Everyone gets scared sometimes. Maybe it’s from a loud noise, a spooky story, or even speaking in front of the class. When people feel fear, they often use idioms to explain how they feel. Idioms are special phrases that don’t mean exactly what the words say, but they help show strong emotions in a fun and clear way.
In this article, we’ll look at idioms for scared. These expressions help describe what fear feels like: shaky hands, fast heartbeats, and all. Let’s explore these sayings to see how people talk about being frightened in creative ways.
Idioms for Scared
1. Scared stiff
Meaning: Too scared to move.
Samples: I was scared stiff when I saw the shadow. / She stood there scared stiff during the thunderstorm.
To Put it Another Way: So scared you can’t move. / Frozen with fear.
2. Shaking like a leaf
Meaning: Trembling from fear.
Samples: He was shaking like a leaf before the speech. / She shook like a leaf during the scary part of the movie.
To Put it Another Way: Really nervous. / Body was shaking.
3. Heart in your mouth
Meaning: Very nervous or scared.
Samples: My heart was in my mouth during the roller coaster. / She had her heart in her mouth before the test.
To Put it Another Way: Super scared. / Felt it in your chest.
4. Break into a cold sweat
Meaning: Start sweating because of fear.
Samples: He broke into a cold sweat before his speech. / I broke into a cold sweat when I got lost.
To Put it Another Way: So scared you start sweating. / Feeling shaky and hot.
5. Jump out of your skin
Meaning: React suddenly from fear.
Samples: I jumped out of my skin when the balloon popped. / She jumped out of her skin at the loud noise.
To Put it Another Way: Got really scared fast. / Surprised with fear.
6. Have goosebumps
Meaning: Little bumps on your skin from fear.
Samples: That ghost story gave me goosebumps. / He had goosebumps walking into the dark room.
To Put it Another Way: Skin reacted to fear. / Felt a chill.
7. Scared out of your wits
Meaning: Extremely scared.
Samples: I was scared out of my wits in the haunted house. / She was scared out of her wits during the storm.
To Put it Another Way: Really, really afraid. / Almost panicked.
8. Turn white as a sheet
Meaning: Lose color in your face from fear.
Samples: He turned white as a sheet after the surprise. / She looked white as a sheet in the scary movie.
To Put it Another Way: Looked pale. / Face showed fear.
9. Spine-tingling
Meaning: Makes your back feel strange because it’s so scary.
Samples: That scream was spine-tingling. / The spooky music was spine-tingling.
To Put it Another Way: Gave a scary feeling. / Sent a chill.
10. Frozen with fear
Meaning: Unable to move because you’re so scared.
Samples: I was frozen with fear when I saw the snake. / She stood frozen with fear in the dark room.
To Put it Another Way: Couldn’t move. / Too scared to act.
11. Hair stood on end
Meaning: Felt a strong chill or fear.
Samples: My hair stood on end when I heard the whisper. / His hair stood on end in the dark hallway.
To Put it Another Way: Got really scared. / Felt creepy.
12. Scared the daylights out of me
Meaning: Shocked and scared me a lot.
Samples: That clown scared the daylights out of me. / The thunder scared the daylights out of him.
To Put it Another Way: Really frightened me. / Gave me a big scare.
13. Quaking in your boots
Meaning: Trembling with fear.
Samples: He was quaking in his boots before the speech. / I was quaking in my boots during the storm.
To Put it Another Way: Very scared. / Shaking with fear.
14. Mind went blank
Meaning: Forget everything because of fear.
Samples: My mind went blank when I got called on. / Her mind went blank on stage.
To Put it Another Way: Forgot from fear. / Couldn’t think.
15. Frozen like a statue
Meaning: Standing completely still because of fear.
Samples: He was frozen like a statue when he heard the noise. / She stood frozen like a statue in the dark.
To Put it Another Way: Didn’t move. / Too scared to move.
16. Weak in the knees
Meaning: Legs feel shaky because of fear.
Samples: I felt weak in the knees before the test. / He was weak in the knees after the fright.
To Put it Another Way: Felt unsteady. / Legs shook.
17. Butterflies in your stomach
Meaning: Nervous or scared feeling in your belly.
Samples: I had butterflies in my stomach before the play. / She had butterflies before the speech.
To Put it Another Way: Nervous. / Tummy felt funny.
