Sometimes, people feel afraid or scared. When this happens, they might use special phrases called idioms to explain how they feel. Idioms are groups of words that have a meaning different from the usual words alone. Using idioms helps make talking and writing more interesting and fun. Many idioms describe being afraid in different ways.
In this article, we will learn about idioms for being afraid. These idioms show fear or worry in easy-to-understand ways. You will see examples that help you know how people use them in daily life. After that, there will be a short story where you can find some idioms for being afraid. This will help you practice and remember them better. Let’s get started and learn some useful idioms about being afraid.
Idioms for Afraid
1. Scared stiff
Meaning: Very scared or frozen with fear.
Samples: I was scared stiff when I heard the loud noise. / She was scared stiff before the big test.
To Put it Another Way: I felt so scared I couldn’t move. / I was really frightened.
2. Jump out of your skin
Meaning: To be very surprised or scared suddenly.
Samples: I jumped out of my skin when the door slammed. / He almost jumped out of his skin during the thunderstorm.
To Put it Another Way: I got a big shock. / I was really startled.
3. Shake like a leaf
Meaning: To tremble because of fear.
Samples: She shook like a leaf before her speech. / I was shaking like a leaf during the scary movie.
To Put it Another Way: My body was shaking because I was afraid. / I was very nervous and trembling.
4. Have butterflies in your stomach
Meaning: To feel nervous or scared inside.
Samples: He had butterflies in his stomach before the game. / I always have butterflies when I perform on stage.
To Put it Another Way: I feel nervous inside. / My stomach feels funny because I’m worried.
5. Break out in a cold sweat
Meaning: To feel very scared and nervous.
Samples: She broke out in a cold sweat when she saw the test paper. / I broke out in a cold sweat during the haunted house visit.
To Put it Another Way: I got very nervous and scared. / I felt worried and uneasy.
6. Scared out of your wits
Meaning: Extremely scared or frightened.
Samples: I was scared out of my wits during the thunderstorm. / She was scared out of her wits when the dog barked loudly.
To Put it Another Way: I was really scared. / I felt very afraid.
7. On pins and needles
Meaning: Feeling nervous or anxious.
Samples: I was on pins and needles waiting for my test results. / She was on pins and needles before the big game.
To Put it Another Way: I felt very nervous. / I was anxious and waiting carefully.
8. Scared to death
Meaning: Very afraid or terrified.
Samples: He was scared to death during the scary story. / I was scared to death when I saw the spider.
To Put it Another Way: I was very scared. / I was terrified.
9. Lose your nerve
Meaning: To get too scared to do something.
Samples: She lost her nerve and didn’t go on the roller coaster. / I lost my nerve before the big test.
To Put it Another Way: I became too scared to try. / I didn’t feel brave anymore.
10. Make your blood run cold
Meaning: To feel very scared suddenly.
Samples: The loud scream made my blood run cold. / That scary story made her blood run cold.
To Put it Another Way: I felt a sudden fear. / I got really frightened quickly.
11. Afraid of your own shadow
Meaning: Very easily scared.
Samples: He’s afraid of his own shadow and won’t go outside at night. / She’s afraid of her own shadow when watching movies.
To Put it Another Way: I get scared very easily. / I am nervous about small things.
12. Scared stiff
Meaning: So scared that you cannot move.
Samples: The loud noise made me scared stiff. / She was scared stiff before her speech.
To Put it Another Way: I was frozen because of fear. / I was too scared to move.
13. Take fright
Meaning: To suddenly become scared.
Samples: The dog took fright when it heard thunder. / She took fright at the loud noise.
To Put it Another Way: I got scared quickly. / I was startled.
14. Scare the pants off someone
Meaning: To frighten someone a lot.
Samples: That ghost story scared the pants off me. / The surprise party scared the pants off him.
To Put it Another Way: I was very scared. / It gave me a big fright.
15. Have cold feet
Meaning: To feel nervous or afraid to do something.
Samples: She had cold feet before the school play. / I had cold feet and didn’t want to jump off the dock.
To Put it Another Way: I got nervous and scared. / I didn’t feel brave enough.
16. White as a ghost
Meaning: To look very pale because of fear.
Samples: She was white as a ghost after the scary movie. / I looked white as a ghost when I heard the news.
To Put it Another Way: I looked very scared. / My face turned pale.
17. Quaking in your boots
Meaning: To be very afraid or nervous.
