How do you say “Jump down someone's throat” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is arremeter contra alguien, which literally means “to charge at someone”. English speakers use jump down someone's throat to mean to react to someone with sudden, harsh criticism. Fits a forceful verbal attack, though it sounds more serious than a quick irritated reply. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
arremeter contra alguien
/aremeˈteɾ ˈkontɾa ˈalɣjen/
- Literal meaning
- “to charge at someone”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
86 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
“Arremeter contra alguien” can describe attacking someone with words. It works when the criticism is strong, not merely unfriendly.
It can also mean a physical attack. For a smaller outburst, simply saying “responder de mala manera” means answering rudely.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
I only asked where the keys were; there was no need to jump down my throat.
Spanish
Solo pregunté dónde estaban las llaves; no hacía falta arremeter contra mí.
English
She jumped down his throat before he could explain the mistake.
Spanish
Arremetió contra él antes de que pudiera explicar el error.
Related expressions
- What “Jump down someone's throat” means in English
- Blow a fuse, to suddenly lose your temper
Last updated 2026-10-01