Anxiety is something that almost everyone feels at times. It’s that worried, uneasy feeling we get when we are unsure about something or when we feel under pressure. It’s natural to feel anxious before a big test, a performance, or even when trying something new. People often express these anxious feelings through special phrases called idioms. These idioms are phrases that help us describe what we’re feeling without using the usual words.
In this article, you’ll learn about common idioms that people use to talk about anxiety. By understanding these idioms, you can express your own anxious feelings more easily and also understand others when they talk about their worries. Let’s dive into these idioms and see how they can help explain the many sides of anxiety.
Idioms for Anxiety
1. Butterflies in your stomach
Meaning: To feel nervous or uneasy.
For Example: I had butterflies in my stomach before my big soccer game. / She got butterflies in her stomach before the school play.
Alternatively: Nervous / Uneasy
2. On edge
Meaning: To feel tense or easily upset.
For Example: I was on edge before my test because I didn’t study enough. / Mom was on edge when the thunderstorm started.
Alternatively: Nervous / Anxious
3. In a tizzy
Meaning: To be very worried or confused.
For Example: I was in a tizzy when I couldn’t find my homework. / He got in a tizzy when his phone wasn’t working.
Alternatively: Stressed out / Worried
4. Like a deer in headlights
Meaning: To feel frozen or confused in a stressful situation.
For Example: She was like a deer in headlights when the teacher asked her a question. / I felt like a deer in headlights when I had to give a speech.
Alternatively: Frozen / Panicked
5. Walking on eggshells
Meaning: To feel very careful or uneasy around someone or something.
For Example: I was walking on eggshells when my friend was upset. / We had to walk on eggshells around the teacher during the lesson.
Alternatively: Nervous / Cautious
6. Biting your nails
Meaning: To show nervousness or anxiety.
For Example: I kept biting my nails before the spelling test. / She was biting her nails while waiting for the big game results.
Alternatively: Anxious / Nervous
7. Sweating bullets
Meaning: To feel very nervous or anxious.
For Example: I was sweating bullets during my final exam. / He was sweating bullets while waiting for his turn in the talent show.
Alternatively: Very nervous / Extremely anxious
8. Fretting over something
Meaning: To worry about something repeatedly.
For Example: I was fretting over my homework all night. / She kept fretting over whether her friends would like her new outfit.
Alternatively: Worrying / Stressing
9. A bundle of nerves
Meaning: To feel very nervous or anxious.
For Example: I was a bundle of nerves before my first day of school. / He felt like a bundle of nerves before his baseball game.
Alternatively: Anxious / Nervous
10. Heart racing
Meaning: To feel nervous or scared, often with a fast heartbeat.
For Example: My heart was racing before I went on the roller coaster. / I could feel my heart racing before the job interview.
Alternatively: Nervous / Anxious
11. In a bind
Meaning: To feel stuck or in a stressful situation.
For Example: I was in a bind when I couldn’t finish my project on time. / She was in a bind when she lost her bus pass on the way to school.
Alternatively: Stressed / In trouble
12. Wringing your hands
Meaning: To show nervousness or anxiety through hand movements.
For Example: He was wringing his hands while waiting for the test results. / I started wringing my hands when I couldn’t find my phone.
Alternatively: Nervous / Anxious
13. Biting the bullet
Meaning: To do something difficult because you have no choice.
For Example: I had to bite the bullet and take the test even though I was nervous. / She bit the bullet and spoke in front of the class.
Alternatively: Face something difficult / Be brave
14. At the end of your rope
Meaning: To feel like you can’t handle any more stress.
For Example: I was at the end of my rope after studying all week and still failing the quiz. / He was at the end of his rope when the dog wouldn’t stop barking.
Alternatively: Stressed out / Out of patience
15. Out of sorts
Meaning: To feel upset, anxious, or not yourself.
For Example: I was out of sorts after arguing with my friend. / She was out of sorts after missing her favorite TV show.
Alternatively: Unhappy / Anxious
16. Under pressure
Meaning: To feel stressed because of a difficult situation.
For Example: I was under pressure to finish my homework before the deadline. / He felt under pressure to do well in the game.
Alternatively: Stressed / Anxious
17. Panic button
Meaning: To feel the need to act quickly because of anxiety.
For Example: I pressed the panic button when I lost my wallet at the mall. / She hit the panic button when the class was too noisy.
Alternatively: Feel anxious / Start to panic
18. Freaking out
Meaning: To suddenly become very anxious or upset.
For Example: I was freaking out when I forgot my homework at home. / He started freaking out when the test was harder than expected.
Alternatively: Panicking / Getting really upset
19. A nervous wreck
Meaning: To be so anxious that you can hardly focus.
For Example: I was a nervous wreck before my dance recital. / She became a nervous wreck before her big exam.
Alternatively: Extremely nervous / Stressed
20. Jumpy
Meaning: To feel easily startled or nervous.
For Example: I was jumpy when I heard the loud noise in the hallway. / She felt jumpy during the storm when the lights kept flickering.
Alternatively: Nervous / Easily startled
21. On pins and needles
Meaning: To feel anxious or excited about something.
For Example: I was on pins and needles waiting for the phone call. / He was on pins and needles before his birthday party.
Alternatively: Anxious / Nervous
22. A ball of nerves
Meaning: To be full of nervous energy.
For Example: She was a ball of nerves before her piano recital. / I felt like a ball of nerves on my first day at the new school.
Alternatively: Very nervous / Anxious
23. Shaky
Meaning: To feel physically unsteady because of nervousness.
