Emotion idioms

Emotion idioms

• bare your heart (or soul) to someone

  • If you bare you heart (or soul) to someone, you reveal your innermost thoughts and feelings to them. "Mike couldn't keep things to himself any longer. He decided to bare his soul to his best friend."

• bear the brunt

  • A person who bears the brunt of something is the one who suffers the most when something bad or unpleasant happens. "When things go wrong, his assistant always has to bear the brunt of his anger. "

• bent out of shape

  • If you get bent out of shape, you become annoyed or upset about something that is usually not that important or cannot be avoided. "Don't get bent out of shape if you're delayed. We'll wait for you."

• beside yourself (with emotion)

  • If you are beside yourself (with an emotion), you lose your self-control because of the intensity of the emotion you are feeling. "He was beside himself with grief when he lost his son."

• bored to tears (also: bored to distraction/bored to death/bored silly)

  • If you find something so dull and uninteresting that it makes you sad enough to cry, you are bored to tears. "I could see that my son was bored to tears by the historical documentary."

• carry the torch for someone

  • If you carry the torch, you have strong feelings for someone with whom you do not or cannot have a relationship. "He's been carrying the torch for Julie since their college days, before she married Ted."

• wouldn't be caught/seen dead

  • If someone says that they wouldn't be caught or seen dead in a particular place or doing something, they mean that they would be too ashamed or embarrassed. "My seven-year-old son thinks he's a big boy; he wouldn't be caught dead holding my hand in front of his friends!"

• cheesed off

  • If someone is cheesed off with something, they are annoyed, bored or frustrated. "Jenny is absolutely cheesed off with her job."

• (have a) chip on your shoulder

  • If someone has a chip on their shoulder, they feel resentful because they feel they are being treated unfairly, especially because of their background, their sex or their colour. "He's got a chip on his shoulder because he's from a working-class family."

• close to home

  • If a remark or comment is close to home, it is so true, or it affects you so directly, that you feel uncomfortable. "Alan looks embarrassed. Bob's comment must have been close to home."

• come apart at the seams

  • To say that someone is coming apart at the seams means that they are extremely upset or under severe mental stress. "Bob has had so many problems lately, he's coming apart at the seams."

• cork up something

  • If you cork up your feelings or emotions, you fail to show or express them. "It would be better if she showed her grief and didn't cork up her feelings."

• cut to the quick

  • If you cut someone to the quick, you hurt their feelings or offend them deeply. "Alan was cut to the quick when Joe expressed doubt about his sincerity."

• deep down

  • If you talk about how someone is, or feels, deep down, you are describing what they are like or what they really feel deep inside, behind the outward appearance. "He appears to be indifferent to his success, but deep down he's very happy"

• (like a) fish out of water

  • If you feel like a fish out of water, you feel uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings. "As a non-golfer, I felt like a fish out of water at the clubhouse."

• fit of pique

  • Someone who reacts by showing their resentment or annoyance when their pride has been wounded, or they feel insulted, is said to have a fit of pique. "His partner left the table in a fit of pique."

• Freudian slip

  • A Freudian slip is a mistake made by a speaker which is considered to reveal their true thoughts or feelings. "So you got the job - I'm so sad ...  Sorry, I mean 'glad'!"

• have your heart in the right place

  • A person who has their heart in the right place has kind feelings and good intentions, even if the results are not too good. "The old lady's cake wasn't wonderful but she's got her heart in the right place!"

• get a grip on yourself

  • If you get a grip on yourself, you try to control your feelings so as to be able to deal with a situation. "After the initial shock, Lisa got a grip on herself and called an ambulance."

• get something out of your system

  • This expression means that you get rid of a strong emotion or desire by expressing it openly or trying to fulfill it. "Tell you parents how you feel - it's better to get it out of your system."

• get worked up

  • If you get worked up about something, you become upset, annoyed or excited, often unnecessarily. "It's his first day at school tomorrow and he's all worked up about it."

• go bananas

  • If someone becomes very emotional and starts behaving in a crazy way, they go bananas. "If you announce that you are going to drop out of school, your parents will go bananas!"

• go off the deep end

  • If a person goes off the deep end, they become so angry or upset that they cannot control their emotions. "Eva will go off the deep end if her kids leave the kitchen in a mess again."

• go to pieces

  • If you go to pieces, for example after a terrible shock, you are so upset or distressed that you cannot lead a normal life. "Jack nearly went to pieces when his son died in a car crash."

• groan inwardly

  • If you groan inwardly, you feel like expressing despair, disapproval or distress, but you remain silent. "On his return, when Pete saw the pile of files on his desk, he groaned inwardly."

• guilty pleasure

  • Enjoying something which is not generally held in high regard, while at the same time feeling a bit guilty about it, is called a guilty pleasure. "Reading gossip magazines is a guilty pleasure for many women… and some men too!"

• (as) hard as nails

  • A person who is (as) hard as nails is unsentimental and shows no sympathy. "Don't expect any sympathy from him.  He's as hard as nails."

• head over heels in love (with someone)

  • When a person falls passionately in love with another, they are said to be head over heels in love. "Tony's only interest at the moment is Maria. He's head over heels in love with her!"

• change of heart

  • If someone has a change of heart, they change their attitude or feelings, especially towards greater friendliness or cooperation. "He was against charity, but he had a change of heart when he saw the plight of the homeless."

https://www.learn-english-today.com/idioms/idiom-categories/feelings-emotions/feelings1-bare-deep.html

:-) All these idioms mean that you are absolutely delighted!

over the moon: "He was over the moon when he heard the news."

thrilled to bits: "She was thrilled to bits with her new bicycle."

in seventh heaven: "They were in seventh heaven when they learned they'd won a cruise."

on cloud nine: "When I got the job, I was on cloud nine for several weeks."

jump for joy: "We jumped for joy when we got the mortgage."

:-( These idioms mean you are feeling sad.

down in the dumps: "When she left him, he was down in the dumps for a couple of weeks."

feel blue: "She felt a little blue when she lost her job."

beside yourself (with grief, worry): "When her son went missing, she was beside herself with worry."Annoyed because you have missed an opportunity

sick as a parrot: "He was as sick as a parrot when he realised he had thrown away his lottery ticket."

:-V These idioms mean that you are very angry.

see red: "Don't talk to him about his boss - it just makes him see red!"

hopping mad: "She was hopping mad when she found out her daughter had disobeyed her."

in a black mood: "Be careful what you say - she's in a black mood today."

Less angry idioms.

cheesed off: "I was really cheesed off when I lost the competition."

to not be on speaking terms: "They're not on speaking terms at the moment after their row."

To be off someone's Christmas card list: "Oh dear. I think I'm off her Christmas card list after insulting her husband!"

have a downer on someone: "What's John done? You seem to have a real downer on him."

rub someone up the wrong way: "Those two are always arguing. They just seem to rub each other up the wrong way."

In desperation These idioms mean you don't know what to do.

at the end of your tether: "I just can't cope. I'm at the end of my tether with all these bills and debts."

at your wits' end: "He's at his wits' end. He's tried everything to solve the problem, but nothing has worked."

Emotions Collocations

Some adjectives and nouns naturally go together. For example, when we talk about our memories we can say "a vague recollection" or "a vague memory". Check your knowledge of these other adjectives and nouns to talk about your emotions. Choose the correct answer.

1. I got a __ shock when I received the letter.

• bitter

• nasty

2. It was a __ surprise to hear from him after so many years.

• pleasant

• sweet

3. When I heard the politician saying ''It is with __ regret..'' I knew that the announcement would be sad.

• deep

• profound

4. Losing the match was a __ disappointment, but we can do better next year.

• bitter

• sharp

5. He has a __ belief in his abilities.

• good

• strong

6. She has a __ fear of the dark.

• big

• deep

7. He has __ memories of his childhood holidays.

• close

• fond

8. It's been her __ dream to visit Australia.

• lifelong

• permanent

9. I think she has rather __ expectations.

• impossible

• unrealistic

10. He has a __ ambition to be a top lawyer.

• driving

• single-minded

https://www.english-at-home.com/idioms/english-idioms-of-emotion/