Fear is a universal emotion, an invisible force that can grip us in various ways. Sometimes, our expressions of fear find unique expressions in language through idioms.
These idioms bring a vivid, almost poetic quality to our descriptions of fear, making them both relatable and intriguing. Join me on a journey through the maze of expressions with our curated list of idioms for fear.
Idioms for Fear
The Jitters
Meaning: Feeling nervous or anxious about something.
In a Sentence: As the big presentation approached, Sarah couldn’t shake off the jitters, her palms moist with anticipation.
Cold Feet
Meaning: Feeling anxious or hesitant about moving forward with something.
In a Sentence: Standing at the altar, John suddenly got cold feet, questioning whether he was ready for the lifelong commitment.
Butterflies in the Stomach
Meaning: Feeling nervous or anxious about something.
In a Sentence: Before the roller coaster ride, Tim felt butterflies in his stomach, a mix of excitement and apprehension.
To Have a Frog in the Throat
Meaning: Feeling nervous or anxious when trying to speak.
In a Sentence: During the important job interview, Jane found herself constantly clearing her throat, having a frog in her throat.
To Be Scared Stiff
Meaning: Being very afraid.
In a Sentence: The eerie sound in the dark alley made Mark scared stiff, unable to move an inch.
To Be Scared Out of One’s Wits
Meaning: Being extremely afraid.
In a Sentence: The sudden thunderstorm caught them off guard, leaving everyone scared out of their wits.
To Be Scared to Death
Meaning: Being extremely afraid.
In a Sentence: As the horror movie unfolded, Emily was scared to death, clutching the edge of her seat.
To Be Scared Silly
Meaning: Being extremely afraid.
In a Sentence: The haunted house tour left Tom scared silly, jumping at every shadow.
To Be Scared Shitless
Meaning: Being extremely afraid.
In a Sentence: The unexpected ghostly figure in the mirror left Alex scared shitless, his heart racing.
To Be on Edge
Meaning: Being in a state of heightened anxiety or nerves.
In a Sentence: The looming deadline had the entire team on edge, working frantically to meet it.
To Be Nervous as a Cat
Meaning: Being very nervous.
In a Sentence: Before the crucial exam, Lisa was nervous as a cat, pacing back and forth.
To Be Trembling with Fear
Meaning: Being very afraid.
In a Sentence: Facing the growling dog, the mail carrier found himself trembling with fear.
To Be Petrified
Meaning: Being extremely afraid.
In a Sentence: The eerie silence in the abandoned house left Amy petrified, unable to move.
To Have the Fear of God
Meaning: Having a strong sense of respect or fear of authority or a higher power.
In a Sentence: Growing up, Jake’s strict grandmother ensured he had the fear of God in him.
To Have the Heebie-Jeebies
Meaning: Feeling uneasy or nervous.
In a Sentence: The eerie noises in the old attic gave Maria the heebie-jeebies, making her skin crawl.
To Have a Case of the Nerves
Meaning: Being in a state of nervousness.
In a Sentence: Before her first public speaking event, Rachel had a severe case of the nerves.
To Be at the End of One’s Rope
Meaning: Being at the point of exhaustion or despair.
In a Sentence: After the continuous failures, Jack felt like he was at the end of his rope, desperate for a breakthrough.
To Be at the Point of No Return
Meaning: Being in a situation from which there is no turning back.
In a Sentence: Signing the contract meant they were at the point of no return, committed to the business venture.
To Be Backed into a Corner
Meaning: Being in a difficult situation with no escape.
In a Sentence: Caught in a web of lies, Sarah found herself backed into a corner, struggling to find a way out.
To Be in a Tight Spot
Meaning: Being in a difficult or dangerous situation.
In a Sentence: Running out of fuel in the middle of nowhere left them in a tight spot, hoping for help.
To Be Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Meaning: Being faced with two difficult choices.
In a Sentence: Deciding between a demanding job and quality family time, Jenny found herself between a rock and a hard place.
To Be Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Meaning: Being faced with two unpleasant alternatives.
In a Sentence: With both options carrying risks, Mark felt like he was between the devil and the deep blue sea.
To Be Between a Sword and a Wall
Meaning: Being faced with a difficult decision.
In a Sentence: The conflicting advice from friends and family left James between a sword and a wall, unsure of the right path.
To Be Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Meaning: Being faced with a difficult choice.
In a Sentence: The unexpected job offer had Maria caught between a rock and a hard place, torn between stability and passion.
