Get something off your chest Informal

English idiom: Get something off your chest

Last updated: 23.10.2026

CommunicationEmotion & Feelings

Equivalent idioms in other languages

  • 🇷🇺 Снять камень с души Разговорное

    Избавиться от тяжёлого душевного переживания, обычно после откровенного разговора или признания. Русское выражение прежде всего называет облегчение, тогда как английское подчёркивает необходимость высказаться.

  • 🇪🇸 Quitarse un peso de encima Informal

    Liberarse de una preocupación o carga emocional, a menudo al hablar de ella o resolverla.

  • 🇫🇷 Vider son sac Familier

    Dire franchement ce que l’on a longtemps gardé pour soi, parfois avec colère ou émotion, afin de se soulager.

Meaning

To express a thought, worry or confession that has been troubling you, so that you feel relieved.

Origin

The chest is associated with breathing, the heart and the physical sensation of emotional pressure. In English, a worry or secret can feel like a weight pressing on the chest; speaking it aloud removes that burden. The idiom thus links confession with relief. It is used for serious admissions as well as smaller frustrations someone has wanted to mention for a long time. The phrase is not merely synonymous with telling a secret: the speaker typically feels better afterward. The body-based image helps explain why the idiom remains natural in intimate conversations and personal storytelling.

Examples

There’s something I need to get off my chest.

I finally told her the truth and got it off my chest.

He needed to get his frustration off his chest.

Frequently asked questions

What does 'Get something off your chest' mean?

To express a thought, worry or confession that has been troubling you, so that you feel relieved.

How do you say 'Get something off your chest' in Russian?
Снять камень с души

How do you say 'Get something off your chest' in Spanish?
Quitarse un peso de encima

How do you say 'Get something off your chest' in French?
Vider son sac

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