Idioms can be tricky! They often don’t mean exactly what they say, and that can make understanding them a bit confusing at first. For those of us who find ourselves puzzled in conversations, idioms can be both fun and challenging. They’re used all around us in everyday speech, and though they might leave us scratching our heads sometimes, they’re also what make conversations colorful and lively.
In this article, we’re diving into 45 idioms that express the idea of not understanding something. Whether it’s feeling confused, out of the loop, or just not getting the point, these idioms can help you express your thoughts in a more creative and engaging way. Plus, we’ll break down the meanings and provide you with some fun examples to get you comfortable using them in everyday situations. Let’s explore these idioms and see how they can bring more life to your conversations!
1. Not have a clue
Meaning: To have no idea or knowledge about something.
In a Sentence: I don’t have a clue how to fix this computer.
Other Ways to Say: Be clueless, Have no idea
2. In the dark
Meaning: To be unaware or uninformed about something.
In a Sentence: I was completely in the dark about the surprise party.
Other Ways to Say: Be kept in the dark, Be unaware
3. Draw a blank
Meaning: To forget or be unable to think of something.
In a Sentence: I drew a blank when the teacher asked me the answer.
Other Ways to Say: Forget, Stump
4. Not make heads or tails of
Meaning: To be confused or unable to understand something.
In a Sentence: I couldn’t make heads or tails of the math problem.
Other Ways to Say: Be lost, Be baffled
5. Miss the boat
Meaning: To fail to understand something in time or to miss an opportunity.
In a Sentence: I missed the boat on the sale because I didn’t act fast enough.
Other Ways to Say: Miss out, Lose the chance
6. Out to lunch
Meaning: To be absent-minded or not fully aware of what is happening around you.
In a Sentence: I was out to lunch during the meeting and missed all the important details.
Other Ways to Say: Zoned out, Not paying attention
7. Off track
Meaning: To become confused or distracted from the main point.
In a Sentence: We’ve gone off track talking about the weather instead of focusing on the project.
Other Ways to Say: Lose focus, Go astray
8. In over one’s head
Meaning: To be involved in a situation that is too complicated or difficult to understand.
In a Sentence: I’m in over my head with this new job.
Other Ways to Say: Out of your depth, In deep trouble
9. Lose the plot
Meaning: To become confused or to stop understanding what is happening.
In a Sentence: After all the changes to the project, I’ve completely lost the plot.
Other Ways to Say: Get confused, Be out of touch
10. On a different wavelength
Meaning: To think or understand things in a very different way from others.
In a Sentence: We were on a different wavelength when it came to deciding what movie to watch.
Other Ways to Say: Disagree, Have a different view
11. Not see the forest for the trees
Meaning: To be so focused on the details that you miss the overall picture.
In a Sentence: You’re focusing too much on the small mistakes; you’re not seeing the forest for the trees.
Other Ways to Say: Get lost in the details, Miss the big picture
12. Like talking to a wall
Meaning: To talk to someone who is not listening or understanding.
In a Sentence: I feel like I’m talking to a wall when I try to explain this to you.
Other Ways to Say: Be ignored, Not being heard
13. A deer in the headlights
Meaning: To be confused or shocked and unable to react.
In a Sentence: I was like a deer in the headlights when they asked me to speak in front of the class.
Other Ways to Say: Frozen, Stunned
14. Not the sharpest tool in the shed
Meaning: To not be very smart or to struggle with understanding something.
In a Sentence: I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to technology.
Other Ways to Say: Not very bright, Slow on the uptake
15. Can’t wrap your head around
Meaning: To be unable to understand something.
In a Sentence: I can’t wrap my head around how this new system works.
Other Ways to Say: Be confused, Struggle to understand
16. Out of the loop
Meaning: To be uninformed or unaware of what is happening.
In a Sentence: I was out of the loop about the changes at work until yesterday.
