Straight From the Heart: Exploring English Idioms for Feelings, Friendship, Love, Emotions, and Relationships

A match made in heaven

• Describes a perfect or ideal romantic pairing or partnership.
• They are so perfect for each other; it’s like a match made in heaven.

A shoulder to cry on

• Refers to someone who provides emotional support or comfort during tough times.
• Whenever I feel sad, I know I can count on her to be a shoulder to cry on.

Be on cloud nine

• To be extremely happy or elated.
• When she got accepted into her dream school, she was on cloud nine.

Beat the odds

• To achieve success despite unfavorable or unlikely circumstances.
• Despite facing many obstacles, they managed to beat the odds and succeed.

Birds of a feather flock together

• People with similar interests or characteristics tend to associate or befriend each other.
• They instantly clicked and became friends since they had so much in common.

Bitter pill to swallow

• Something that is difficult or unpleasant to accept or come to terms with.
• Losing the competition was a bitter pill to swallow, but she learned from the experience.

Break the ice

• To initiate or overcome initial social awkwardness in a new or unfamiliar situation.
• He told a joke to break the ice and make everyone feel more comfortable.

Burst with joy

• To be filled with overwhelming happiness or excitement.
• When she received the news, she burst with joy and couldn’t contain her happiness.

Butterflies in the stomach

• Refers to the nervous or excited feeling in one’s stomach, often associated with anticipation or infatuation.
• Before going on stage, she had butterflies in her stomach due to stage fright.

Caught between a rock and a hard place

• To be faced with a difficult decision or a situation where both options are challenging or unfavorable.
• She was caught between a rock and a hard place when she had to choose between two equally important opportunities.

Chase one’s dreams

• To pursue and strive for one’s goals or aspirations.
• She decided to quit her job and chase her dreams of becoming an artist.

Cheer someone up

• To provide comfort or encouragement to someone who is feeling down or sad.
• I brought her favorite flowers to cheer her up after a rough day at work.

Climb the ladder

• To make progress or advance in one’s career or social status.
• He worked hard and climbed the ladder of success, eventually becoming the CEO of the company.

Come out on top

• To emerge as the winner or to achieve success in a competition or challenging situation.
• Despite the tough competition, she put in her best effort and came out on top.

Count on someone

• To rely or depend on someone for support, assistance, or reliability.
• In times of need, you can always count on her to be there for you.

Crazy in love

• To be deeply and passionately in love with someone.
• They’ve been together for years, and they are still crazy in love with each other.

Emotional roller coaster

• Refers to a situation or experience characterized by intense and fluctuating emotions.
• Going through a breakup can be an emotional roller coaster with highs and lows.

Give someone the cold shoulder

• To intentionally ignore or be aloof towards someone as a sign of disapproval or indifference.
• After their argument, she gave him the cold shoulder and refused to speak to him.

Go the extra mile

• To put in additional effort or go beyond what is expected or required.
• He always goes the extra mile to ensure the satisfaction of his customers.

Grin from ear to ear

• To have a wide and happy smile.
• When she saw the surprise, she couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear.

Have a change of heart

• To change one’s opinion, attitude, or feelings about something or someone.
• Initially, he was against the idea, but after hearing their argument, he had a change of heart.

Have someone’s back

• To support or defend someone, especially in difficult or challenging situations.
• She knew that her best friend always had her back, no matter what.

Head over heels

• To be completely and deeply in love with someone.
• Ever since they met, he has been head over heels for her.

Heart on your sleeve

• To openly show or express one’s emotions or feelings.
• She wears her heart on her sleeve and isn’t afraid to let others know how she feels.

Heart skips a beat

• Describes the sudden and intense feeling of excitement or nervousness, often associated with love or attraction.
• Whenever he sees her, his heart skips a beat, and he can’t help but smile.

In the same boat

• To be in a similar or shared situation or predicament.
• We’re all struggling with our assignments; we’re in the same boat.

Jump for joy

• To express extreme happiness or excitement by jumping up and down.
• When she received the good news, she jumped for joy and couldn’t contain her excitement.

Love at first sight

• Refers to falling in love with someone instantly upon meeting them for the first time.
• They met at a party and it was love at first sight for both of them.

Love conquers all

• Expresses the belief that love has the power to overcome any obstacle or difficulty.
• Despite facing numerous challenges, their love for each other conquered all.

Love is blind

• Suggests that when we are in love, we tend to overlook or ignore the faults or shortcomings of the person we love.
• Despite his flaws, she still loves him; love is blind, after all.

Love is in the air

• Refers to a romantic or amorous atmosphere or environment.
• With candles, soft music, and roses, love was definitely in the air.

Love triangle

• Refers to a situation where three people are romantically involved with each other, often causing conflicts or tensions.
• The love triangle between them became a source of drama and complications.

Lovebirds

• Refers to a couple who are deeply in love and affectionate towards each other.
• They are always holding hands and whispering sweet nothings to each other; they’re such lovebirds.

Love-hate relationship

• Describes a relationship where strong conflicting emotions of both love and hate are present.
• They have a love-hate relationship; they can’t live with each other, but they can’t live without each other either.

Lovey-dovey

• Describes a couple who are openly affectionate and sentimental towards each other.
• They’re always hugging, kissing, and calling each other pet names; they’re so lovey-dovey.

Make a mark

• To leave a lasting impression or impact.
• His groundbreaking research made a mark in the scientific community.

Make up

• To reconcile or resolve a disagreement or conflict.
• After their argument, they realized their love was more important, so they decided to make up.

