Idioms are special phrases that people use to say something in a fun or different way. When we want to talk about something bad, idioms help us explain it clearly without using plain words. These sayings make talking and writing more interesting and easy to understand.
In this article, you will learn about idioms for bad. You will see what each idiom means and how to use it with examples. By knowing these idioms, you can understand what people mean when they talk about bad things or trouble. Let’s explore these phrases together and learn how to spot them in stories.
Idioms for Bad
1. Down in the dumps
Meaning: Feeling sad or unhappy.
Samples: After losing the game, Tom was down in the dumps. / She felt down in the dumps when her best friend moved away.
To Put it Another Way: I felt very sad. / I was unhappy for a while.
2. In hot water
Meaning: In trouble or having problems.
Samples: Jake was in hot water for breaking the vase. / She got in hot water with the teacher for being late.
To Put it Another Way: I got into trouble. / I had a problem to solve.
3. On thin ice
Meaning: Doing something risky or dangerous that could cause trouble.
Samples: He was on thin ice after missing homework three times. / You are on thin ice if you keep talking during class.
To Put it Another Way: I’m taking a big risk. / I could get in trouble soon.
4. A bad apple
Meaning: A person who causes trouble or behaves badly.
Samples: Everyone likes her except for one bad apple in the group. / The bad apple made the whole class noisy.
To Put it Another Way: Someone is causing problems. / One person is acting badly.
5. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling sick or not well.
Samples: I was under the weather, so I stayed home from school. / She felt under the weather after playing outside in the rain.
To Put it Another Way: I wasn’t feeling well. / I was a little sick.
6. Spill the beans
Meaning: To tell a secret or something you shouldn’t say.
Samples: Don’t spill the beans about the surprise party. / She spilled the beans by accident.
To Put it Another Way: I told a secret. / I shared something I shouldn’t have.
7. Hit the roof
Meaning: To get very angry.
Samples: Mom hit the roof when she saw the broken window. / He hit the roof because his game was lost.
To Put it Another Way: I got very mad. / I was upset and angry.
8. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: To be upset about something that can’t be changed.
Samples: It’s no use crying over spilled milk if you lose a game. / Don’t cry over spilled milk; try again next time.
To Put it Another Way: Don’t be sad about things that already happened. / It’s better to move on.
9. Get the short end of the stick
Meaning: To get the worse part of a deal or situation.
Samples: I got the short end of the stick when I had to clean the whole room. / She got the short end of the stick in the group project.
To Put it Another Way: I got the bad part. / Someone else got a better deal.
10. Go south
Meaning: To get worse or fail.
Samples: The weather went south during the picnic. / The team’s plan went south after the first game.
To Put it Another Way: Things got worse. / It didn’t work out well.
11. Face the music
Meaning: To accept punishment or deal with something bad.
Samples: After breaking the rules, he had to face the music. / She faced the music when her parents found out.
To Put it Another Way: I took responsibility. / I dealt with the problem.
12. Bark up the wrong tree
Meaning: To blame or accuse the wrong person.
Samples: If you think I broke it, you’re barking up the wrong tree. / Don’t bark up the wrong tree about the lost book.
To Put it Another Way: You are blaming the wrong person. / You made a mistake in thinking who did it.
13. Bite the bullet
Meaning: To do something difficult or unpleasant without avoiding it.
Samples: I bit the bullet and finished my homework. / She bit the bullet and apologized.
To Put it Another Way: I did something hard. / I faced a tough task.
14. Blow it
Meaning: To make a big mistake or fail.
Samples: He blew it when he forgot his lines in the play. / Don’t blow your chance to win the game.
To Put it Another Way: I made a mistake. / I failed at something important.
15. Break the bank
Meaning: To cost too much money.
Samples: Buying the new phone didn’t break the bank. / That toy might break the bank if you buy it.
To Put it Another Way: It costs a lot. / It’s very expensive.
16. Burn bridges
Meaning: To damage a relationship and make it hard to fix.
Samples: Don’t burn bridges with your friends by being rude. / He burned bridges when he quit the team.
To Put it Another Way: I hurt my relationship. / I made it hard to be friends again.
17. Call it quits
Meaning: To stop doing something because it’s not working.