Other Ways to Say: Be out of touch, Be unaware
17. Like a broken record
Meaning: To repeat something over and over again, often when the message is not being understood.
In a Sentence: I feel like a broken record telling you the same thing repeatedly.
Other Ways to Say: Repeat endlessly, Say the same thing
18. Not make sense
Meaning: Something that is confusing or difficult to understand.
In a Sentence: This explanation doesn’t make sense at all.
Other Ways to Say: Be unclear, Be confusing
19. Hit a wall
Meaning: To encounter a problem or obstacle that prevents progress or understanding.
In a Sentence: I’ve hit a wall in my research and can’t figure out the next step.
Other Ways to Say: Get stuck, Be blocked
20. It’s all Greek to me
Meaning: To not understand something at all.
In a Sentence: When the professor started explaining the theory, it was all Greek to me.
Other Ways to Say: Be lost, Have no idea
21. Take something with a grain of salt
Meaning: To not take something too seriously or to doubt its accuracy.
In a Sentence: He always exaggerates, so I take everything he says with a grain of salt.
Other Ways to Say: Be skeptical, Question the truth
22. Out of your depth
Meaning: To be involved in a situation that is too difficult or complex to understand.
In a Sentence: When it comes to finance, I’m really out of my depth.
Other Ways to Say: In over your head, Out of your league
23. Can’t see the wood for the trees
Meaning: To focus too much on small details and miss the bigger picture.
In a Sentence: You’re so caught up in the details that you can’t see the wood for the trees.
Other Ways to Say: Get lost in the small stuff, Miss the big picture
24. Not on the same page
Meaning: To have different thoughts or opinions on something.
In a Sentence: We’re not on the same page about how to handle this project.
Other Ways to Say: Disagree, Not aligned
25. Like a fish out of water
Meaning: To feel uncomfortable or out of place because you don’t understand what’s going on.
In a Sentence: I felt like a fish out of water at the new school because I didn’t know anyone.
Other Ways to Say: Out of place, Uncomfortable
26. The lights are on but nobody’s home
Meaning: To be physically present but not mentally engaged or understanding.
In a Sentence: He’s just staring into space—the lights are on but nobody’s home.
Other Ways to Say: Be absent-minded, Zoned out
27. Speak in riddles
Meaning: To talk in a confusing or unclear way.
In a Sentence: Stop speaking in riddles and tell me what you really mean.
Other Ways to Say: Be vague, Be cryptic
28. Lost in translation
Meaning: To misunderstand or misinterpret something, often due to language or cultural differences.
In a Sentence: The joke was lost in translation, and no one understood it.
Other Ways to Say: Misunderstood, Not conveyed properly
29. Out of sight, out of mind
Meaning: If you don’t see something or think about it, you might forget it or not understand its importance.
In a Sentence: I forgot about the meeting because it was out of sight, out of mind.
Other Ways to Say: Forget about it, Be absent-minded
30. A tough nut to crack
Meaning: Something or someone that is difficult to understand or deal with.
In a Sentence: Understanding his explanation was a tough nut to crack.
Other Ways to Say: Difficult to figure out, Hard to comprehend
31. Out of touch
Meaning: To be unaware of or disconnected from current events or ideas.
In a Sentence: I’ve been out of touch with the news for a few days.
Other Ways to Say: Disconnected, Uninformed
32. Not in the cards
Meaning: Something that is unlikely to happen or not meant to be.
In a Sentence: Getting the promotion wasn’t in the cards for me this year.
Other Ways to Say: Not destined to happen, Unlikely
33. A fish doesn’t know it’s wet
Meaning: To be so involved in something that you don’t realize the impact or situation.
In a Sentence: The constant noise at work is like a fish doesn’t know it’s wet—I don’t even notice it anymore.
Other Ways to Say: Desensitized, Unaware of the environment
34. Can’t make heads or tails of
Meaning: To be completely confused about something.
In a Sentence: I can’t make heads or tails of this new phone—how does it work?
