Feelings can be tricky to describe, but idioms make it easier—and way more fun! Idioms are phrases that don’t mean exactly what the words say, but they paint vivid pictures and help us talk about emotions in a more interesting way. Whether you’re feeling on top of the world or down in the dumps, there’s an idiom that captures exactly how you feel.
Understanding idioms about emotions can help you express yourself better in conversations, writing, and even in texts. These phrases are used every day by people of all ages, and once you learn them, you’ll start hearing them everywhere. In this post, we’ll explore 50 popular idioms that describe all kinds of feelings—from happiness and sadness to anger and excitement. You’ll learn what each idiom means, how to use it in a sentence, and other ways to say the same thing. Let’s jump into the world of emotional expression—idiom style!
Idioms About Feelings
1. On cloud nine
Meaning: Feeling extremely happy or excited.
In a Sentence: After winning first place in the art contest, I was on cloud nine for the rest of the week.
Other Ways to Say: Overjoyed, Walking on air
2. Down in the dumps
Meaning: Feeling sad or depressed.
In a Sentence: I’ve been down in the dumps since my best friend moved away last month.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling blue, Depressed
3. Jump for joy
Meaning: To feel and show great happiness.
In a Sentence: When I saw my test score, I wanted to jump for joy right in the middle of the classroom.
Other Ways to Say: Be thrilled, Be overjoyed
4. Cry your heart out
Meaning: To cry very hard, usually because of sadness.
In a Sentence: She cried her heart out after her favorite pet hamster passed away.
Other Ways to Say: Weep deeply, Sob uncontrollably
5. Have butterflies in your stomach
Meaning: To feel nervous or anxious.
In a Sentence: I had butterflies in my stomach right before my first big speech in front of the whole school.
Other Ways to Say: Feel nervous, Feel anxious
6. Blowing off steam
Meaning: To release strong emotions by doing something active.
In a Sentence: After a stressful day, I went for a long walk to blow off some steam.
Other Ways to Say: Let out emotions, Cool down
7. Bottle up your feelings
Meaning: To hide or not express your emotions.
In a Sentence: He bottled up his feelings after the argument, but you could tell he was still upset.
Other Ways to Say: Keep emotions inside, Hold back feelings
8. All choked up
Meaning: To be overcome with emotion and unable to speak.
In a Sentence: I was all choked up when I saw the slideshow of our childhood memories.
Other Ways to Say: Speechless with emotion, Overwhelmed
9. A face like thunder
Meaning: To look very angry or upset.
In a Sentence: When she saw the mess in her room, she had a face like thunder.
Other Ways to Say: Look furious, Very angry
10. Walking on air
Meaning: To feel extremely happy and light-hearted.
In a Sentence: After getting the job offer, he was walking on air the whole day.
Other Ways to Say: Over the moon, Full of joy
11. A heavy heart
Meaning: Feeling very sad or full of sorrow.
In a Sentence: I left the hospital with a heavy heart, thinking about my sick grandfather.
Other Ways to Say: Deeply sad, Heartbroken
12. Blown away
Meaning: To be extremely impressed or amazed by something.
In a Sentence: I was completely blown away by how kind everyone was at the event.
Other Ways to Say: Shocked in a good way, Amazed
13. Hot under the collar
Meaning: Feeling angry or upset, especially because of something unfair.
In a Sentence: I got hot under the collar when the teacher blamed me for something I didn’t do.
Other Ways to Say: Upset, Annoyed
14. Have a chip on your shoulder
Meaning: To feel angry or resentful about something that happened in the past.
In a Sentence: He always acts defensive because he has a chip on his shoulder about being ignored before.
Other Ways to Say: Carry resentment, Be bitter
15. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: To be upset about something that has already happened and can’t be changed.
In a Sentence: It’s no use crying over spilled milk—let’s focus on fixing the problem now.
Other Ways to Say: Let it go, Don’t dwell on the past
16. Smile from ear to ear
Meaning: To have a big smile because of happiness or excitement.
In a Sentence: She was smiling from ear to ear when she saw her birthday cake surprise.
Other Ways to Say: Grin widely, Be delighted
17. Get cold feet
Meaning: To feel nervous or unsure right before doing something important.
