Common Idioms To Describe Emotions:Explanation + How to Use
- Jul 3, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 7
English Idioms & Phrases for Describing Emotions
Understanding the origins of idioms can indeed make learning them more engaging and memorable.
These origins give a fascinating insight into how language evolves and reflects cultural, historical, and physical experiences.
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15 Common Idioms & Phrases to Describe Emotions
List of 15 Idioms & Phrases
hot under the collar (informal use)
be full of beans (informal use, UK)
be in the pink (old-fashioned)
a bundle of nerves (informal use)
Idiom / Meaning / Origin / Example Sentence
1️⃣ Be On Cloud Nine
🟰Extremely happy and joyful.
🎬 Origin:
This expression originates from cloud categorisation. In the 1950s, the highest cloud, cumulonimbus, was classified as cloud nine and is associated with intense joy due to its lofty and impressive nature.
Example Usage:
🗣️ She was on cloud nine after hearing about her promotion.
2️⃣ Have the Blues
🟰Feeling sad or depressed.
🎬 Origin:
The term "blue" has long been linked to sadness, possibly originating from old seafaring customs where ships displayed blue flags and painted a blue band on the hull if a captain or officer died during the voyage.
Example:
🗣️He's been having the blues since his best friend moved away.
3️⃣ In Seventh Heaven
🟰Extremely happy and content.
🎬 Origin: This idiom stems from religious and mythological traditions, where in Islamic and Jewish teachings, the seventh heaven symbolises the highest state of happiness.
Example:
🗣️When she finally published her novel, she was in seventh heaven.
4️⃣ A Bitter Pill to Swallow
🟰Something that is difficult or unpleasant to accept.
🎬 Origin:
This expression likely originates from the unpleasant experience of taking bitter medicine, symbolising something difficult to accept.
Example:
🗣️Losing the championship game was a bitter pill to swallow.
5️⃣ Jump for Joy
🟰Be extremely happy and excited.
🎬 Origin: This idiom, originating in the 19th century, comes from the literal act of jumping to express extreme happiness.
Example:
🗣️ When he saw his exam results, he jumped for joy.
6️⃣ Down in the Dumps
🟰Feeling sad and depressed.
🎬 Origin: The word "dumps," meaning a state of depression, has been used since the 16th century and likely originates from the Dutch "domp," meaning haze or mist.
🗣️ Example:
She’s been down in the dumps since her pet passed away.
7️⃣ On Edge (phrase)
🟰Nervous or anxious.
🎬 Origin:
This phrase originates from the sensation of being precariously balanced or in a tense situation, akin to standing on a precipice's edge.
🗣️Example:
He’s been on edge all day waiting for the job interview results.
8️⃣ Heartbroken (adjective)
🟰Extremely sad and emotionally distressed.
🎬 Origin:
Heartbreak, a concept present for centuries, is associated with the physical pain caused by emotional distress, often termed a "broken heart."
🗣️Example:
She was heartbroken after the end of her long-term relationship.
9️⃣ Be Walking on Air
🟰Feeling very happy and elated.
🎬 Origin:
This idiom likely originates from the light, floating sensation linked to extreme happiness, as if defying gravity.
🗣️Example:
She’s been walking on air since she got engaged.
🔟 Be Over the Moon
🟰 Extremely pleased or happy.
🎬 Origin:
The phrase, popularised by the nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle," where "the cow jumped over the moon," conveys extraordinary happiness.
🗣️Example:
They were over the moon when they found out they were expecting a baby.
𝟏𝟏 Hot Under the Collar (informal use)
🟰 Angry or agitated.
🎬 Origin:
This 19th-century idiom refers to the heat felt around the neck and face when angry or agitated.
🗣️Example:
He got hot under the collar when he saw someone had scratched his car.
𝟏𝟮 Be Beside Oneself
🟰Overwhelmed with emotion (usually negative like anger or sadness).
🎬 Origin:
Dating back to the 14th century, this phrase originally meant being out of one's wits, conveying a feeling of being so overwhelmed by emotion that it feels like being outside one's body.
🗣️Example:
She was beside herself with worry when her dog went missing.
𝟏𝟑 🫘Be Full of Beans (informal use - UK English)
🟰Very lively and energetic.
🎬 Origin:
This phrase likely originates from the energetic behaviour of horses fed beans and has been used since the 19th century to describe someone lively and energetic.
🗣️Example:
The kids were full of beans after eating all that candy.
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𝟏𝟰 Be In the Pink
(informal use, old fashioned)
🟰In very good health and spirits.
🎬 Origin:
This phrase originates from the 16th century, where "pink" referred to the pinnacle of something. It was used to denote the peak of health and well-being.
🗣️Example: After her vacation, she returned feeling in the pink.
𝟏𝟱 A Bundle of Nerves (informal use)
🟰 Very nervous and anxious.
🎬 Origin:
This early 20th-century idiom describes how the nervous system can cause feelings of tension and anxiety, akin to being a bundle of raw nerves.
🗣️Example:
She was a bundle of nerves before her big presentation.
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🙇♂️Practice Exercises and Quiz
✏️ Exercise 1: Match the Idiom to the Meaning
1.On Cloud Nine
2.Feeling Blue
3. In Seventh Heaven
4. Bitter Pill to Swallow
5. Jump for Joy
a. Extremely happy and content
b. Be extremely happy and excited
c. Extremely happy and joyful
d. Feeling sad or depressed
e. Something that is difficult or unpleasant to accept
✏️Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks
She was __________ after winning the lottery.
He’s been __________ ever since his cat went missing.
Losing the game was a __________ for the team.
When he got the news, he __________.
She’s been __________ since her project got approved.
✏️Exercise 3: Use the Idiom in a Sentence
On Edge
Heartbroken
Walking on Air
Over the Moon
Hot Under the Collar
✏️Quiz:
1.Which idiom means “very lively and energetic”?
a) Down in the Dumps
b) Full of Beans
c) Bitter Pill to Swallow
2.If someone is “beside themselves,” they are:
a) feeling very happy
b) overwhelmed with emotion
c) in good health
3.True or False: "In the Pink" means feeling sad and depressed.
🔑Answer Key
Exercise 1:
c
d
a
e
b
Exercise 2:
on cloud nine
feeling blue
bitter pill to swallow
jumped for joy
in seventh heaven
Exercise 3:
He’s been on edge waiting for the results.
She was heartbroken when she heard the news.
After the concert, she was walking on air.
They were over the moon with their new house.
He got hot under the collar when the waiter was rude to him.
Quiz:
b) Full of Beans
b) Overwhelmed with emotion
False (In the Pink means in very good health and spirits)
🥳 We hope you've enjoyed learning about these 15 common idioms to describe emotions. And don't be shy about using them in your conversations!
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