Mixed feelings

• Refers to having conflicting or contrasting emotions or opinions about something.
• I have mixed feelings about the job offer; it’s a great opportunity, but it requires me to relocate.

On cloud nine

• To be extremely happy or elated.
• When she found out she got the promotion, she was on cloud nine.

On top of the world

• To feel exceptionally happy, confident, or successful.
• After winning the competition, she felt on top of the world.

Over the moon

• To be extremely delighted or thrilled about something.
• When she heard the news, she was over the moon with excitement.

Play hard to get

• To act aloof or uninterested to increase someone’s desire or attraction.
• She played hard to get to see if he was truly interested in her.

Prince charming

• Refers to an idealized, perfect, or charming man who is often sought after in fairy tales or romance.
• She’s still waiting for her prince charming to sweep her off her feet.

Put a smile on someone’s face

• To make someone happy or bring joy to their life.
• His surprise gift put a big smile on her face.

Reach for the stars

• To set ambitious goals or aim for great achievements.
• Don’t limit yourself; reach for the stars and follow your dreams.

Read between the lines

• To understand or find a hidden meaning or message in what is said or written.
• Her cryptic text message made me read between the lines to figure out what she meant.

Ride or die

• Describes someone who is loyal and supportive no matter what.
• She’s my ride or die; she’s always there for me through thick and thin.

Rise to the occasion

• To meet or exceed the expectations or demands of a challenging situation.
• Despite the pressure, she rose to the occasion and delivered an outstanding performance.

Rocky relationship

• Describes a relationship characterized by frequent arguments, disagreements, or instability.
• They had a rocky relationship with constant ups and downs.

Score a victory

• To achieve a win or success in a competition or endeavor.
• With their last-minute goal, they scored a victory and secured their spot in the finals.

Second chance

• An opportunity to try again or make amends after a previous failure or mistake.
• He realized his mistake and asked for a second chance to prove himself.

Seize the opportunity

• To take full advantage of a favorable situation when it presents itself.
• When the job opening came up, she seized the opportunity and applied immediately.

Ship sails

• Refers to the moment when a romantic relationship starts or becomes official.
• Their ship has sailed; they’re officially a couple now.

Sitting on the fence

• To be undecided or neutral about a situation or issue.
• He’s sitting on the fence and can’t decide which option to choose.

Soulmates

• Describes two people who are deeply connected and meant for each other.
• They complete each other’s sentences and understand each other perfectly; they’re soulmates.

Stand out from the crowd

• To be unique or distinctive in a way that attracts attention or admiration.
• Her vibrant personality and unique sense of style make her stand out from the crowd.

Stolen heart

• Refers to someone capturing or winning another person’s affection or love.
• From the moment they met, he stole her heart and she knew she was in love.

Stuck in a rut

• To be in a monotonous or unproductive routine, feeling stagnant or lacking progress.
• She felt stuck in a rut with her job and needed a change.

Succeed against all odds

• To achieve success despite facing significant challenges or obstacles.
• Despite the adversity, he managed to succeed against all odds.

Take the lead

• To assume control or responsibility in a situation.
• She decided to take the lead and guide the team towards their goal.

Thick as thieves

• Describes a close and inseparable friendship or partnership.
• They’ve been best friends for years; they’re as thick as thieves.

Through thick and thin

• To be loyal and supportive, regardless of the circumstances.
• They’ve been through thick and thin together and their bond remains strong.

Tied down

• To be committed or restricted by a serious relationship or obligation.
• He felt tied down by his responsibilities and longed for more freedom.

Tied the knot

• To get married.
• After years of dating, they finally tied the knot and exchanged their vows.

Ups and downs

• Refers to the fluctuating or varying nature of life, relationships, or situations.
• Every relationship has its ups and downs; it’s a natural part of life.

Walk on air

• To feel extremely happy or elated.
• After receiving the award, she felt like she was walking on air.

Warm the cockles of one’s heart

• To bring deep warmth or happiness to someone’s innermost feelings.
• Their kind words and gestures warmed the cockles of her heart.

Warts and all

• To accept or love someone or something despite their flaws or imperfections.
• He loves her warts and all, appreciating her for who she truly is.

We go way back

• Refers to a long-standing friendship or relationship that started a long time ago.
• They go way back; they’ve been friends since childhood.

Wear a smile

• To have a smile on one’s face, indicating happiness or contentment.
• Despite the challenges, she always wears a smile and maintains a positive attitude.

Wear your heart on your sleeve

• To openly show or express one’s emotions or feelings.
• She’s not afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve and let others know how she feels.

When the chips are down

• Refers to facing adversity or difficult circumstances.
• He’s always there to support you when the chips are down.

Win by a landslide

• To win decisively or overwhelmingly in a competition or election.
• They won the election by a landslide, securing a significant majority of votes.

With a heart full of joy

• Describes the feeling of being extremely happy or joyful.
• She entered the room with a heart full of joy, ready to celebrate.

Woo someone

• To try to gain someone’s affection or romantic interest through charm or courtship.
• He planned a romantic dinner to woo her and win her heart.

Work one’s way up

• To progress or advance gradually in one’s career or social standing.
• Through hard work and dedication, she worked her way up from an entry-level position to a managerial role.

Wrap someone in a warm glow

• To make someone feel loved, appreciated, or cherished.
• Their heartfelt words and gestures wrapped her in a warm glow of happiness.

Wreck havoc

• To cause chaos, destruction, or turmoil.
• The storm wreaked havoc on the small coastal town.

Yell with delight

• To shout or scream loudly out of excitement or joy.
• When they announced her name as the winner, she yelled with delight.

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