In a Sentence: I got cold feet right before stepping on stage, even though I had practiced for days.
Other Ways to Say: Have second thoughts, Feel anxious
18. Over the moon
Meaning: Feeling extremely happy or delighted.
In a Sentence: My parents were over the moon when I got accepted into my dream university.
Other Ways to Say: Thrilled, Ecstatic
19. Have mixed feelings
Meaning: To feel both positive and negative emotions at the same time.
In a Sentence: I had mixed feelings about graduating—I was excited, but I knew I’d miss my friends.
Other Ways to Say: Feel torn, Be unsure emotionally
20. Green with envy
Meaning: To feel very jealous of someone else.
In a Sentence: I was green with envy when I saw my friend’s brand-new phone.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely jealous, Envious
21. Be in high spirits
Meaning: Feeling cheerful and full of energy.
In a Sentence: Everyone was in high spirits at the school carnival, laughing and having a great time.
Other Ways to Say: Happy, Energetic
22. Feel blue
Meaning: To feel sad or down.
In a Sentence: I was feeling blue after hearing that my favorite teacher was leaving the school.
Other Ways to Say: Down in the dumps, Sad
23. Have a heart of stone
Meaning: To be emotionally cold and unfeeling.
In a Sentence: He must have a heart of stone not to feel bad about hurting her feelings.
Other Ways to Say: Emotionless, Uncaring
24. Laugh your head off
Meaning: To laugh very hard and uncontrollably.
In a Sentence: We laughed our heads off watching that hilarious movie last night.
Other Ways to Say: Crack up, Burst into laughter
25. A rollercoaster of emotions
Meaning: A situation that causes many different feelings, especially ups and downs.
In a Sentence: My first year of high school was a rollercoaster of emotions—from excitement to stress to joy.
Other Ways to Say: Emotional ups and downs, Intense feelings
26. Be in a funk
Meaning: To feel low in energy or mood, often for no clear reason.
In a Sentence: I was in a funk all weekend and couldn’t figure out why I felt so off.
Other Ways to Say: Feeling low, In a bad mood
27. Keep your cool
Meaning: To stay calm and not get angry or upset.
In a Sentence: Even when everyone else panicked, she managed to keep her cool and handle the situation.
Other Ways to Say: Stay calm, Remain composed
28. Blow a fuse
Meaning: To become very angry suddenly.
In a Sentence: He blew a fuse when he found out his brother had used his laptop without asking.
Other Ways to Say: Lose your temper, Snap
29. Be all smiles
Meaning: To appear very happy and cheerful.
In a Sentence: She was all smiles after getting the lead role in the school play.
Other Ways to Say: Radiantly happy, Grinning joyfully
30. Swallow your pride
Meaning: To do something even though it is embarrassing or humbling.
In a Sentence: I had to swallow my pride and apologize for being wrong in front of the whole class.
Other Ways to Say: Be humble, Admit fault
31. Be heartbroken
Meaning: To feel deeply sad, especially because of love or loss.
In a Sentence: He was heartbroken after his dog passed away—they had been best friends for years.
Other Ways to Say: Devastated, Crushed
32. Get under someone’s skin
Meaning: To really annoy or bother someone.
In a Sentence: Her constant humming during class really gets under my skin.
Other Ways to Say: Irritate, Annoy
33. Be in a bad mood
Meaning: To feel unhappy, angry, or irritated.
In a Sentence: I was in a bad mood all day because I didn’t sleep well last night.
Other Ways to Say: Grumpy, Irritable
34. Shake like a leaf
Meaning: To tremble from fear or nervousness.
In a Sentence: I was shaking like a leaf before my piano recital in front of hundreds of people.
Other Ways to Say: Tremble, Be terrified
35. Be in seventh heaven
Meaning: To feel extremely happy and content.
In a Sentence: I was in seventh heaven when I got tickets to see my favorite band live.
Other Ways to Say: In bliss, Completely happy
36. Put on a brave face
Meaning: To hide your true feelings and act strong or cheerful.
In a Sentence: Even though she was sad about moving away, she put on a brave face at the goodbye party.
Other Ways to Say: Hide emotions, Pretend to be okay
37. Be fed up
Meaning: To feel annoyed or tired of something.