For Example: My hands were shaky before I had to give my presentation. / He was shaky after hearing the bad news.
Alternatively: Nervous / Unsteady
24. In a funk
Meaning: To feel down or anxious about something.
For Example: I was in a funk after failing my math test. / She was in a funk when she didn’t get picked for the team.
Alternatively: Feeling bad / Stressed
25. At a loss
Meaning: To feel confused and unsure of what to do.
For Example: I was at a loss when I couldn’t solve the puzzle. / He was at a loss when the teacher asked him a question he didn’t know.
Alternatively: Confused / Unsure
26. A knot in your stomach
Meaning: To feel anxious or nervous, especially about something upcoming.
For Example: I had a knot in my stomach before my job interview. / She felt a knot in her stomach before her big game.
Alternatively: Nervous / Anxious
27. Choking under pressure
Meaning: To fail to perform well because of anxiety.
For Example: He choked under pressure during the final exam. / I thought I was going to choke under pressure during the school play.
Alternatively: Mess up / Fail due to stress
28. Having a meltdown
Meaning: To lose control emotionally due to stress.
For Example: I had a meltdown when I couldn’t find my favorite toy. / She had a meltdown when the project wasn’t going well.
Alternatively: Break down / Cry from stress
29. In the hot seat
Meaning: To be in a difficult or stressful situation.
For Example: I was in the hot seat during the debate competition. / She was in the hot seat when her boss asked her about the report.
Alternatively: Stressed / Under pressure
30. Bouncing off the walls
Meaning: To feel nervous and full of energy.
For Example: I was bouncing off the walls waiting for my birthday party. / He was bouncing off the walls with excitement before the field trip.
Alternatively: Full of energy / Nervous
31. Having cold feet
Meaning: To suddenly feel too nervous to do something.
For Example: She had cold feet before going on stage for the talent show. / I got cold feet when I was about to talk in front of the class.
Alternatively: Nervous / Hesitant
32. Spinning your wheels
Meaning: To keep trying without making progress, often because of anxiety.
For Example: I felt like I was spinning my wheels while working on the project. / She was spinning her wheels, trying to solve the math problem.
Alternatively: Stuck / Frustrated
33. Overthinking it
Meaning: To think too much about something, causing unnecessary worry.
For Example: I kept overthinking it and couldn’t sleep before my test. / He was overthinking it when he couldn’t decide which movie to watch.
Alternatively: Worrying too much / Overanalyzing
34. Out of control
Meaning: To feel overwhelmed by anxiety.
For Example: The situation was out of control when the power went out. / I felt out of control when I couldn’t find my notes for class.
Alternatively: Overwhelmed / Anxious
35. Under the weather
Meaning: To feel unwell, often from stress or anxiety.
For Example: She felt under the weather after worrying about the big test. / I was feeling under the weather after stressing about the group project.
Alternatively: Sick / Unwell
36. In over your head
Meaning: To be involved in something that is too difficult or overwhelming.
For Example: I felt in over my head when I had too much homework. / She felt in over her head with the school project.
Alternatively: Overwhelmed / Out of your depth
37. Making a mountain out of a molehill
Meaning: To make something seem worse than it really is, due to anxiety.
For Example: I was making a mountain out of a molehill about my math test. / He made a mountain out of a molehill when he lost his pencil.
Alternatively: Overreacting / Exaggerating
38. Tightening up
Meaning: To become tense or anxious.
For Example: I could feel myself tightening up before the big presentation. / She tightened up when the teacher asked her a difficult question.
Alternatively: Tensed / Nervous
39. Feeling the pressure
Meaning: To feel stressed due to high expectations or deadlines.
For Example: I could feel the pressure to finish my homework on time. / She felt the pressure to do well in the spelling bee.
Alternatively: Stressed / Anxious
40. In a jam
Meaning: To be in a difficult or stressful situation.
For Example: I was in a jam when I forgot to study for the test. / He was in a jam when he missed the bus to school.
Alternatively: In trouble / Stressed
True/False Quiz: Idioms for Anxiety
- If someone says they have “butterflies in their stomach,” it means they are feeling calm and relaxed.
True / False - “On edge” means to feel calm and happy.
True / False - If you’re “walking on eggshells,” it means you’re feeling very careful or uneasy.
True / False - “A deer in headlights” refers to feeling confident and sure of yourself.
True / False - If you’re “biting your nails,” it means you’re calm and relaxed.
True / False - “Sweating bullets” means you are feeling calm.
True / False - When someone says they’re “in a tizzy,” it means they are very worried or confused.
True / False - “Like a deer in headlights” means you are confused or scared.
True / False - If someone says, “I’m under pressure,” it means they feel stressed or worried.
True / False - “Having cold feet” means you are too excited to take action.
True / False
Answer Key
- False
- False
- True
- False
- False
- False
- True
- True
- True
- False
Scoring Guide
- 10 Correct Answers: Anxiety Idioms Master!
- 7–9 Correct Answers: You really get it nice work!
- 4–6 Correct Answers: You’re learning keep going!
- 0–3 Correct Answers: Let’s explore more anxiety idioms together!
Conclusion
Anxiety is something we all experience at different times, whether it’s before a big test, meeting new people, or facing a challenging situation. Idioms help us express those feelings in fun and creative ways. By learning these idioms, you can describe your own anxious moments better and understand when others feel the same. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll be able to talk about your feelings of anxiety with ease, just like using any other language!
