Dictionary

take the piss en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Etymology

Possibly from piss-proud (“falsely presenting as successful”). In which case taking the piss out of would mean deflating their false pride, usually through disparagement or mockery. As the piss-proud metaphor became dated, taking the piss out of someone came to refer to disparagement or mockery itself, regardless of the pride of the subject. Eventually the shortened, intransitive form taking the piss became common.

Meanings

1. (Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, idiomatic, intransitive, slang, vulgar) To tease, ridicule or mock (someone).
   • You know, cos he was like taking the piss out of them and they took the piss out of him. 1987, Judy Vermorel, Sex Pistols: the inside story, page 16:
   • A lot of that stuff that people take the piss out of all the time is actually useful. 1999, Carole Zucker, In the company of actors: reflections on the craft of acting, page 152:
2. (Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, idiomatic, intransitive, slang, vulgar) To subject those present to teasing, ridicule or mockery, or to show contempt.
   • He's either taking it easy or taking the piss by arriving at the eleventh hour. 2008, Will Swanton, Some Day: Inside the Dream Tour and Mick Fanning's 2007 Championship Win:
3. (Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, idiomatic, intransitive, slang, vulgar) To be outrageously unreasonable.
   • I've got three exams on the same day! That's taking the piss!

Forms

Relateds

piss-taker · take the wind out of someone's sails · piss and wind

Synonyms

rip the piss · extract the urine · take the mickey

Translations (15)

ro bate pula (to mock or ridicule (transitive)) · kmr ser qûna yekî kenîn (to mock or ridicule (transitive)) · de verarschen (to mock or ridicule (transitive)) · sv driva (to mock or ridicule (transitive)) · de sich lustig machen über (to mock or ridicule (transitive)) · pl robić sobie jaja (to mock or ridicule (transitive)) · pt tirar sarro (to mock or ridicule (transitive)) · es tomar el pelo (to mock or ridicule (transitive)) · tr taşak geçmek (to mock or ridicule (transitive)) · es vacilar (to mock or ridicule (transitive)) · ru подъёбывать (to mock or ridicule (transitive)) · fr se foutre de la gueule (to mock or ridicule (transitive)) · it prendere per il culo (to mock or ridicule (transitive)) · it prendere in giro (to mock or ridicule (transitive)) · ro lua la pulă (to mock or ridicule (transitive))