Idioms are special phrases that help us talk about things in a fun and interesting way. Sometimes, we use idioms to describe bad things that happen. These idioms can help us explain problems or trouble without using many words. They make talking and writing clearer and more lively.
In this article, you will learn about idioms for bad things. These sayings show how people feel when something goes wrong or when they face difficulties. By knowing these idioms, you can understand stories better and use new phrases to explain your own experiences. Let’s explore these idioms and see how they work in sentences.
Idioms for Bad Things
1. Bite the dust
Meaning: To fail or get hurt.
Samples: The bike race was hard, and I almost bit the dust. / He bit the dust when he slipped on the ice.
To Put it Another Way: I fell down. / I lost the race.
2. Hit a snag
Meaning: To face a problem or difficulty.
Samples: We hit a snag when the printer stopped working. / The plan hit a snag because it started to rain.
To Put it Another Way: Something went wrong. / We had a problem.
3. Spill the beans
Meaning: To tell a secret or reveal something bad.
Samples: She spilled the beans about the surprise party. / Don’t spill the beans or it won’t be a surprise.
To Put it Another Way: Told a secret. / Let the secret out.
4. Drop the ball
Meaning: To make a mistake or fail to do something.
Samples: I dropped the ball when I forgot my homework. / He dropped the ball during the game and lost the point.
To Put it Another Way: I made a mistake. / I forgot to do something important.
5. Out of the frying pan and into the fire
Meaning: Going from a bad situation to a worse one.
Samples: Leaving one problem only brought him out of the frying pan and into the fire. / Trying to fix the mess made things worse—out of the frying pan and into the fire.
To Put it Another Way: From bad to worse. / Things got even harder.
6. Go south
Meaning: To go badly or get worse.
Samples: The game went south after we lost the first goal. / The plan went south because of the storm.
To Put it Another Way: Things got bad. / It didn’t go well.
7. Hit the wall
Meaning: To reach a point where you can’t continue or get stuck.
Samples: I hit the wall while studying and needed a break. / The team hit the wall when they were tired and stopped trying.
To Put it Another Way: I got stuck. / I couldn’t go on.
8. Back to square one
Meaning: To have to start over after a failure.
Samples: The science project didn’t work, so we went back to square one. / After the mistake, it was back to square one with the homework.
To Put it Another Way: Start over again. / Try again from the beginning.
9. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling sick or not well.
Samples: I was under the weather and couldn’t go to school. / She felt under the weather after playing outside too long.
To Put it Another Way: Feeling sick. / Not feeling good.
10. In hot water
Meaning: In trouble.
Samples: He was in hot water for breaking the vase. / I got in hot water when I forgot to feed the dog.
To Put it Another Way: I was in trouble. / Someone was upset with me.
11. Off the hook
Meaning: Freed from a problem or trouble.
Samples: I was off the hook when the teacher forgot about the quiz. / She got off the hook because she finished her work early.
To Put it Another Way: No longer in trouble. / Problem solved.
12. Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: Blaming the wrong person or making a wrong guess.
Samples: If you think I broke it, you’re barking up the wrong tree. / He was barking up the wrong tree when he blamed his sister.
To Put it Another Way: Wrong idea. / Blaming the wrong person.
13. Break the bank
Meaning: To spend too much money.
Samples: Buying the new video game almost broke the bank. / The party didn’t break the bank, but it was fun.
To Put it Another Way: Spend too much money. / Use up all your money.
14. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: To be upset about something that already happened and can’t be changed.
Samples: Don’t cry over spilled milk if you lose the game. / It’s no use crying over spilled milk when the ice cream falls.
To Put it Another Way: Don’t be upset about the past. / Forget mistakes that can’t be fixed.
15. Throw in the towel
Meaning: To give up.
Samples: I wanted to finish the race, but I threw in the towel because I was tired. / They threw in the towel after losing three games.
To Put it Another Way: Quit. / Stop trying.
16. Cut corners
Meaning: To do something badly or quickly to save time or money.
Samples: Don’t cut corners on your homework or you’ll get a bad grade. / He cut corners when building the model, so it fell apart.
To Put it Another Way: Do a bad or quick job. / Skip important steps.
17. Run out of steam
Meaning: To lose energy or stop trying.
Samples: I ran out of steam while cleaning my room. / The team ran out of steam near the end of the game.
To Put it Another Way: Get tired. / Stop working hard.