Samples: They called it quits after arguing too much. / I called it quits on the video game because it was too hard.
To Put it Another Way: I gave up. / I stopped trying.
18. Cut corners
Meaning: To do something in a quick, bad way to save time or money.
Samples: Don’t cut corners on your homework. / He cut corners and made a mistake in the project.
To Put it Another Way: I did it badly to save time. / I didn’t do my best work.
19. Down the drain
Meaning: Something lost or wasted.
Samples: All my hard work went down the drain when the computer broke. / The money spent on that didn’t help, it went down the drain.
To Put it Another Way: It was wasted. / It was lost with no use.
20. Draw the short straw
Meaning: To be chosen to do something unpleasant or difficult.
Samples: I drew the short straw and had to clean the classroom. / He drew the short straw and missed recess.
To Put it Another Way: I got the bad task. / I was picked for the worst job.
21. Fly off the handle
Meaning: To lose your temper suddenly.
Samples: She flew off the handle when her toy broke. / Dad flew off the handle when the car didn’t start.
To Put it Another Way: I got angry quickly. / I lost my temper fast.
22. Go belly up
Meaning: To fail completely, often used for businesses.
Samples: The old store went belly up last year. / Their lemonade stand went belly up after it rained.
To Put it Another Way: It failed. / It stopped working.
23. Hit a snag
Meaning: To face a small problem or delay.
Samples: We hit a snag when the printer stopped working. / Our plan hit a snag because someone was sick.
To Put it Another Way: We had a problem. / Something slowed us down.
24. Jump the gun
Meaning: To do something too soon or before the right time.
Samples: He jumped the gun by answering before the question was finished. / Don’t jump the gun and wait for your turn.
To Put it Another Way: I did it too early. / I acted before I should.
25. Keep your chin up
Meaning: To stay positive even in a bad situation.
Samples: Keep your chin up; things will get better. / She kept her chin up even after losing the race.
To Put it Another Way: Stay strong and hopeful. / Don’t give up.
26. Miss the boat
Meaning: To miss an opportunity.
Samples: I missed the boat on joining the club because I was late. / Don’t miss the boat on the school trip sign-up.
To Put it Another Way: I missed my chance. / I didn’t get to do something.
27. On the fritz
Meaning: Not working properly.
Samples: The computer is on the fritz again. / Our bike was on the fritz after the rain.
To Put it Another Way: It’s broken. / It’s not working right.
28. Out of the frying pan into the fire
Meaning: Going from a bad situation to a worse one.
Samples: Changing schools felt like going out of the frying pan into the fire. / He went out of the frying pan into the fire when he switched teams.
To Put it Another Way: Things got worse. / I moved from one problem to a bigger problem.
29. Spill the beans
Meaning: To tell a secret or surprise by accident.
Samples: Don’t spill the beans about the surprise party! / She spilled the beans before the game started.
To Put it Another Way: I told a secret. / I shared something early.
30. Throw in the towel
Meaning: To give up or stop trying.
Samples: After losing five games, he threw in the towel. / She threw in the towel on the tough puzzle.
To Put it Another Way: I gave up. / I stopped trying.
Find the Topics: Idioms for Bad
Last week at school, Mia was feeling down in the dumps because she didn’t do well on her math test. Her friend Jake told her to keep her chin up and try again. During recess, Mia accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise party, and everyone found out early. Jake warned her not to jump the gun next time. Later, the teacher said Mia was on thin ice because she missed too many homework assignments. Mia felt like she was in hot water and worried about what would happen. At lunch, her sandwich was soggy, and she said it was like everything was going down the drain. But by the end of the day, Mia decided not to throw in the towel. She would study harder and do better next time.
Your Task:
Underline or list all 8 idioms for bad you find in the story above.
Answer Key
- Down in the dumps
- Keep your chin up
- Spilled the beans
- Jump the gun
- On thin ice
- In hot water
- Down the drain
- Throw in the towel
Conclusion
Idioms for bad help us talk about problems, mistakes, and hard times in a fun and clear way. These phrases make it easier to explain feelings or situations that are not good. By learning idioms like these, you can understand stories better and speak more naturally with others. Remember, even when things go wrong, using idioms can help you describe those moments well.
