wall, or Your nagging is driving me to drink. All of these hyperbolic expressions describe a person's extreme frustration, supposedly to the point of insanity ( crazy, mad, nuts, bonkers, and bananas all mean "insane"); up the wall alludes to climbing the walls to escape and to drink to imbibing alcohol to induce oblivion.
See also: crazy, drive, someone
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
- drive crazy
- drive someone crazy
- drive (someone) buggy
- put (one's) teeth on edge
- make (one's) teeth itch
- get on someone's quince
- get on (one's) quince
- quince
- get on (one's) wick
- get on someone's wick