idioms for being sick

30 Idioms for Being Sick

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Being sick can make anyone feel low, and it’s something we all experience at some point in life. Instead of directly saying someone is unwell, people often use idioms to express sickness in a creative way. These expressions help to explain how we feel when we’re sick, and they make conversations more colorful. Idioms have a special way of describing how we cope with sickness and can even make light of a tough situation.

In this article, we will explore some common idioms for being sick. You will learn what they mean and how to use them in your daily life. Idioms can be fun and bring some humor to an otherwise serious topic, making it easier to talk about when we’re not feeling our best.

Idioms for Being Sick

1. Under the weather

Meaning: Feeling sick or unwell.
Samples: I’m feeling a little under the weather today, so I’m going to rest. / He’s been under the weather all week with a cold.
To Put it Another Way: Not feeling well. / Feeling sick.

2. Feeling blue

Meaning: Feeling sad or down, often due to illness.
Samples: She’s feeling a bit blue after catching the flu. / I’ve been feeling blue since I got sick last week.
To Put it Another Way: Feeling down. / Feeling sad.

3. Off color

Meaning: Not looking or feeling well.
Samples: You’re looking a little off color today, are you okay? / He seemed off color after his cold.
To Put it Another Way: Not looking great. / Not feeling right.

4. Knocked out

Meaning: Completely exhausted or incapacitated by illness.
Samples: I was knocked out with a fever last weekend. / She got knocked out by the flu and had to stay in bed.
To Put it Another Way: Completely wiped out. / Too sick to do anything.

5. Laid up

Meaning: Forced to stay in bed because of illness.
Samples: He’s laid up with a bad cold and can’t make it to the meeting. / She’s been laid up all week with a stomach bug.
To Put it Another Way: Stuck in bed. / Unable to move.

6. Sick as a dog

Meaning: Very ill.
Samples: She was sick as a dog after eating something bad. / I feel sick as a dog with this flu.
To Put it Another Way: Extremely sick. / Very unwell.

7. In the dumps

Meaning: Feeling down or depressed, often due to illness.
Samples: After being sick for days, he was really in the dumps. / I’ve been feeling in the dumps since I caught a cold.
To Put it Another Way: Feeling low. / Feeling sad or down.

8. Running a fever

Meaning: Having a higher than normal body temperature, usually due to illness.
Samples: She’s been running a fever all day. / He had a fever and was sent home from school.
To Put it Another Way: Feverish. / Having a high temperature.

9. Coughing up a storm

Meaning: Coughing a lot, usually due to illness.
Samples: He was coughing up a storm last night from his cold. / I can’t stop coughing up a storm since I got the flu.
To Put it Another Way: Coughing a lot. / Coughing heavily.

10. Feeling rough

Meaning: Feeling very unwell or sick.
Samples: I’m feeling rough today, so I’m staying in bed. / She felt rough after catching the flu.
To Put it Another Way: Feeling bad. / Feeling awful.

11. Have a case of the sniffles

Meaning: To have a mild cold with a runny nose.
Samples: He’s got a case of the sniffles and can’t come to work. / I woke up with a case of the sniffles this morning.
To Put it Another Way: A mild cold. / A runny nose.

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12. In a bad way

Meaning: Feeling very sick or unwell.
Samples: He’s in a bad way after catching a stomach bug. / She was in a bad way with that high fever.
To Put it Another Way: Very unwell. / In poor health.

13. Ailing

Meaning: To be unwell or in poor health.
Samples: He’s been ailing with a cold for a week now. / She’s been ailing and needs some rest.
To Put it Another Way: Sick. / Not feeling good.

14. Under the weather

Meaning: Feeling sick or unwell.
Samples: I’m feeling a little under the weather today, so I’m going to rest. / He’s been under the weather all week with a cold.
To Put it Another Way: Not feeling well. / Feeling sick.

15. Be down for the count

Meaning: To be so sick or tired that one cannot continue.
Samples: I was down for the count after that flu bug hit me. / She’s down for the count and can’t make it to the party.
To Put it Another Way: Too sick to continue. / Too unwell to move.

16. Out of commission

Meaning: Unable to function due to illness or injury.
Samples: I was out of commission with a stomach bug for three days. / She was out of commission because of her cold.
To Put it Another Way: Unfit for action. / Not able to do anything.

17. Catching a bug

Meaning: Getting sick with a cold or other mild illness.
Samples: I think I caught a bug; I’m feeling a little off. / He caught a bug and had to stay home.
To Put it Another Way: Getting sick. / Coming down with an illness.