To Be Up Against It
Meaning: Being in a difficult situation.
In a Sentence: With the deadline approaching, the team was up against it, working around the clock to finish the project.
To Be Up the Creek Without a Paddle
Meaning: Being in a difficult situation with no solution.
In a Sentence: Realizing he forgot the presentation slides, John found himself up the creek without a paddle during the crucial meeting.
To Be in a Pickle
Meaning: Being in a difficult or awkward situation.
In a Sentence: Locked out of the car in the pouring rain, Sarah found herself in a pickle, searching for shelter.
To Be in a Bind
Meaning: Being in a difficult or problematic situation.
In a Sentence: The sudden financial crisis left Mike in a bind, exploring ways to overcome the challenges.
To Be in a Quandary
Meaning: Being in a state of uncertainty or perplexity.
In a Sentence: Faced with conflicting advice, Mary was in a quandary, unsure of the best course of action.
Summary
| Idiom | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| The Jitters | Nervous or anxious about something | Sarah had the jitters before the big presentation. |
| Cold Feet | Anxious or hesitant about moving forward | John got cold feet at the altar, questioning his readiness. |
| Butterflies in the Stomach | Nervous or anxious about something | Tim felt butterflies in his stomach before the roller coaster. |
| To Have a Frog in the Throat | Nervous or anxious when trying to speak | Jane had a frog in her throat during the job interview. |
| To Be Scared Stiff | Very afraid | The eerie sound in the dark alley left Mark scared stiff. |
| To Be Scared Out of One’s Wits | Extremely afraid | The sudden thunderstorm left everyone scared out of their wits. |
| To Be Scared to Death | Extremely afraid | The horror movie left Emily scared to death. |
| To Be Scared Silly | Extremely afraid | The haunted house tour left Tom scared silly. |
| To Be Scared Shitless | Extremely afraid | The unexpected ghost left Alex scared shitless. |
| To Be on Edge | In a state of heightened anxiety or nerves | The looming deadline had the team on edge. |
| To Be Nervous as a Cat | Very nervous | Before the exam, Lisa was nervous as a cat, pacing back and forth. |
| To Be Trembling with Fear | Very afraid | Facing the growling dog, the mail carrier was trembling with fear. |
| To Be Petrified | Extremely afraid | The eerie silence in the abandoned house left Amy petrified. |
| To Have the Fear of God | Strong sense of respect or fear of authority | Jake’s strict grandmother ensured he had the fear of God in him. |
| To Have the Heebie-Jeebies | Feel uneasy or nervous | The noises in the old attic gave Maria the heebie-jeebies. |
| To Have a Case of the Nerves | Experiencing nervousness | Before the speech, Rachel had a severe case of the nerves. |
| To Be at the End of One’s Rope | At the point of exhaustion or despair | After continuous failures, Jack felt at the end of his rope. |
| To Be at the Point of No Return | In a situation from which there’s no turning back | Signing the contract meant they were at the point of no return. |
| To Be Backed into a Corner | In a difficult situation with no escape | Sarah found herself backed into a corner, struggling to escape. |
| To Be in a Tight Spot | In a difficult or dangerous situation | Running out of fuel left them in a tight spot, hoping for help. |
| To Be Between a Rock and a Hard Place | Faced with two difficult choices | Jenny found herself between a rock and a hard place. |
| To Be Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea | Faced with unpleasant alternatives | Mark felt like he was between the devil and the deep blue sea. |
| To Be Between a Sword and a Wall | Faced with a difficult decision | James found himself between a sword and a wall, unsure of the right path. |
| To Be Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place | Faced with a difficult choice | The unexpected job offer had Maria caught between a rock and a hard place. |
| To Be Up Against It | In a difficult situation | With the deadline approaching, the team was up against it. |
| To Be Up the Creek Without a Paddle | In a difficult situation with no solution | Forgetting the presentation slides, John was up the creek without a paddle. |
| To Be in a Pickle | In a difficult or awkward situation | Locked out of the car, Sarah found herself in a pickle. |
| To Be in a Bind | In a difficult or problematic situation | The financial crisis left Mike in a bind, exploring solutions. |
| To Be in a Quandary | In a state of uncertainty or perplexity | Faced with conflicting advice, Mary was in a quandary. |
Conclusion
In the tapestry of our language, idioms for fear add color and nuance to our expressions. These phrases, born from shared human experiences, provide a unique window into the complexity of our emotional landscape.