Language is more than just words—it’s a mix of culture, creativity, and expression. Idioms are a great example of this. They are short phrases that don’t always make sense if taken literally, but they carry special meanings that native speakers understand instantly.
Learning idioms helps English learners sound more natural, emotional, and connected in conversation.
When it comes to emotions, especially feeling upset, idioms play a big role. People don’t always say “I am upset.” Instead, they use colorful expressions like “down in the dumps” or “cry over spilled milk.”
These idioms capture emotions in a more vivid way, making conversations richer and more expressive.
Whether you’re talking to friends, writing an email, or reading literature, knowing idioms for being upset will help you understand English at a deeper level and communicate like a native speaker.
Did You Know?
The phrase “cry over spilled milk” dates back to the 17th century and first appeared in a book of proverbs. It reminds us that feeling upset about things that cannot be changed is universal, and people have been using idioms to talk about emotions for centuries!
Idioms for Upset
Below you’ll find 39 idioms for being upset, organized into groups. Each idiom includes its meaning, a sentence example, a similar idiom, and a quick note on usage.
Idioms Showing Sadness and Disappointment
1. Down in the dumps
- Meaning: Feeling very sad or depressed.
- Example: She’s been down in the dumps since failing her exam.
- Similar: Feeling blue
- Note: Common in daily conversations, informal.
2. Feeling blue
- Meaning: To feel sad or low in mood.
- Example: He’s been feeling blue since his best friend moved away.
- Similar: Downhearted
- Note: Often used casually in speech and writing.
3. Broken-hearted
- Meaning: Deep sadness, often from love or loss.
- Example: She was broken-hearted after the breakup.
- Similar: Heartbroken
- Note: Emotional and personal situations, informal.
4. Crying over spilled milk
- Meaning: Being upset about something that cannot be undone.
- Example: It’s no use crying over spilled milk—we need to move forward.
- Similar: What’s done is done
- Note: Used in advice, both spoken and written.
5. In low spirits
- Meaning: Feeling discouraged or unhappy.
- Example: After losing the match, the whole team was in low spirits.
- Similar: Feeling down
- Note: More neutral, can be formal or informal.
6. Nursing a broken heart
- Meaning: Dealing with emotional pain after a loss.
- Example: He’s been nursing a broken heart for months now.
- Similar: Broken-hearted
- Note: Emotional, informal.
7. With a heavy heart
- Meaning: Feeling very sad while doing something.
- Example: With a heavy heart, she said goodbye to her hometown.
- Similar: Sadly
- Note: Used in formal and emotional writing.
8. Feeling down
- Meaning: Simply being sad or upset.
- Example: He’s been feeling down since yesterday.
- Similar: Feeling low
- Note: Informal and very common.
9. A lump in your throat
- Meaning: Feeling so emotional that it’s hard to speak.
- Example: She had a lump in her throat when she gave her farewell speech.
- Similar: Choked up
- Note: Common in storytelling and emotional descriptions.
10. Beside yourself with grief
- Meaning: Extremely upset and overwhelmed by sadness.
- Example: She was beside herself with grief after hearing the news.
- Similar: Devastated
- Note: Stronger expression, often in serious contexts.
Idioms Showing Anger and Frustration
11. Hot under the collar
- Meaning: Very angry or upset.
- Example: He gets hot under the collar when people interrupt him.
- Similar: Lose your cool
- Note: Informal but widely used.
12. Blow a fuse
- Meaning: To suddenly become very angry.
- Example: She blew a fuse when she saw the messy room.
- Similar: Blow up
- Note: Informal, daily conversations.
13. At the end of your rope
- Meaning: Completely frustrated and unable to cope.
- Example: I’m at the end of my rope with this noisy neighbor.
- Similar: Fed up
- Note: Everyday conversations, informal.
14. Lose your cool
- Meaning: Lose control of your anger.
- Example: He lost his cool during the meeting.
- Similar: Blow your top
- Note: Common in professional and casual speech.
15. Up in arms
- Meaning: Very angry and upset about something.
- Example: The students were up in arms about the new rules.
- Similar: Furious
- Note: Used in both formal and informal settings.
16. Have a bone to pick
- Meaning: To be upset about something and want to discuss it.
- Example: I have a bone to pick with you about last night.
- Similar: Take issue with
- Note: Often used before addressing a complaint.
17. See red
- Meaning: To become suddenly very angry.
- Example: He saw red when his car got scratched.
- Similar: Fly off the handle
- Note: Common in conversations about anger.
18. Blow things out of proportion
- Meaning: Getting upset over something small.
- Example: She blew the argument out of proportion.
- Similar: Make a mountain out of a molehill
- Note: Casual, conversational.
19. Have steam coming out of your ears
- Meaning: Looking extremely angry.
- Example: He had steam coming out of his ears when he found out the truth.
- Similar: Fuming
- Note: Informal, often descriptive.
20. Ruffle someone’s feathers
- Meaning: To upset or annoy someone.
- Example: Her comments really ruffled his feathers.
- Similar: Rub the wrong way
- Note: Mild, often playful or casual.
Idioms for Stress and Worry
21. On edge
- Meaning: Nervous or easily upset.
- Example: She’s been on edge all week before the exam.
- Similar: Tense
- Note: Common in daily life.
22. In a tizzy
- Meaning: Very upset or agitated.
- Example: She was in a tizzy about missing the bus.
- Similar: Flustered
- Note: Informal, lighthearted situations.
23. Bent out of shape
- Meaning: Angry or annoyed about something small.
- Example: Don’t get bent out of shape—it’s just a joke.
- Similar: Upset
- Note: Informal.
24. Make your blood boil
- Meaning: Something that makes you extremely angry.
- Example: His unfair comments made my blood boil.
- Similar: Drive you crazy
- Note: Stronger expression, informal.
25. At your wit’s end
- Meaning: Frustrated, not knowing what to do.
- Example: I’m at my wit’s end with this problem.
- Similar: Desperate
- Note: Common in stress-related contexts.
26. A storm in a teacup
- Meaning: Getting upset over a small issue.
- Example: The argument was just a storm in a teacup.
- Similar: Overreact
- Note: British English, informal.
27. Make a mountain out of a molehill
- Meaning: Exaggerating a small problem.
- Example: He’s making a mountain out of a molehill again.
- Similar: Blow things out of proportion
- Note: Common and light.
28. Tear your hair out
- Meaning: To feel very stressed or frustrated.
- Example: Parents often tear their hair out over teenagers.
- Similar: Stress out
- Note: Informal, expressive.
29. Go off the deep end
- Meaning: To overreact or become very upset suddenly.
- Example: She went off the deep end when she heard the news.
- Similar: Lose your temper
- Note: Informal, dramatic expression.
30. Worked up
- Meaning: Overly upset or excited.
- Example: Don’t get so worked up about it.
- Similar: Agitated
- Note: Informal, calming tone.
Idioms About Regret and Hurt Feelings
31. Eat your heart out
- Meaning: Feeling jealous or upset over something you don’t have.
- Example: He watched his friends succeed and ate his heart out.
- Similar: Green with envy
- Note: Emotional, informal.
32. Take it to heart
- Meaning: Be deeply upset by something.
- Example: She really took his comments to heart.
- Similar: Be hurt
- Note: Common in emotional contexts.
33. Hit a raw nerve
- Meaning: To upset someone by touching a sensitive topic.
- Example: Mentioning her past hit a raw nerve.
- Similar: Touch a sore spot
- Note: Informal, emotional.
34. A slap in the face
- Meaning: Something that feels insulting or upsetting.
- Example: Being ignored was like a slap in the face.
- Similar: Insult
- Note: Informal.
35. Leave a bad taste in your mouth
- Meaning: Something that makes you feel upset or uneasy afterward.
- Example: The unfair decision left a bad taste in my mouth.
- Similar: Displeased
- Note: Informal but widely used.
36. Sour grapes
- Meaning: Pretending you don’t care because you are upset you didn’t get something.
- Example: He said he never wanted the job anyway, but that’s just sour grapes.
- Similar: Pretend not to care
- Note: Casual.
37. A chip on your shoulder
- Meaning: Always feeling upset or defensive about something.
- Example: He’s got a chip on his shoulder about not going to college.
- Similar: Resentful
- Note: Informal.
38. Rub salt in the wound
- Meaning: To make someone feel worse about their pain.
- Example: His laughter rubbed salt in the wound.
- Similar: Make things worse
- Note: Informal, common.
39. A tough pill to swallow
- Meaning: Something unpleasant that is hard to accept.
- Example: Losing the final was a tough pill to swallow.
- Similar: Hard to accept
- Note: Widely used in formal and informal English.
How to Use These Idioms in Daily Life
Idioms for being upset can be used in:
- Speaking: Add color to conversations. Instead of saying “I’m upset,” say “I’m down in the dumps.”
- Writing: Great for essays, blogs, and storytelling to create a stronger emotional impact.
- Professional Settings: Use milder idioms like “at your wit’s end” or “in low spirits” instead of casual ones like “blow a fuse.”
The key is to choose idioms based on the formality of the situation.
Common Mistakes Learners Make With Idioms
- Wrong context
❌ He was down in the dumps after winning the prize.
✅ He was down in the dumps after losing the prize. - Taking idioms literally
❌ She saw red clothes in the store.
✅ She saw red when she was insulted. - Mixing idioms incorrectly
❌ He made a mountain out of spilled milk.
✅ He made a mountain out of a molehill.
FAQs
Q1: Can idioms be used in formal writing?
Yes, but carefully. Use idioms that are widely accepted, like “with a heavy heart” or “a tough pill to swallow,” instead of very casual ones.
Q2: Are idioms the same in all English-speaking countries?
Not always. British English uses some unique idioms like “a storm in a teacup,” while American English prefers others like “blow a fuse.”
Q3: How many idioms should I learn to sound natural?
You don’t need all of them—just a handful you like and feel comfortable with. Use them naturally in conversation.
Q4: Can idioms be translated into other languages?
Most idioms lose their exact meaning if directly translated. It’s better to find local equivalents in your language.
Q5: How can I practice idioms daily?
Try using one idiom in a conversation, journal, or social media post each day. Repetition will make them stick.
Conclusion
Idioms make English lively, emotional, and much closer to real life. When it comes to expressing being upset, idioms like “down in the dumps,” “see red,” and “rub salt in the wound” add depth and color to your words.
By learning and using them, you not only improve your vocabulary but also connect better with native speakers. Remember—idioms are not just about words,
but about expressing human feelings in a more natural and creative way. So next time you feel upset, reach for one of these idioms and make your English truly shine!
