Mind & Emotions
Fly off the handle
To suddenly lose one's temper unpredictably.
Keep your chin up
To remain courageous and optimistic during hardship.
Pull yourself together
To regain emotional composure or self-control.
Cross that bridge when you come to it
To deal with a problem only when it happens, not before.
You can't judge a book by its cover
Outward appearance does not always reflect true value.
Take with a grain of salt
To view something with skepticism.
Devil's advocate
To argue against an idea just to test its validity.
Cry over spilled milk
To waste time worrying about something that cannot be undone.
Face the music
To accept the negative consequences of one's actions.
Walking on air
Feeling overjoyed or elated.
Under a cloud
Under suspicion or in trouble.
Down in the dumps
Feeling depressed or unhappy.
Under the thumb
Completely under someone else's control or influence.
Penny for your thoughts
A way of asking what someone is thinking about.
On cloud nine
Extremely happy or excited.
English Idioms for the Mind and Emotional States
English has many idioms for describing thoughts, mental states, attitudes, and emotional reactions. Some focus on what is happening in someone’s mind — thinking, remembering, deciding, or understanding — while others describe how a person feels or reacts emotionally.
The Mind & Emotions category brings together expressions that sit at the intersection of thought and feeling. This includes idioms for mental states, attitudes, reactions, confusion, confidence, worry, and emotional responses.
Idioms About Thoughts and the Mind
English uses many idiomatic expressions to talk about thinking, remembering, considering something, changing one’s mind, or trying to understand an idea.
Expressions such as these often use concrete images to describe an abstract mental process. Their literal wording can therefore be quite different from what they actually mean.
Idioms About Emotional States and Reactions
Other expressions describe a person’s emotional state or reaction: happiness, frustration, nervousness, anger, surprise, worry, embarrassment, or feeling overwhelmed.
The choice of idiom can communicate not only the emotion itself but also its intensity and tone. Some expressions are everyday and conversational, while others are more expressive or informal.
Where Mind and Emotions Overlap
Thought and emotion are not always easy to separate in English idioms. An expression may describe both a mental process and an emotional response — for example, being unable to stop thinking about something, changing one’s attitude, or becoming overwhelmed by a feeling.
This overlap is one reason why some idioms can reasonably belong to more than one category.
How Mind & Emotions Idioms Are Used
Context is particularly important with these expressions. Two idioms may refer to a similar mental or emotional state but differ in intensity, formality, or the type of situation in which they sound natural.
Example sentences help show not only what an idiom means, but how native speakers actually use it.
Mind & Emotions Idioms in Other Languages
An English idiom about thoughts or emotions may have a natural equivalent in Russian, Spanish, or French, but the equivalent may use a completely different image.
Akcento compares idioms by meaning and usage rather than translating them word for word. This makes it possible to see how different languages express similar mental and emotional experiences in different ways.
Explore Mind & Emotions Idioms
Browse this category to discover English expressions related to thoughts, attitudes, mental states, feelings, reactions, and the ways people respond to what happens around them.
Frequently asked questions
What are Mind & Emotions idioms in English?
They are idiomatic expressions used to describe thoughts, mental states, attitudes, feelings, and emotional reactions.
What is the difference between Mind & Emotions and Emotion & Feelings?
The Mind & Emotions category has a broader focus on the relationship between thought and feeling. It includes mental processes, attitudes, and reactions as well as emotions, while Emotion & Feelings focuses more directly on emotional states and feelings.
Are Mind & Emotions idioms common in everyday English?
Many are. English speakers regularly use idioms to talk about what they are thinking, how they feel, and how they react to situations. However, individual expressions vary in frequency and formality.
Do English Mind & Emotions idioms have equivalents in other languages?
Often they do, but natural equivalents may use completely different imagery. Akcento compares English idioms with natural equivalents in Russian, Spanish, and French rather than relying on literal translations.