English Idioms and Expressions
Idioms: Feelings, Emotions and Reactions-1
from: 'bare your heart' to: 'do a world of good'
- bare your heart (or soul) to someone
- If you bare you heart (or soul) to someone, you reveal your innermost thoughts and feelings to them.
"Mike couldn't keep things to himself any longer. He decided to bare his soul to his best friend."
- If you bare you heart (or soul) to someone, you reveal your innermost thoughts and feelings to them.
- bear the brunt
- A person who bears the brunt of something is the one who suffers the most when something bad or unpleasant happens.
"When things go wrong, his assistant always has to bear the brunt of his anger."
- A person who bears the brunt of something is the one who suffers the most when something bad or unpleasant happens.
- bent out of shape
- If you get bent out of shape, you become annoyed or upset about something that is usually not
that important or cannot be avoided.
"Don't get bent out of shape if you're delayed. We'll wait for you."
- If you get bent out of shape, you become annoyed or upset about something that is usually not
that important or cannot be avoided.
- beside yourself (with emotion)
- If you are beside yourself (with an emotion), you lose your self-control because of the intensity of the emotion you are feeling.
"He was beside himself with grief when he lost his son."
- If you are beside yourself (with an emotion), you lose your self-control because of the intensity of the emotion you are feeling.
- an open book
- If you describe someone as an open book, you find it easy to know what they are thinking and feeling. Nothing is hidden.
"We could see immediately that she was delighted with the proposal. Her face was an open book."
- If you describe someone as an open book, you find it easy to know what they are thinking and feeling. Nothing is hidden.
- read someone like a book
- If you can read someone like a book, you are able to understand easily what they are thinking or feeling.
"Eva has been my best friend since we were children. I can read her like a book!"
- If you can read someone like a book, you are able to understand easily what they are thinking or feeling.
- bored to tears (also: bored to distraction/bored to death/bored silly)
- If you find something so dull and uninteresting that it makes you sad enough to cry, you are bored to tears.
"I could see that my son was bored to tears by the historical documentary."
- If you find something so dull and uninteresting that it makes you sad enough to cry, you are bored to tears.
- breaking point
- The breaking point is the stage where there is so much pressure that you lose control
over yourself or a situation, or the point at which something is so strained that it will break.
"I can no longer deal with this situation. My nerves are at breaking point!"
- The breaking point is the stage where there is so much pressure that you lose control
over yourself or a situation, or the point at which something is so strained that it will break.
- carry the torch for someone
- If you carry the torch, you have strong feelings for someone with whom you do not or cannot have a relationship.
"He's been carrying the torch for Julie since their college days, before she married Ted."
- If you carry the torch, you have strong feelings for someone with whom you do not or cannot have a relationship.
- (a) catch in someone's voice
- If someone has a catch in their voice when speaking, those listening perceive an audible break or hesitation, generally due to emotion.
"There was a catch in his voice when the boss announced his retirement."
- If someone has a catch in their voice when speaking, those listening perceive an audible break or hesitation, generally due to emotion.
- wouldn't be caught/seen dead
- If someone says that they wouldn't be caught or seen dead in a particular place or doing something, they mean that
they would be too ashamed or embarrassed.
"My seven-year-old son thinks he's a big boy; he wouldn't be caught dead holding my hand in front of hs friends!"
- If someone says that they wouldn't be caught or seen dead in a particular place or doing something, they mean that
they would be too ashamed or embarrassed.
- cheesed off
- If someone is cheesed off with something, they are annoyed, bored or frustrated.
"Jenny is absolutely cheesed off with her job."
- If someone is cheesed off with something, they are annoyed, bored or frustrated.
- (have a) chip on your shoulder
- If someone has a chip on their shoulder, they feelresentful because they feel they are being treated unfairly, especially because
of their background, their sex or their colour.
"He's got a chip on his shoulder because he's from a working-class family."
- If someone has a chip on their shoulder, they feelresentful because they feel they are being treated unfairly, especially because
of their background, their sex or their colour.
- close to home
- If a remark or comment is close to home, it is so true, or it affects you so directly, that you feel uncomfortable.
"Alan looks embarrassed. Bob's comment must have been close to home."
- If a remark or comment is close to home, it is so true, or it affects you so directly, that you feel uncomfortable.
- come apart at the seams
- To say that someone is coming apart at the seams means that they are extremely upset or under severe mental stress.
"Bob has had so many problems lately, he's coming apart at the seams."
- To say that someone is coming apart at the seams means that they are extremely upset or under severe mental stress.
- cork up something
- If you cork up your feelings or emotions, you fail to show or express them.
"It would be better if she showed her grief and didn't cork up her feelings."
- If you cork up your feelings or emotions, you fail to show or express them.
- cut to the quick
- If you cut someone to the quick, you hurt their feelings or offend them deeply.
"Alan was cut to the quick when Joe expressed doubt about his sincerity."
- If you cut someone to the quick, you hurt their feelings or offend them deeply.
- deep down
- If you talk about how someone is, or feels, deep down, you are describing what they are like or what they
really feel deep inside, behind the outward appearance.
"He appears to be indifferent to his success, but deep down he's very happy"
- If you talk about how someone is, or feels, deep down, you are describing what they are like or what they
really feel deep inside, behind the outward appearance.
- do a world of good
- If something does you a world of good, it makes you feel much better, more relaxed or happier.
"A few days away would do you a world of good."
- If something does you a world of good, it makes you feel much better, more relaxed or happier.
More Idioms:
Feelings - Emotions - Reactions
Alphabetical lists:

