Water, the liquid essence that sustains life, has also found its way into the fabric of our language through a plethora of idioms.
These expressions, as fluid as the element itself, have deep meanings, often rooted in the human experience. Join me on this journey as we dive into the fascinating world of idioms for water – a language soaked in metaphorical waves, where expressions flow like a river, refreshing and insightful.
Idioms for Water
Throw in the Towel
Meaning: To give up; surrender.
In a Sentence: After countless attempts to fix the old car, John finally decided to throw in the towel and buy a new one.
Fish out of Water
Meaning: Someone who feels out of place or uncomfortable in a particular situation.
In a Sentence: As a city girl in a rural village, Sarah often felt like a fish out of water.
Blood is Thicker than Water
Meaning: Family bonds are stronger than other relationships.
In a Sentence: In times of crisis, Jenny realized that blood is indeed thicker than water, and her family stood by her side.
Still Waters Run Deep
Meaning: Quiet or calm people often have deep thoughts or emotions.
In a Sentence: Though reserved, Thomas surprised everyone with his profound insights – truly, still waters run deep.
Pour Cold Water on Something
Meaning: To discourage or dampen enthusiasm.
In a Sentence: Her ambitious business idea was met with skepticism, as her friends tried to pour cold water on her dreams.
Water Under the Bridge
Meaning: Past events or grievances that are no longer significant.
In a Sentence: Apologies were exchanged, and they agreed that the argument was water under the bridge.
In Hot Water
Meaning: In trouble or facing difficulties.
In a Sentence: After missing the deadline, Mark found himself in hot water with his boss.
Like Water off a Duck’s Back
Meaning: Unaffected by criticism or negative comments.
In a Sentence: Despite the harsh reviews, the actor remained calm, letting the criticism roll off him like water off a duck’s back.
Test the Waters
Meaning: To cautiously try something out before fully committing.
In a Sentence: Before launching the product, the company decided to test the waters with a small market survey.
Blood in the Water
Meaning: A sign of vulnerability or weakness that attracts aggression.
In a Sentence: The struggling business showed signs of financial instability, and competitors smelled blood in the water.
Don’t Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater
Meaning: Do not discard something valuable while getting rid of something undesirable.
In a Sentence: While revamping the website, the team decided to keep the user-friendly interface and not throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Hold Water
Meaning: To be reasonable or logical.
In a Sentence: The explanation seemed strange at first, but upon closer inspection, it started to hold water.
Keep Your Head Above Water
Meaning: To manage a difficult situation without failing.
In a Sentence: Despite the financial challenges, the small business managed to keep its head above water.
Fish or Cut Bait
Meaning: Make a decision or take action.
In a Sentence: The team had to decide whether to continue refining the prototype or cut bait and start from scratch.
Water off a Duck’s Back
Meaning: Criticism or negative experiences that do not affect a person.
In a Sentence: For someone with a resilient mindset, insults are like water off a duck’s back.
Muddy the Waters
Meaning: To make a situation more confusing or complex.
In a Sentence: Adding conflicting information to the report would only muddy the waters further.
Water, Water Everywhere, but Not a Drop to Drink
Meaning: Having plenty of something but being unable to benefit from it.
In a Sentence: The library was filled with books, a case of water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink for the students studying for exams.
Like a Fish Out of Water
Meaning: Feeling uncomfortable or out of place.
In a Sentence: Attending the high-society event, he felt like a fish out of water among the affluent crowd.
Boil Down To
Meaning: The essential or most important aspect.
In a Sentence: After hours of discussion, the problem boiled down to a lack of communication within the team.
In Deep Water
Meaning: In a difficult or challenging situation.
In a Sentence: Caught in a financial crisis, the company found itself in deep water.
Water the Flowers
Meaning: To urinate.
In a Sentence: Excusing himself from the table, he discreetly mentioned he needed to water the flowers.
Come Hell or High Water
Meaning: Determined to face any obstacle.
In a Sentence: She promised to complete the project, come hell or high water, no matter the challenges.
Water Over the Dam
Meaning: Something that has happened and cannot be changed.
In a Sentence: Their disagreement was water over the dam, and they moved forward with their friendship.
Keep One’s Head Above Water
Meaning: To manage to survive, especially in financial or emotional difficulties.
In a Sentence: After losing his job, Sam struggled to keep his head above water, but his friends offered support.
Tread Water
Meaning: To stay in the same place without making progress.
In a Sentence: During the economic downturn, many businesses had to tread water just to survive.
Water, Water Everywhere, Nor Any Drop to Drink
Meaning: Being surrounded by something but unable to benefit from it.
In a Sentence: Stranded on the deserted island, they were surrounded by water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.
Blood is Thicker than Water
Meaning: Family bonds are stronger than other relationships.
In a Sentence: Amidst the challenges, Sarah found solace in the belief that blood is indeed thicker than water, relying on her family’s unwavering support.
Water Down
Meaning: To dilute or weaken.
In a Sentence: To cater to a broader audience, the artist decided not to water down the controversial themes in the painting.
Wade Into
Meaning: To enter a situation or debate with enthusiasm.
In a Sentence: The passionate activist decided to wade into the discussion about climate change, hoping to raise awareness.
Come Out in the Wash
Meaning: To be resolved or become clear over time.
In a Sentence: Though the initial misunderstanding caused tension, they hoped the issue would come out in the wash with open communication.
Summary
| Idiom | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Throw in the Towel | To give up; surrender. | After countless attempts to fix the old car, John finally decided to throw in the towel and buy a new one. |
| Fish out of Water | Someone who feels out of place or uncomfortable. | As a city girl in a rural village, Sarah often felt like a fish out of water. |
| Blood is Thicker than Water | Family bonds are stronger than other relationships. | In times of crisis, Jenny realized that blood is indeed thicker than water, and her family stood by her side. |
| Still Waters Run Deep | Quiet or calm people often have deep thoughts or emotions. | Though reserved, Thomas surprised everyone with his profound insights – truly, still waters run deep. |
| Pour Cold Water on Something | To discourage or dampen enthusiasm. | Her ambitious business idea was met with skepticism, as her friends tried to pour cold water on her dreams. |
| Water Under the Bridge | Past events or grievances that are no longer significant. | Apologies were exchanged, and they agreed that the argument was water under the bridge. |
| In Hot Water | In trouble or facing difficulties. | After missing the deadline, Mark found himself in hot water with his boss. |
| Like Water off a Duck’s Back | Unaffected by criticism or negative comments. | Despite the harsh reviews, the actor remained calm, letting the criticism roll off him like water off a duck’s back. |
| Test the Waters | To cautiously try something out before fully committing. | Before launching the product, the company decided to test the waters with a small market survey. |
| Blood in the Water | A sign of vulnerability or weakness that attracts aggression. | The struggling business showed signs of financial instability, and competitors smelled blood in the water. |
| Don’t Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater | Do not discard something valuable while getting rid of something undesirable. | While revamping the website, the team decided to keep the user-friendly interface and not throw the baby out with the bathwater. |
| Hold Water | To be reasonable or logical. | The explanation seemed strange at first, but upon closer inspection, it started to hold water. |
| Keep Your Head Above Water | To manage a difficult situation without failing. | Despite the financial challenges, the small business managed to keep its head above water. |
| Fish or Cut Bait | Make a decision or take action. | The team had to decide whether to continue refining the prototype or cut bait and start from scratch. |
| Water off a Duck’s Back | Criticism or negative experiences that do not affect a person. | For someone with a resilient mindset, insults are like water off a duck’s back. |
| Muddy the Waters | To make a situation more confusing or complex. | Adding conflicting information to the report would only muddy the waters further. |
| Water, Water Everywhere, but Not a Drop to Drink | Having plenty of something but being unable to benefit from it. | The library was filled with books, a case of water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink for the students studying for exams. |
| Like a Fish Out of Water | Feeling uncomfortable or out of place. | Attending the high-society event, he felt like a fish out of water among the affluent crowd. |
| Boil Down To | The essential or most important aspect. | After hours of discussion, the problem boiled down to a lack of communication within the team. |
| In Deep Water | In a difficult or challenging situation. | Caught in a financial crisis, the company found itself in deep water. |
| Water the Flowers | To urinate. | Excusing himself from the table, he discreetly mentioned he needed to water the flowers. |
| Come Hell or High Water | Determined to face any obstacle. | She promised to complete the project, come hell or high water, no matter the challenges. |
| Water Over the Dam | Something that has happened and cannot be changed. | Their disagreement was water over the dam, and they moved forward with their friendship. |
| Keep One’s Head Above Water | To manage to survive, especially in financial or emotional difficulties. | After losing his job, Sam struggled to keep his head above water, but his friends offered support. |
| Tread Water | To stay in the same place without making progress. | During the economic downturn, many businesses had to tread water just to survive. |
| Water, Water Everywhere, Nor Any Drop to Drink | Being surrounded by something but unable to benefit from it. | Stranded on the deserted island, they were surrounded by water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink. |
| Blood is Thicker than Water | Family bonds are stronger than other relationships. | Amidst the challenges, Sarah found solace in the belief that blood is indeed thicker than water, relying on her family’s unwavering support. |
| Water Down | To dilute or weaken. | To cater to a broader audience, the artist decided not to water down the controversial themes in the painting. |
| Wade Into | To enter a situation or debate with enthusiasm. | The passionate activist decided to wade into the discussion about climate change, hoping to raise awareness. |
| Come Out in the Wash | To be resolved or become clear over time. | Though the initial misunderstanding caused tension, they hoped the issue would come out in the wash with open communication. |
Conclusion
In this linguistic voyage through the world of water idioms, we’ve explored expressions as diverse as the oceans themselves.