Do you ever feel stressed but don’t know how to express it? Learning stress idioms can help! In this article, you’ll discover 45 idioms about stress that native speakers use every day.
These phrases will make your English sound more natural, and they’ll help you talk about stress in different ways. By the end, you’ll feel confident using these idioms in conversations. Ready to learn? Let’s get started!
45 Stress Idioms with Meanings and Examples
1. Under pressure
Meaning: Feeling stressed because of too many things to do or big expectations
Example: She is under pressure at work because of the new project.
2. At your wit’s end
Meaning: Not knowing what to do because of stress or worry
Example: I’m at my wit’s end with this noisy neighbor.
3. Lose sleep over something
Meaning: Worry so much that you can’t sleep
Example: Don’t lose sleep over the test. You will do fine.
4. A nervous wreck
Meaning: Someone who is very worried or stressed
Example: He was a nervous wreck before the interview.
5. Crack under pressure
Meaning: Fail or break down because of too much stress
Example: She cracked under pressure during the exam.
6. Blow a fuse
Meaning: Get very angry suddenly because of stress
Example: Dad blew a fuse when I broke the window.
7. On edge
Meaning: Feeling nervous or stressed
Example: He’s been on edge all day before the meeting.
8. Lose your cool
Meaning: Become angry or upset
Example: Try not to lose your cool during the discussion.
9. Burn out
Meaning: Get very tired and stressed from too much work
Example: She burned out after working without a break.
10. Keep your cool
Meaning: Stay calm even when under stress
Example: It’s important to keep your cool in an argument.
Discover additional idioms by reading this article: 45 Angry Idioms You Need to Know.
11. Hit the roof
Meaning: Get very angry suddenly
Example: My mom hit the roof when she saw the mess.
12. Go to pieces
Meaning: Become too upset or weak to continue
Example: She went to pieces when her dog died.
13. Bottle up your feelings
Meaning: Keep emotions inside instead of sharing them
Example: He bottles up his feelings and never talks about stress.
14. Go off the deep end
Meaning: React in a very angry or emotional way
Example: She went off the deep end after hearing the bad news.
15. Freak out
Meaning: Get very scared, angry, or excited
Example: He freaked out when he lost his phone.
16. At breaking point
Meaning: So stressed that you can’t handle more
Example: I’m at breaking point with all this work.
17. A short fuse
Meaning: Getting angry very quickly
Example: He has a short fuse when he’s stressed.
18. A lot on your plate
Meaning: Having many things to do or worry about
Example: She has a lot on her plate with work and school.
19. In hot water
Meaning: In trouble or a difficult situation
Example: He’s in hot water for missing the deadline.
20. Bite someone’s head off
Meaning: Speak angrily to someone for no big reason
Example: Sorry I bit your head off—I’m just stressed.
Find more idioms inside this article: 45 Colorful Art Idioms.
21. Break down
Meaning: Cry or stop functioning because of stress
Example: He broke down during the speech.
22. Carry the weight of the world
Meaning: Feel like you have many big problems
Example: She looks like she’s carrying the weight of the world.
23. Get something off your chest
Meaning: Talk about something that’s bothering you
Example: I felt better after getting my worries off my chest.
24. Drag your feet
Meaning: Delay something because it’s stressful or hard
Example: He’s dragging his feet about finishing the report.
25. In a tight spot
Meaning: In a stressful or difficult situation
Example: I’m in a tight spot and don’t know what to do.
26. On pins and needles
Meaning: Feeling nervous and excited
Example: I was on pins and needles waiting for the call.
27. Storm in a teacup
Meaning: A small problem made to look big
Example: This is just a storm in a teacup. Don’t stress.
28. Keep it together
Meaning: Stay calm and not lose control
Example: She kept it together even under pressure.
29. A bundle of nerves
Meaning: Very nervous and stressed
Example: He’s a bundle of nerves before exams.
30. Feel the heat
Meaning: Feel stress from pressure or criticism
Example: The boss is feeling the heat from the clients.
For more idioms, take a look at this article: 75 Body Idioms with Meanings.
31. Ruffle someone’s feathers
Meaning: Annoy or upset someone
Example: I didn’t mean to ruffle your feathers with that comment.
32. Get on your nerves
Meaning: Make you feel annoyed or stressed
Example: That noise is getting on my nerves.
33. At the end of your rope
Meaning: Feel like you can’t handle more stress
Example: I’m at the end of my rope with this noisy flatmate.
34. A ticking time bomb
Meaning: Someone who may explode with anger or stress soon
Example: He’s like a ticking time bomb these days.
35. Blow off steam
Meaning: Do something to release stress or anger
Example: I went jogging to blow off steam.
36. Not thinking straight
Meaning: Too stressed to think clearly
Example: I was so tired and stressed, I wasn’t thinking straight.
37. Push someone’s buttons
Meaning: Do things that make someone angry or upset
Example: My brother always pushes my buttons.
38. In over your head
Meaning: In a situation that is too hard or stressful
Example: I think I’m in over my head with this new job.
39. Bite the bullet
Meaning: Do something hard or unpleasant because it’s needed
Example: I finally bit the bullet and told my boss I’m overwhelmed.
40. A face like thunder
Meaning: Look very angry or upset
Example: She walked in with a face like thunder.
41. Chew someone out
Meaning: Speak angrily to someone
Example: The coach chewed him out for missing practice.
42. Break out in a cold sweat
Meaning: Start sweating from fear or stress
Example: I broke out in a cold sweat before my speech.
43. Running on empty
Meaning: Being very tired and low on energy
Example: I’ve been working so hard—I’m running on empty.
44. Tear your hair out
Meaning: Feel very stressed or frustrated
Example: I’ve been tearing my hair out trying to fix this error.
45. Light at the end of the tunnel
Meaning: A sign that stress or problems will end soon
Example: Things are hard, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Conclusion:
Now that you know 45 stress idioms, you can use them to talk about stress in more interesting ways. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed or trying to stay calm, these idioms will help you express your feelings better. Remember, using an idiom about stress is a fun way to sound like a native speaker! Keep practicing, and soon these idioms will be a natural part of your English.
Continue your idiom journey with this article: 80 Money Idioms Explained.
