Sometimes, it’s hard to talk about how we feel. When something is confusing or upsetting, we don’t always know the right words. That’s when idioms can help. Idioms are short phrases that people use to describe feelings in a fun or clear way. They don’t always mean exactly what they say, but they help others understand how we feel inside.
This article will show you different idioms that people use when talking about themselves. These idioms can show feelings like stress, being upset, or just having a bad day. You may have heard some of these before, or maybe they will be new to you. Learning these idioms can help you explain yourself better and understand what others mean too.
Idioms for Yourself
1. At the end of your rope
Meaning: You feel like you can’t deal with anything more.
For Example: I was at the end of my rope after doing homework for hours. / Mom was at the end of her rope when the baby kept crying.
Alternatively: I’ve had enough. / I can’t take this anymore.
2. Blow a fuse
Meaning: To get very angry.
For Example: Dad blew a fuse when I spilled water on his papers. / My sister blew a fuse when I stepped on her project.
Alternatively: Lose your temper / Get super mad
3. Drive someone up the wall
Meaning: To annoy someone a lot.
For Example: My little brother drives me up the wall when he plays the drums. / The dog barking all night drove me up the wall.
Alternatively: Really bothers / Makes me crazy
4. Get on your nerves
Meaning: Something or someone is bothering you.
For Example: That buzzing sound really gets on my nerves. / His loud gum chewing got on my nerves.
Alternatively: Annoy / Bug me
5. Hot under the collar
Meaning: Feeling angry.
For Example: I got hot under the collar when I lost my spot in line. / She was hot under the collar after the argument.
Alternatively: Mad / Upset
6. Lose your cool
Meaning: To stop being calm.
For Example: He lost his cool when he dropped his lunch. / I lost my cool during the spelling test.
Alternatively: Blow up / Get upset
7. Rub the wrong way
Meaning: To bother someone without meaning to.
For Example: His jokes rub me the wrong way. / I think I rubbed my friend the wrong way with what I said.
Alternatively: Make uncomfortable / Offend
8. Fed up
Meaning: You’re tired of something and want it to stop.
For Example: I’m fed up with all this noise. / She’s fed up with waiting for the bus.
Alternatively: Had enough / Sick of it
9. Have a short fuse
Meaning: Get angry quickly.
For Example: My brother has a short fuse and yells easily. / The coach has a short fuse when the team loses.
Alternatively: Easily upset / Quick-tempered
10. Blow off steam
Meaning: Do something to calm down when angry or stressed.
For Example: I went for a run to blow off steam. / He played basketball to blow off steam after school.
Alternatively: Calm down / Cool off
11. Hit the roof
Meaning: To get very angry.
For Example: Mom hit the roof when I spilled paint. / He hit the roof after losing his game.
Alternatively: Freak out / Go wild
12. At your wits’ end
Meaning: You don’t know what to do anymore.
For Example: I was at my wits’ end with my homework. / She’s at her wits’ end with her messy room.
Alternatively: Completely stuck / Very confused
13. Bite someone’s head off
Meaning: Yell or speak in a mean way.
For Example: He bit my head off when I asked a question. / Don’t bite my head off I’m just trying to help.
Alternatively: Snap at / Talk harshly
14. Climb the walls
Meaning: Feel very annoyed or anxious.
For Example: I was climbing the walls waiting for my turn. / She climbed the walls during the long trip.
Alternatively: Very impatient / Stir crazy
15. Throw a fit
Meaning: Get very upset and act out.
For Example: He threw a fit when he couldn’t watch TV. / My sister threw a fit after losing her toy.
Alternatively: Yell and cry / Get very upset
16. Go bananas
Meaning: Act out in a wild or silly way.
For Example: I went bananas when I lost my backpack. / The crowd went bananas at the game.
Alternatively: Freak out / Go wild
17. Make your blood boil
Meaning: Something makes you very angry.
For Example: Littering makes my blood boil. / It made my blood boil when they were rude.
Alternatively: Furious / Super mad
18. Have a meltdown
Meaning: Lose control because of stress or anger.
For Example: I had a meltdown after failing the test. / She had a meltdown when she lost her project.
Alternatively: Break down / Cry hard
19. Throw in the towel
Meaning: To give up.
For Example: I threw in the towel on the hard puzzle. / She threw in the towel after trying many times.
Alternatively: Quit / Stop trying
20. Keep it together
Meaning: Stay calm even when it’s hard.
For Example: I kept it together during my speech. / He tried to keep it together when the lights went out.
Alternatively: Stay calm / Hold back
21. Tear your hair out
Meaning: Feel very stressed or upset.
For Example: I was tearing my hair out over my science project. / Mom was tearing her hair out because the house was messy.
Alternatively: Super worried / Very frustrated
22. Hit a nerve
Meaning: Say something that really upsets someone.
For Example: I must have hit a nerve when I mentioned her test grade. / His joke hit a nerve with the class.
Alternatively: Upset someone / Touch a sore spot
23. Scream your head off
Meaning: Yell very loudly.