In a Sentence: I’m so fed up with all the homework piling up every night.
Other Ways to Say: Tired of it, Frustrated
38. Blow your top
Meaning: To lose control and get very angry.
In a Sentence: Dad blew his top when he saw the broken window in the living room.
Other Ways to Say: Explode with anger, Lose your temper
39. Take something to heart
Meaning: To be deeply affected by something emotionally.
In a Sentence: She really took the criticism to heart and started doubting herself.
Other Ways to Say: Be sensitive to it, Feel hurt
40. Have a meltdown
Meaning: To suddenly become very emotional, often from stress or frustration.
In a Sentence: I had a total meltdown after studying all night and still failing the quiz.
Other Ways to Say: Break down, Lose control emotionally
41. Be a bundle of nerves
Meaning: To feel very anxious or jittery.
In a Sentence: I was a bundle of nerves before my driving test.
Other Ways to Say: Super nervous, On edge
42. Grin and bear it
Meaning: To endure something unpleasant with good humor or patience.
In a Sentence: I didn’t like the dentist appointment, but I had to grin and bear it.
Other Ways to Say: Tolerate, Get through it
43. Get a kick out of something
Meaning: To really enjoy or be amused by something.
In a Sentence: I always get a kick out of watching funny cat videos online.
Other Ways to Say: Find it fun, Be entertained
44. Have your heart in your mouth
Meaning: To feel extreme fear or suspense.
In a Sentence: I had my heart in my mouth when the teacher called on me unexpectedly.
Other Ways to Say: Be terrified, Very anxious
45. Be tickled pink
Meaning: To be very pleased or delighted.
In a Sentence: I was tickled pink when I received a surprise letter from my pen pal.
Other Ways to Say: Very happy, Overjoyed
46. Be in no mood
Meaning: To not feel like doing something.
In a Sentence: I was in no mood to talk after the argument with my brother.
Other Ways to Say: Not interested, Don’t feel like it
47. Keep a stiff upper lip
Meaning: To stay strong and not show emotion during difficult times.
In a Sentence: She kept a stiff upper lip during the farewell speech, even though she was holding back tears.
Other Ways to Say: Stay strong, Be emotionally tough
48. Be touchy
Meaning: To be easily upset or offended.
In a Sentence: He’s been really touchy since the team lost the big game.
Other Ways to Say: Sensitive, Easily hurt
49. Lose your cool
Meaning: To lose control of your emotions, especially anger.
In a Sentence: I lost my cool when my little brother messed up my science project.
Other Ways to Say: Get mad, Blow up
50. Be over the edge
Meaning: To be emotionally overwhelmed or mentally exhausted.
In a Sentence: After days of non-stop stress, I felt completely over the edge.
Other Ways to Say: Mentally drained, Burned out
Exercise to Practice
Fill in the blanks:
- I had __________ in my stomach before going up to present in class.
- She was __________ pink when her drawing won first prize.
- He tried to __________ a brave face even though he was nervous.
- My sister gets __________ with envy every time I wear my new jacket.
- I was in __________ heaven during our family vacation at the beach.
- When I found out I had to start over, I felt completely over the __________.
- He always seems so __________ lately—every little thing upsets him.
- Even though the test was hard, I had to __________ and bear it.
- I knew she was mad; she had a __________ like thunder.
- After the big loss, our team was really down in the __________.
- I was __________ like a leaf before opening my report card.
- That joke was hilarious—I nearly laughed my __________ off!
Answers:
butterflies, tickled, put on, green, seventh, edge, touchy, grin, face, dumps, shaking, head
Conclusion
Feelings are a big part of being human, and using idioms can help describe them in fun, powerful, and relatable ways. From joy and pride to sadness and frustration, these expressions give you the words to say exactly how you feel in a more colorful and creative way.
The more you practice these idioms, the more natural they’ll become in your everyday conversations, writing, and even in your social media posts. Keep using them in real life—when you’re happy, nervous, excited, or just feeling all the feels. Idioms don’t just help you communicate better—they make your words come alive.
So the next time you’re in high spirits or have a chip on your shoulder, try using one of these phrases—you’ll be speaking like a pro in no time!