18. Scared to death
Meaning: Extremely frightened.
Samples: I was scared to death when the power went out. / She was scared to death by the loud noise.
To Put it Another Way: Super scared. / Felt like screaming.
19. On edge
Meaning: Very nervous or ready to jump.
Samples: I was on edge waiting for the result. / He was on edge during the thunderstorm.
To Put it Another Way: Nervous. / Couldn’t relax.
20. Jump at your own shadow
Meaning: So scared you react to tiny things.
Samples: He was so scared he jumped at his own shadow. / She kept jumping at her own shadow after the movie.
To Put it Another Way: Reacted too fast. / Jumped for no reason.
21. Have a panic attack
Meaning: Suddenly feel very scared.
Samples: She had a panic attack during the test. / I almost had a panic attack before the speech.
To Put it Another Way: Got super scared. / Couldn’t breathe well.
22. Like a deer in headlights
Meaning: Scared and frozen.
Samples: He stood like a deer in headlights when called on. / She looked like a deer in headlights during the surprise.
To Put it Another Way: Couldn’t move. / Too shocked.
23. Scared silly
Meaning: So scared you act oddly.
Samples: The prank scared me silly. / He was scared silly by the loud bang.
To Put it Another Way: Really scared. / Didn’t think clearly.
24. Spooked
Meaning: Made scared suddenly.
Samples: I got spooked by the noise. / She spooked me in the hallway.
To Put it Another Way: Got scared. / Felt surprised and scared.
25. Afraid of your own shadow
Meaning: Easily scared.
Samples: He’s afraid of his own shadow. / She acts like she’s afraid of her own shadow.
To Put it Another Way: Scared easily. / Jumps at everything.
26. Biting your nails
Meaning: Very nervous.
Samples: She was biting her nails before her turn. / I kept biting my nails during the scary part.
To Put it Another Way: Really nervous. / Couldn’t stay calm.
27. Eyes wide with fear
Meaning: Eyes open big because of being scared.
Samples: His eyes were wide with fear in the dark. / She looked at me, eyes wide with fear.
To Put it Another Way: Looked really scared. / Couldn’t hide it.
28. Can’t catch your breath
Meaning: Breathing fast because of fear.
Samples: I couldn’t catch my breath when I saw the spider. / She couldn’t catch her breath during the panic.
To Put it Another Way: Breathing fast. / Too scared to breathe right.
29. Cold as ice
Meaning: Feeling cold from fear.
Samples: My hands were cold as ice during the speech. / He felt cold as ice before the race.
To Put it Another Way: Very nervous. / Felt a chill from fear.
30. Eyes darting around
Meaning: Looking everywhere in fear.
Samples: Her eyes darted around in the haunted house. / He had darting eyes after hearing the sound.
To Put it Another Way: Looked around fast. / Couldn’t stay calm.
Find the Topics: Idioms for Scared
Reading Passage: “The Haunted Hallway”
After the fall festival, Jamie and her friends stayed late to clean up. The lights were dim, and the hallway looked darker than usual. Suddenly, they heard a loud creak. Jamie froze like a statue. “Did you hear that?” she whispered, her eyes wide with fear.
Liam was shaking like a leaf. “My heart’s in my mouth,” he said, backing up slowly. Then something fell from a shelf with a crash. Everyone jumped out of their skin. Mia broke into a cold sweat, while Ezra stood like a deer in headlights.
“I’m scared stiff,” Jamie admitted. “I feel like I could have a panic attack.” As they turned to leave, someone giggled it was just Mr. Thomas playing a Halloween prank. They all laughed, even though they had been scared silly.
Your Task:
Can you underline or list all 8 idioms for scared used in the story?
Answer Key
- Froze like a statue
- Eyes wide with fear
- Shaking like a leaf
- Heart’s in my mouth
- Jumped out of their skin
- Broke into a cold sweat
- Like a deer in headlights
- Scared stiff
Conclusion
Idioms for fear help us describe what it feels like to be really scared. These expressions show how fear affects our bodies and thoughts like freezing, shaking, or having a fast heartbeat.
By learning these idioms, we can talk about scary moments more clearly. Whether you’re telling a spooky story or just explaining how you felt, these idioms help your words feel more real. Try using one the next time you’re feeling nervous or startled it might help others understand exactly how you feel.