18. Throwing up

Meaning: Vomiting, often due to illness.
Samples: I spent the night throwing up with food poisoning. / She was throwing up all morning after eating something bad.
To Put it Another Way: Vomiting. / Being sick to your stomach.

19. Running on empty

Meaning: Feeling drained or exhausted, usually from being sick.
Samples: After being sick for days, I’m running on empty. / She was running on empty after a long week of being unwell.
To Put it Another Way: Feeling tired. / Lacking energy.

20. To be at death’s door

Meaning: To be very ill, almost at the point of death.
Samples: He was so sick, he was at death’s door for a few days. / She felt like she was at death’s door after that severe fever.
To Put it Another Way: Very close to death. / Extremely ill.

21. Green around the gills

Meaning: Looking pale or sick, especially from nausea.
Samples: She looked green around the gills after that rollercoaster ride. / He was looking a bit green around the gills after eating something strange.
To Put it Another Way: Pale and nauseous. / Looking sick.

22. A sickly pallor

Meaning: A pale or unhealthy appearance due to illness.
Samples: She had a sickly pallor after coming down with the flu. / His sickly pallor made it obvious he wasn’t feeling well.
To Put it Another Way: Pale and ill. / Looking unwell.

23. On death’s door

Meaning: A very serious condition, near the end of life due to illness.
Samples: After the accident, he was on death’s door for days. / He was on death’s door until the doctors managed to help him.
To Put it Another Way: Near death. / In critical condition.

24. Worn out

Meaning: Feeling very tired and weak, often due to illness.
Samples: I feel totally worn out after battling this cold. / She was worn out after being sick for so long.
To Put it Another Way: Exhausted. / Very tired.

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25. Feeling off

Meaning: Not feeling well or normal.
Samples: I’m feeling a little off today, I might be getting sick. / He felt off after eating something he wasn’t sure about.
To Put it Another Way: Feeling unwell. / Not feeling right.

26. Sick as a parrot

Meaning: Very disappointed or sad, usually due to illness or misfortune.
Samples: He was sick as a parrot when he couldn’t join the trip because of his flu. / I was sick as a parrot when I missed the concert.
To Put it Another Way: Very disappointed. / Extremely unhappy.

27. On the mend

Meaning: Recovering from an illness or injury.
Samples: After a week of rest, I’m finally on the mend. / He’s on the mend after his surgery and getting stronger.
To Put it Another Way: Recovering. / Getting better.

28. Feeling out of sorts

Meaning: Feeling sick or not quite right.
Samples: I’m feeling a bit out of sorts today, I think I’m coming down with something. / He felt out of sorts after his flu shot.
To Put it Another Way: Not feeling well. / Feeling strange.

29. In a bad way

Meaning: To be very sick or in a lot of trouble.
Samples: She was in a bad way after catching the flu. / He’s in a bad way with his chest cold.
To Put it Another Way: Very sick. / In serious trouble.

30. Under the knife

Meaning: Having surgery or a medical procedure.
Samples: She had to go under the knife to remove her appendix. / He’s going under the knife tomorrow for a knee surgery.
To Put it Another Way: Having surgery. / Going through an operation.

Find the Topics: Idioms for Being Sick

Reading Passage:

Last week, Tom woke up feeling under the weather. His throat was sore, and his head felt heavy. He knew he was catching a bug, so he decided to stay home and rest. By the afternoon, he was feeling rough and had a case of the sniffles. His mom gave him some soup to help, but he still felt off color.

The next day, he was feeling a bit better, but still a little under the weather. He tried to play outside, but after just 20 minutes, he felt knocked out and had to go back to bed. He spent most of the day laid up in his room, resting and watching TV. Later, his sister came to check on him, saying, “You look like you’re in a bad way, Tom!” He smiled and said, “Yeah, I guess I am.”

Can you find all the idioms related to being sick in this passage? Write them down or underline them.

Answer Key

  1. Under the weather
  2. Catching a bug
  3. Feeling rough
  4. Case of the sniffles
  5. Off color
  6. Knocked out
  7. Laid up
  8. In a bad way

Conclusion

Idioms are an interesting way to express how we feel, especially when we’re sick. Instead of just saying “I’m not feeling well,” we can use idioms like “under the weather” or “catching a bug” to make our language more colorful. These expressions not only help describe illness but also bring a little humor or lightness to the situation.

By learning and using these idioms, you can talk about sickness in a fun, creative way. Whether you’re feeling “knocked out” by a cold or “laid up” in bed, idioms add meaning and depth to the simple act of describing illness. So, next time you’re feeling sick, try using one of these idioms to express how you feel!

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