18. Hit below the belt
Meaning: To be unfair or hurt someone in a mean way.
Samples: Saying that was hitting below the belt. / It’s not nice to hit below the belt during arguments.
To Put it Another Way: Be mean or unfair. / Hurt someone’s feelings.
19. Face the music
Meaning: To accept the bad results of something you did.
Samples: He had to face the music after breaking the rules. / I faced the music when I forgot my homework.
To Put it Another Way: Take responsibility. / Deal with the problem.
20. Keep your chin up
Meaning: To stay positive even when things are bad.
Samples: Keep your chin up; things will get better. / She kept her chin up after losing the game.
To Put it Another Way: Stay hopeful. / Don’t give up.
21. Take a rain check
Meaning: To delay doing something because of a problem.
Samples: Let’s take a rain check on playing outside; it’s raining. / I had to take a rain check on the party because I was sick.
To Put it Another Way: Do it later. / Wait for a better time.
22. Hit the panic button
Meaning: To get very worried or scared suddenly.
Samples: Mom hit the panic button when she couldn’t find her keys. / I hit the panic button when the lights went out.
To Put it Another Way: Get very scared. / Worry a lot quickly.
23. Miss the boat
Meaning: To miss a chance.
Samples: I missed the boat on signing up for the team. / Don’t miss the boat on the school trip sign-up.
To Put it Another Way: Miss a chance. / Be too late.
24. Throw someone under the bus
Meaning: To blame someone to avoid trouble yourself.
Samples: He threw his friend under the bus to avoid getting in trouble. / Don’t throw me under the bus for your mistake.
To Put it Another Way: Blame someone else. / Let someone else take the blame.
25. Up in the air
Meaning: Not decided or uncertain.
Samples: Our picnic plans are up in the air because of the weather. / The game time is still up in the air.
To Put it Another Way: Not sure yet. / Waiting to know.
26. Bite off more than you can chew
Meaning: To take on too much work or responsibility.
Samples: I bit off more than I could chew by joining three clubs. / She bit off more than she could chew with the big project.
To Put it Another Way: Try to do too much. / Take on more than you can handle.
27. Call it quits
Meaning: To stop doing something, usually because it is too hard.
Samples: After losing the game, they called it quits. / I called it quits on the puzzle when it got too hard.
To Put it Another Way: Stop trying. / Give up.
28. Cut your losses
Meaning: To stop doing something that is not working to avoid more problems.
Samples: We cut our losses and left the game early. / She cut her losses when the project was too hard.
To Put it Another Way: Stop to avoid more trouble. / Give up before it gets worse.
29. On thin ice
Meaning: In a risky or dangerous situation.
Samples: He was on thin ice after breaking the rules again. / I knew I was on thin ice when I forgot my homework twice.
To Put it Another Way: In danger of getting in trouble. / Taking a big risk.
30. Out of luck
Meaning: Not lucky or missing a good chance.
Samples: I was out of luck when the tickets sold out. / She was out of luck because it rained on her picnic day.
To Put it Another Way: Not lucky. / Missed the chance.
Find the Topics: Idioms for Bad Things
Last week at school, Sarah had a tough day. First, she bit the dust when she tripped on the playground. Then, her math test didn’t go well, and she felt like she had hit a snag. Her best friend tried to cheer her up, but Sarah said, “I think I dropped the ball on studying.”
At lunch, Sarah heard that the big field trip might be canceled. She thought, “Oh no, now we are really going out of the frying pan and into the fire.” Her teacher told the class the plans were still up in the air because of the weather. Sarah hoped the trip wouldn’t go south.
After school, Sarah’s mom said she shouldn’t cry over spilled milk about the test. She reminded Sarah to keep her chin up and try again. Even though Sarah felt she had bitten off more than she could chew with all her homework, she promised to keep trying.
Task:
Read the story again. Underline or write down all the idioms for bad things you find in the passage.
Answer Key
- Bit the dust
- Hit a snag
- Dropped the ball
- Out of the frying pan and into the fire
- Up in the air
- Go south
- Cry over spilled milk
- Keep your chin up
Conclusion
Idioms for bad things help us talk about problems in a way that is easy to understand and interesting. They make stories more fun and help us explain tough times with clear words. Learning these idioms can help you express yourself better when things do not go as planned.
Remember, even when things go wrong, you can use idioms like “keep your chin up” to stay positive and strong. Using these phrases will make your speaking and writing more lively and clear.