Other Ways to Say: Be puzzled, Be mystified
35. Not get the picture
Meaning: To fail to understand what is being communicated.
In a Sentence: He didn’t get the picture about the meeting being canceled.
Other Ways to Say: Miss the point, Fail to understand
36. Be in a fog
Meaning: To be confused, disoriented, or unclear about something.
In a Sentence: After the long trip, I was in a fog and couldn’t think straight.
Other Ways to Say: Be confused, Be unclear
37. Like trying to find a needle in a haystack
Meaning: To try to do something that is very difficult or nearly impossible.
In a Sentence: Trying to find the right information on that website was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Other Ways to Say: A difficult task, An impossible search
38. A rabbit hole
Meaning: To go down a confusing or complicated situation or task.
In a Sentence: I started researching one thing and ended up in a rabbit hole of unrelated topics.
Other Ways to Say: Get sidetracked, Go off on a tangent
39. Be in the fog of war
Meaning: To be in a state of confusion or uncertainty, especially when trying to make decisions.
In a Sentence: During the meeting, I was in the fog of war, and couldn’t figure out what decision to make.
Other Ways to Say: Be confused, Be in a state of uncertainty
40. In a haze
Meaning: To be unclear or unable to understand something because of confusion or distraction.
In a Sentence: I was in a haze after the long flight and couldn’t follow the conversation.
Other Ways to Say: Be in a daze, Be unclear
41. Go around in circles
Meaning: To keep talking or thinking about the same thing without making progress or understanding.
In a Sentence: We’ve been going around in circles about this decision for hours!
Other Ways to Say: Repeat the same thing, Go nowhere
42. A closed book
Meaning: Something or someone that is difficult to understand or an issue that’s not being addressed.
In a Sentence: When it comes to her feelings, she’s a closed book.
Other Ways to Say: Unreadable, Unclear
43. A blank slate
Meaning: To have no previous knowledge or understanding about something.
In a Sentence: I was a blank slate when I first started learning French.
Other Ways to Say: A clean start, A fresh beginning
44. In the blind
Meaning: To be unaware or lacking information about something.
In a Sentence: I was in the blind about their plans until they told me.
Other Ways to Say: In the dark, Unaware
45. Hit a snag
Meaning: To encounter a problem or obstacle that prevents understanding or progress.
In a Sentence: I was doing well on the project until I hit a snag with the software.
Other Ways to Say: Face a problem, Encounter an obstacle
Exercise to Practice
Fill in the blanks:
- I tried to explain it to her, but she was _______ and didn’t understand.
- After hearing the news, I felt like I was _______.
- The instructions were so complicated, I couldn’t _______ them.
- I’ve been trying to figure this out all day, but it’s like _______ trying to understand.
- I don’t know why I didn’t get that joke—I was just _______.
- It’s hard to understand the concept of quantum physics; it’s like _______.
- Can you explain this to me again? I’m _______.
- I was totally _______ when she started talking about the latest trend.
- This puzzle is _______! It’s just too complicated.
- Don’t try to explain the whole project now, you’re just _______.
Answers:
out to lunch, in the dark, make heads or tails of, like a needle in a haystack, lost, like a rabbit hole, in over my head, out of the loop, a tough nut to crack, going around in circles
Conclusion
Idioms are an essential part of language that make conversations more interesting and fun, even if they leave us a little puzzled at times. These 45 idioms for not understanding reflect the different ways we experience confusion, from feeling out of the loop to simply not getting the point. By understanding and practicing these expressions, you can improve your communication skills, making it easier to navigate conversations and express your feelings more clearly.
Next time you’re unsure about something, try using one of these idioms to describe your situation in a creative way. You might even find yourself using them naturally in your daily life! Whether you’re feeling lost in the conversation or just need a break from confusion, these idioms will help you navigate those tricky moments with ease.
Keep practicing these idioms, and don’t be afraid to ask questions when you don’t understand something—it’s all part of learning and growing!
