drive someone to distraction
drive (one) to distraction
1. To render one unable to focus; to distract one. Leave your sister alone—she's got to finish her homework, and you are driving her to distraction.
2. To annoy or frustrate one to the point of exasperation. A week on vacation with my relatives is enough to drive me to distraction. That loud beeping noise is driving me to distraction!
See also: distraction, drive
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
drive someone to distraction
If something or someone drives you to distraction, they annoy you very much. Nothing I said or did would get them to tidy up. It drove me to distraction. His obsessive attention to detail drove to distraction the artists and workers with whom he collaborated. Note: Distraction is an old word for madness.
See also: distraction, drive, someone
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
- drive (one) out of office
- force (one) out of office
- force out of office
- give (one) (one's) head
- give head
- give somebody their head
- give someone their head
- cooking for one
- 1FTR
- as one door closes, another (one) opens