Samples: He was quaking in his boots before the test. / I was quaking in my boots during the thunderstorm.
To Put it Another Way: I was shaking because I was scared. / I was very nervous.
18. Jumpy as a cat
Meaning: Easily scared or nervous.
Samples: She was jumpy as a cat during the power outage. / I get jumpy as a cat when it’s very dark.
To Put it Another Way: I get scared quickly. / I feel nervous and alert.
19. Scaredy-cat
Meaning: Someone who is easily scared.
Samples: Don’t be such a scaredy-cat! / My little brother is a scaredy-cat about bugs.
To Put it Another Way: You are very afraid. / You get scared easily.
20. Sweat bullets
Meaning: To be very nervous or scared.
Samples: I was sweating bullets during the final exam. / She sweated bullets before her dance recital.
To Put it Another Way: I was very nervous. / I felt scared and worried.
21. Frightened out of your wits
Meaning: Very scared or shocked.
Samples: I was frightened out of my wits during the thunderstorm. / She was frightened out of her wits by the loud noise.
To Put it Another Way: I was extremely scared. / I was very shocked.
22. Afraid stiff
Meaning: So scared you can’t move.
Samples: He was afraid stiff when he saw the spider. / I felt afraid stiff before the test.
To Put it Another Way: I was frozen with fear. / I could not move because I was scared.
23. On edge
Meaning: Feeling nervous or worried.
Samples: I was on edge waiting for my turn to speak. / She was on edge before the big game.
To Put it Another Way: I felt nervous. / I was anxious and tense.
24. Scared to bits
Meaning: Very scared or worried.
Samples: I was scared to bits during the storm. / She was scared to bits before the test.
To Put it Another Way: I was very frightened. / I was really worried.
25. Turn pale
Meaning: To lose color in your face from fear.
Samples: He turned pale when he saw the spider. / She turned pale after hearing the bad news.
To Put it Another Way: My face got very light. / I looked scared.
26. Break out in goosebumps
Meaning: To have tiny bumps on your skin because of fear or cold.
Samples: I broke out in goosebumps when I heard the scary story. / She broke out in goosebumps in the cold wind.
To Put it Another Way: My skin felt tingly because I was scared. / I got small bumps on my skin.
27. Frighten someone out of their skin
Meaning: To scare someone very much.
Samples: The loud noise frightened me out of my skin. / That movie frightened her out of her skin.
To Put it Another Way: I was very scared. / I got a big shock.
28. Shake in your shoes
Meaning: To tremble from fear.
Samples: He was shaking in his shoes during the storm. / I shook in my shoes before the test.
To Put it Another Way: I was trembling because I was scared. / I felt very nervous.
29. Scared stiff
Meaning: Very scared and unable to move.
Samples: She was scared stiff before her speech. / I was scared stiff when I saw the big dog.
To Put it Another Way: I was frozen because of fear. / I was too afraid to move.
30. Fear for your life
Meaning: To feel very scared, like danger is near.
Samples: I feared for my life when the car almost hit me. / She feared for her life during the storm.
To Put it Another Way: I was very scared for my safety. / I felt like I was in danger.
Find the Topics: Idioms for Afraid
Last Friday, the 5th-grade class went on a field trip to the old museum. Mia was feeling nervous. She had butterflies in her stomach because she didn’t like dark places. When the lights suddenly went out, she nearly jumped out of her skin! Her friend Jake was shaking like a leaf, too.
As they walked through the spooky rooms, some kids were scared stiff and held onto each other. When a strange noise echoed, Mia broke out in a cold sweat. The tour guide told a scary story, and many students were on pins and needles, waiting to see what happened next.
Near the end, Mia’s little brother almost lost his nerve when the haunted house began. He was quaking in his boots and wanted to leave. But Mia told him to be brave. They both knew sometimes you feel scared to death, but it’s okay to keep going.
Your Task:
Can you find and list 8 idioms for afraid in the story above? Underline or write them down.
Answer Key
- Butterflies in your stomach
- Jumped out of your skin
- Shaking like a leaf
- Scared stiff
- Broke out in a cold sweat
- On pins and needles
- Lost his nerve
- Quaking in his boots
Conclusion
Idioms for being afraid help us describe feelings of fear and worry in clear and fun ways. They show how people react when they feel scared, nervous, or worried. Learning these idioms helps you understand what others mean and gives you new ways to talk about feelings. Next time you feel scared, try using one of these idioms to share your thoughts better.