For Example: I screamed my head off when I saw a spider. / She screamed her head off after losing her phone.
Alternatively: Yell loudly / Shout
24. Hit a wall
Meaning: Feel stuck and unable to keep going.
For Example: I hit a wall with my math homework. / She hit a wall while writing her story.
Alternatively: Feel stuck / Can’t go on
25. Can’t take it anymore
Meaning: You’re too upset to keep going.
For Example: I can’t take it anymore this noise is too loud! / She said she can’t take it anymore and needs a break.
Alternatively: Had enough / Too much
26. Go off the deep end
Meaning: Get too upset about something.
For Example: He went off the deep end when he lost his game. / Mom went off the deep end about the mess.
Alternatively: Overreact / Freak out
27. Bite the bullet
Meaning: Do something hard even if you don’t want to.
For Example: I bit the bullet and apologized. / She bit the bullet and cleaned her room.
Alternatively: Deal with it / Get it over with
28. Blow things out of proportion
Meaning: Get more upset than needed.
For Example: He blew things out of proportion it was just a pencil! / She blew it out of proportion when her paper ripped.
Alternatively: Overreact / Make it a big deal
29. Bang your head against a wall
Meaning: Keep trying something that doesn’t work.
For Example: I was banging my head against a wall with this puzzle. / He kept trying but was just banging his head against a wall.
Alternatively: Stuck / Getting nowhere
30. In a huff
Meaning: Leave quickly because you’re annoyed.
For Example: She walked out in a huff. / He left in a huff after losing the game.
Alternatively: Storm out / Leave upset
31. Get bent out of shape
Meaning: Get upset about something small.
For Example: Don’t get bent out of shape it was just an accident. / He got bent out of shape when I moved his book.
Alternatively: Overreact / Take it too hard
32. Be on edge
Meaning: Feel nervous or ready to snap.
For Example: I was on edge during the test. / She was on edge after waking up late.
Alternatively: Tense / Jumpy
33. Jump down someone’s throat
Meaning: Yell at someone quickly.
For Example: He jumped down my throat for asking a question. / She jumped down her sister’s throat about the mess.
Alternatively: Yell / Snap
34. Lose it
Meaning: Suddenly stop being calm.
For Example: I lost it when I spilled my drink. / Dad lost it when the dishes broke.
Alternatively: Get super mad / Blow up
35. On your last nerve
Meaning: Very close to losing patience.
For Example: That noise is on my last nerve! / I was on my last nerve with the crying baby.
Alternatively: Almost explode / Super annoyed
36. Go through the roof
Meaning: Get very angry quickly.
For Example: He went through the roof when he saw the mess. / Mom went through the roof when we forgot her birthday.
Alternatively: Explode / Get mad
37. Storm off
Meaning: Leave quickly because you’re angry.
For Example: She stormed off after the argument. / He stormed off during the game.
Alternatively: Walk away angry / Leave mad
38. Throw a tantrum
Meaning: Act out in anger like a small child.
For Example: The toddler threw a tantrum at the store. / He threw a tantrum when he lost the game.
Alternatively: Outburst / Fit
39. Feel burned out
Meaning: Feel tired and frustrated from doing too much.
For Example: I felt burned out after studying all weekend. / She was burned out from too much practice.
Alternatively: Worn out / Tired of it
40. Have a cow
Meaning: Get really upset over something small.
For Example: Don’t have a cow, it’s just a broken pencil. / My sister had a cow when I touched her phone.
Alternatively: Overreact / Get mad fast
True/False Quiz: Idioms for Yourself
Instructions: Read each sentence and decide if it’s true or false based on what you learned about the idioms.
- If someone says they are “at the end of their rope,” they feel calm and relaxed.
True / False - Saying “blow off steam” means you do something to feel less upset.
True / False - When you are “fed up,” it means you want more of something.
True / False - If you “get on someone’s nerves,” you are making them annoyed.
True / False - To “bite the bullet” means you face something hard even if it’s not fun.
True / False - When someone “throws a fit,” they are very calm and quiet.
True / False - If you are “on your last nerve,” it means you feel very close to losing your patience.
True / False - Saying “go bananas” means you sit still and stay quiet.
True / False - “Hit a wall” means you feel stuck and can’t keep going.
True / False - If someone “jumps down your throat,” they are yelling at you suddenly.
True / False
Answer Key
- False
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- True
Scoring Guide
- 10 Correct Answers: Idioms Master!
- 7–9 Correct Answers: You really get idioms nice work!
- 4–6 Correct Answers: You’re learning, keep going!
- 0–3 Correct Answers: Let’s learn about idioms together!
Conclusion
Sometimes we all feel upset, tired, or ready to give up. Idioms are a fun way to explain these feelings. They help others understand what you are going through, even when words are hard to find.
By learning these idioms, you can talk about your feelings in a clearer way. Keep using them in your writing and talking. They’ll help you connect with others and share how you feel.
