Passion is a strong feeling. It can make people excited, focused, and full of energy. When someone loves something a lot like painting, dancing, or helping others we say they have passion for it. Passion pushes people to try harder and not give up, even when things get hard. It’s what makes someone practice every day or stay up late working on a project they care about.
In English, people use special phrases called idioms to talk about passion. These idioms are not always easy to understand from the words alone, but they help show strong feelings in fun ways. You might hear them in movies, songs, or even at school. In this article, you will learn 40 idioms people use to show passion. Each one comes with easy examples to help you learn how to use them in your own life.
Idioms for Passion
1. Follow your heart
Meaning: Do what you truly love.
For Example: She followed her heart and became a dancer. / I followed my heart and joined the school band.
Alternatively: Go with your true feelings. / Do what feels right.
2. Burn with passion
Meaning: Feel very strongly about something.
For Example: He burns with passion for basketball. / She burns with passion when she paints.
Alternatively: Feel deeply about it. / Be full of emotion.
3. Head over heels (in love)
Meaning: To love something or someone a lot.
For Example: She’s head over heels for playing the guitar. / He’s head over heels about space science.
Alternatively: Totally in love. / Crazy about it.
4. Wear your heart on your sleeve
Meaning: Show your feelings openly.
For Example: He wears his heart on his sleeve when he talks about football. / She wears her heart on her sleeve during drama class.
Alternatively: Show how you feel. / Be open with emotions.
5. Pour your heart into
Meaning: Work on something with strong feelings.
For Example: She poured her heart into the school play. / He poured his heart into making a science fair poster.
Alternatively: Try really hard. / Do it with love.
6. Love every minute of it
Meaning: Enjoy something very much.
For Example: I loved every minute of the art class. / She loved every minute of being in the school musical.
Alternatively: Really enjoyed it. / Had lots of fun.
7. Get a kick out of
Meaning: Feel happy or excited about something.
For Example: He gets a kick out of building LEGO sets. / I get a kick out of watching space shows.
Alternatively: Have fun with it. / Really enjoy it.
8. Light a fire under someone
Meaning: Make someone feel excited and ready to act.
For Example: The coach lit a fire under us before the game. / Her speech lit a fire under the whole class.
Alternatively: Get excited. / Feel motivated.
9. Go the extra mile
Meaning: Do more than what is expected because you care.
For Example: She went the extra mile to decorate the classroom. / He went the extra mile to help his group finish their project.
Alternatively: Do more. / Work harder.
10. Be on fire
Meaning: Be full of energy and doing really well.
For Example: He was on fire during the spelling contest. / She’s on fire when she’s playing the piano.
Alternatively: Doing great. / Super excited and focused.
11. Speak from the heart
Meaning: Talk with real feelings.
For Example: She spoke from the heart during her student speech. / He always speaks from the heart about animals.
Alternatively: Talk honestly. / Share true feelings.
12. Can’t get enough of it
Meaning: Love something so much that you want more.
For Example: I can’t get enough of reading mystery books. / He can’t get enough of soccer.
Alternatively: Really loves it. / Wants more.
13. Mad about
Meaning: Really like something or someone.
For Example: She’s mad about painting. / He’s mad about building model airplanes.
Alternatively: Crazy about it. / Super interested.
14. Take to something like a duck to water
Meaning: Enjoy and be good at something right away.
For Example: He took to guitar like a duck to water. / She took to swimming like a duck to water.
Alternatively: Learn it fast. / Love it right away.
15. Fire in your belly
Meaning: Have strong desire and energy to do something.
For Example: She has fire in her belly for helping animals. / He has fire in his belly for robotics.
Alternatively: Full of drive. / Wants to succeed.
16. All in
Meaning: Totally involved and giving full effort.
For Example: He was all in for the school fundraiser. / She’s all in when it comes to drawing.
Alternatively: Fully focused. / Totally committed.
17. Eyes light up
Meaning: Look very excited or happy.
For Example: His eyes lit up when he saw the new art supplies. / Her eyes light up when she talks about horses.
Alternatively: Get excited. / Look happy.
18. Heart and soul
Meaning: Give everything you’ve got.
For Example: She put her heart and soul into the dance. / He gave his heart and soul to the book project.
Alternatively: Full effort. / All your energy.
19. Crazy about
Meaning: Really love or enjoy something.
For Example: I’m crazy about video games. / She’s crazy about baking cupcakes.
Alternatively: Super into it. / Loves it a lot.
20. Hooked on
Meaning: Can’t stop doing something you love.
For Example: He’s hooked on playing chess. / She’s hooked on her favorite book series.
Alternatively: Can’t stop. / Loves it too much.
21. Fall in love with
Meaning: Start liking something very much.
For Example: She fell in love with painting last year. / He fell in love with reading stories about space.
Alternatively: Began to love it. / Started enjoying it a lot.
22. Have a soft spot for
Meaning: Really care about something or someone.
