Emotion & Feelings
Money burns a hole in one's pocket
A strong urge or inability to resist spending money as soon as one has it, rather than saving it. It’s often said about someone with a habit of impulsive spending, sometimes affectionately and sometimes as gentle criticism.
Wind down
To gradually relax after stress or activity.
Grass is always greener on the other side
Other people's situations always look better.
Turn back the hands of time
To return to the past.
Time heals all wounds
Emotional pain decreases with time.
Sick to death
Thoroughly tired of something unpleasant.
Lose one's cool
To become angry or upset suddenly.
Jump for joy
To express intense happiness.
Keep a stiff upper lip
To show courage and not demonstrate emotion in trouble.
In high spirits
In a cheerful and lively mood.
Take it easy
Relax and do not get stressed.
Hang in there
Said to encourage someone in a difficult situation.
Rain on someone's parade
To spoil someone's plans or joy.
Cold feet
Loss of courage right before a major decision.
Down to earth
Practical, realistic, and unpretentious.
Sick and tired
Exhausted and thoroughly annoyed by something.
Green with envy
Extremely envious or jealous.
Get cold feet
To suddenly become fearful and abandon a planned action.
All ears
Eagerly waiting to hear what someone has to say.
Under someone's thumb
Completely controlled or dominated by someone.
Off the hook
Freed from an obligation, difficulty, or blame.
Drive someone up the wall
To irritate or annoy someone immensely.
Cross your fingers
To hope for good luck or a favorable outcome.
English Idioms for Emotions and Feelings
English has a wide range of idioms for describing emotions, moods, and emotional reactions. Some express happiness, excitement, or affection, while others describe sadness, anger, fear, disappointment, or emotional exhaustion.
The Emotion & Feelings category brings together expressions used to describe how people feel, how strongly they experience an emotion, and how they react emotionally to people and situations.
Idioms for Positive Emotions
English idioms can describe feelings such as happiness, excitement, affection, satisfaction, relief, and enthusiasm. Many of these expressions are common in everyday speech and can make emotional descriptions more vivid and natural.
The figurative image used by an idiom often adds a particular shade of meaning that is difficult to convey with a single neutral adjective.
Idioms for Negative and Difficult Emotions
Other idioms describe anger, sadness, fear, worry, disappointment, embarrassment, frustration, or emotional distress.
These expressions can differ considerably in intensity. Some describe a passing feeling, while others suggest a strong or prolonged emotional reaction. Context is important for understanding the exact tone.
How Emotion and Feeling Idioms Are Used
Emotion-related idioms often describe more than a person’s internal state. They can show how an emotion affects someone’s behavior, how strongly a person feels something, or how they react to another person or event.
Some expressions are strongly conversational, while others are neutral enough to appear in a wider range of contexts. Example sentences help show how each idiom is naturally used.
Emotion and Feeling Idioms in Other Languages
An English idiom describing an emotion may have a natural equivalent in Russian, Spanish, or French, but the equivalent may use a completely different image.
Akcento compares idioms according to meaning and usage rather than translating them word for word. This makes it possible to see how different languages describe similar emotions through different expressions.
Explore Emotion & Feelings Idioms
Browse the idioms in this category to discover English expressions related to happiness, sadness, anger, fear, excitement, affection, disappointment, and other emotions.
Frequently asked questions
What are emotion and feeling idioms in English?
They are idiomatic expressions used to describe emotions, moods, emotional reactions, and the way feelings affect people’s behavior.
Which English idioms describe strong emotions?
English has idioms for intense happiness, anger, fear, excitement, sadness, and other powerful feelings. Their exact intensity and tone depend on the expression and context.
Are emotion idioms common in everyday English?
Many emotion-related idioms are common in everyday conversation. However, some are more informal or expressive than others, so context is important when using them.
Do English emotion idioms have equivalents in other languages?
Often they do, but the natural equivalent may use completely different imagery. Akcento compares English idioms with natural equivalents in Russian, Spanish, and French rather than relying on literal translations.