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The Most Helpful Idioms With Meaning and Examples. Topic – Anxiety – Fear

English idioms are the spice of language, offering a unique flavor to everyday communication. These common idioms serve as gems, each carrying a distinctive meaning beyond their literal interpretation. Let’s explore the fascinating world of idioms with an idiom example. Consider the phrase “burning the midnight oil,” depicting intense effort or working late into the night. In this idiom sample, the image of a lamp burning late symbolizes diligence and commitment. Understanding idioms with meaning is like deciphering a secret code, unlocking a deeper layer of expression. So, whether you’re “walking on eggshells” or “seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” incorporating these idiomatic expressions into your language repertoire adds flair and nuance, transforming ordinary conversations into rich tapestries of communication.

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afraid of one’s own shadow A person who is afraid of his/her own shadow is very nervous or easily frightened. I’ve never seen anyone so easily scared. She’s afraid of her own shadow!
bated breath If you wait for something with bated breath, you are both anxious and excited about an imminent event. We waited with bated breath for the winner to be announced.
make your blood run cold If something makes your blood run cold, it shocks or scares you a lot. The look in the prisoner’s eye made my blood run cold!
break out in a cold sweat If you break out in a cold sweat, you begin to perspire a lot, usually from anxiety. I get nervous at the dentist’s and usually break out in a cold sweat.
bundle of nerves If you describe someone as a bundle of nerves, you mean that they are very nervous, tense or worried. My son is doing his driving test today. Needless to say he’s a bundle of nerves!
(have) butterflies in stomach If you have butterflies in your stomach, you are feeling very nervous. At the beginning of an exam, I always have butterflies in my stomach.
can’t stand the pace If you can’t stand the pace, you are unable to do things well when there is a lot of pressure. She once worked for a famous fashion designer but she couldn’t stand the pace.
(like a) cat on hot bricks A person who is like a cat on hot bricks is very nervous or restless. The week before the results were published, she was like a cat on hot bricks.
on the edge of one’s seat Someone who is on the edge of their seat is very interested in something and finds it both extremely exciting and nerve-wracking. Look at Bob! He’s on the edge of his seat watching that rugby match!
get one’s fingers burnt If someone gets their fingers burnt, they suffer as a result of an unsuccessful action and are nervous about trying again. He got his fingers burnt so badly in the last elections that he decided to withdraw from politics.
heart in one’s mouth A person who has their heart in their mouth feels extremely anxious or nervous faced with a dangerous or unpleasant situation. Emma had her heart in her mouth when she saw her two-year-old son standing in front of the open window.
heart misses a beat If your heart misses (or skips) a beat, you have sudden feeling of fear or excitement. When the lights suddenly went out, my heart missed a beat.
heebie-jeebies A state of apprehension, nervousness or anxiety is called the heebie-jeebies. Having to go down to the car park at night gives me the heebie-jeebies.
hold your breath If someone is holding their breath, they are waiting anxiously or excitedly for something to happen or be announced. I went for a second interview today – now I’m holding my breath!
if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen This expression means that if you feel that there is too much pressure, you can leave. Amid the growing tension, the organiser declared : If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen!
ignorance is bliss This means that if you don’t know about a problem or unpleasant fact, you won’t worry about it. I didn’t know our neighbour was an escaped prisoner until the police arrived – ignorance is bliss!
get/have the jitters If you get (or have) the jitters, especially before an important event, you become very nervous or anxious and begin to shake. Some people get the jitters when they have to make a speech.
have kittens To say that you’re going to have kittens is a dramatic way of expressing worry, anxiety or fear. His mother nearly had kittens when Alex announced that we wanted to be a trapeze artist.
jump out of your skin If you jump out of your skin, you are extremely surprised or shocked. Jane nearly jumped out of her skin when the horse put its head through the kitchen window!
get your knickers in a twist If you get your knickers in a twist, you are anxious, nervous, or angry faced with a difficult situation. Don’t get your knickers in a twist! Everything is under control.
nerves of steel Someone who has nerves of steel is not afraid and stays calm in difficult or dangerous situations. Fire-fighters need to have nerves of steel.
on pins and needles If you are on pins and needles, you are very anxious or nervous about what is going to happen. Scott was on pins and needles while he waited for the result of the exam.
quaking in one’s boots When someone is extremely scared, it is said that they are quaking in their boots. When he saw the crocodiles in the water, he started quaking in his boots.
scare (someone) out of their wits If something scares you out of your wits, it makes you very frightened or worried. The feeling that a house is haunted can scare people out of their wits.
scare the daylights out of someone If something scares the (living) daylights out of you, it terrifies you. The sudden screaming scared the daylights out of me. I was absolutely terrified!
scared stiff Someone who is scared stiff  is so frightened that they are unable to move. My mother is scared stiff of heights.
shake like a leaf If you shake like a leaf, you tremble with fear or nervousness. At the beginning of the interview the candidate was shaking like a leaf.
on tenterhooks A person who is on tenterhooks is in a state of anxious suspense or excitement The candidates were kept on tenterhooks for hours while the panel deliberated.
tongue-tied If you are tongue-tied,you have difficulty in expressing yourself because you are nervous or embarrassed. At the start of the interview I was completely tongue-tied!
whistle in the dark If you whistle in the dark, you try to hide your fear and pretend to be brave in a scary or dangerous situation. Bob looks confident but he’s just whistling in the dark; he knows he’s going to lose his job.
at your wits’ end If you are at your wits’ end, you are so worried about something that you do not know what to do next. When her son dropped out of school, Susan was at her wits’ end.
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  1. What are idioms? Idioms are expressions or phrases that hold a figurative meaning beyond their literal interpretation. They add color and depth to language.

  2. Why are idioms important in English? Idioms help convey complex ideas succinctly and vividly, enhancing communication and offering cultural insights.

  3. Can you provide some examples of idioms? Certainly! Examples include “raining cats and dogs” (heavy rain), “kick the bucket” (pass away), and “bite the bullet” (face a difficult situation).

  4. How do I understand the meaning of idioms? Understanding idioms often requires context and cultural familiarity. Exploring their origins and usage in sentences helps grasp their meanings.

  5. Are all idioms universal or do they vary by region? Idioms can vary across regions and cultures. While some idioms are universal, many are culturally specific.

  6. Are there common idioms used in everyday conversation? Yes, several idioms, like “break a leg” (good luck) or “piece of cake” (easy task), are frequently used in daily conversations.

  7. Do idioms have fixed meanings? Generally, yes. However, some idioms might have slight variations in meaning or usage based on context or region.

  8. How can I incorporate idioms into my writing or speech? Using idioms contextually and accurately can add richness to your language. Start by understanding their meanings and then applying them naturally.

  9. Are idioms only found in English? No, idioms exist in many languages. Each language has its own set of colorful expressions and phrases.

  10. Where can I learn more idioms and their meanings? Online resources, books on idioms, and even language learning platforms offer extensive lists of idioms with explanations of their meanings and origins.

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