For Example: I have a soft spot for puppies. / He has a soft spot for helping younger kids.
Alternatively: Feel kindly toward. / Really likes.
23. Jump at the chance
Meaning: Be very eager to do something you enjoy.
For Example: She jumped at the chance to join the dance team. / He jumped at the chance to build a robot.
Alternatively: Took the chance fast. / Wanted to do it right away.
24. Driven by love
Meaning: Do something because you love it deeply.
For Example: She is driven by love to care for animals. / He is driven by love for music.
Alternatively: Moved by passion. / Motivated by feelings.
25. In your element
Meaning: Feel comfortable and happy doing what you love.
For Example: He’s in his element when coding. / She’s in her element while sketching cartoons.
Alternatively: Feels natural. / Enjoys it fully.
26. Like a moth to a flame
Meaning: Strongly drawn to something you love.
For Example: He’s like a moth to a flame with comic books. / She’s like a moth to a flame with stage lights.
Alternatively: Drawn in. / Attracted to it.
27. Eat, sleep, and breathe it
Meaning: Be very focused on something.
For Example: He eats, sleeps, and breathes baseball. / She eats, sleeps, and breathes dance.
Alternatively: Thinks about it all the time. / Always doing it.
28. Full of heart
Meaning: Show a lot of love and effort.
For Example: The team played full of heart. / Her letter was full of heart.
Alternatively: Caring a lot. / Putting in love.
29. Put your whole self into it
Meaning: Use all your effort and energy.
For Example: She put her whole self into the class project. / He put his whole self into learning guitar.
Alternatively: Total effort. / Gave it all.
30. Can’t stop talking about it
Meaning: Love something so much that you mention it often.
For Example: He can’t stop talking about the new game. / She can’t stop talking about her art class.
Alternatively: Always mentioning it. / Loves to share it.
31. Glow with pride
Meaning: Feel and look proud because of something you care about.
For Example: She glowed with pride after her piano recital. / He glowed with pride about his science project.
Alternatively: Feel proud. / Shine with joy.
32. Put your name on it
Meaning: Show you really care and take ownership.
For Example: He put his name on his work with pride. / She put her name on the poster with care.
Alternatively: Take pride in. / Claim it proudly.
33. Heart beats for it
Meaning: Love something very deeply.
For Example: Her heart beats for helping others. / His heart beats for drawing superheroes.
Alternatively: Loves it truly. / Full of emotion.
34. Fan the flames
Meaning: Make feelings or excitement even stronger.
For Example: Her teacher fanned the flames of her writing passion. / The club fanned the flames of his love for computers.
Alternatively: Grow the feeling. / Make passion stronger.
35. Chase your dreams
Meaning: Go after what you love doing.
For Example: He’s chasing his dream of being a singer. / She’s chasing her dream of being a vet.
Alternatively: Follow your goal. / Work toward what you love.
36. Born to do it
Meaning: Meant to do something because you love it and are good at it.
For Example: She was born to act on stage. / He was born to coach little kids.
Alternatively: Very natural at it. / Meant for it.
37. Got the bug
Meaning: Got very interested in something.
For Example: She got the acting bug after her first play. / He got the music bug last year.
Alternatively: Started loving it. / Got excited about it.
38. Put your heart on the line
Meaning: Take a risk because you care so much.
For Example: He put his heart on the line with his artwork. / She put her heart on the line in the talent show.
Alternatively: Show true care. / Took a brave step.
39. Filled with fire
Meaning: Very full of strong feelings and passion.
For Example: She’s filled with fire when she speaks about nature. / He’s filled with fire when it’s game time.
Alternatively: Full of energy. / Fired up.
40. Do it for the love of it
Meaning: Do something not for reward but because you enjoy it.
For Example: He plays the guitar for the love of it. / She writes poems for the love of it.
Alternatively: Just because you love it. / Not for praise.
True/False Quiz: Idioms for Passion
- If you “follow your heart,” you are doing what someone else told you to do.
True / False - Saying “she’s head over heels” means she really loves something.
True / False - “Wear your heart on your sleeve” means to hide your feelings.
True / False - If someone “pours their heart into a project,” they are doing it with strong feelings.
True / False - “Go the extra mile” means you do only the bare minimum.
True / False - If your “eyes light up,” you are likely excited and happy.
True / False - Someone who is “hooked on” painting probably doesn’t enjoy it.
True / False - “Eat, sleep, and breathe baseball” means you really enjoy and focus on baseball.
True / False - “Put your heart on the line” means you are trying something you don’t care about.
True / False - “Do it for the love of it” means you are only doing something for money.
True / False
Answer Key
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
- False
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
Passion makes us excited to do what we love. Idioms help us talk about that excitement in fun and creative ways. From “burning with passion” to “chasing your dreams,” these phrases help us show what really matters to us.
Now that you’ve learned 40 idioms for passion, you can use them to share your own feelings and understand others better. Keep noticing these idioms in songs, stories, and conversations they’re everywhere.
