Sometimes we feel nervous before a big test, a school play, or when we have to speak in front of the class. This feeling is called anxiety, and it happens to everyone. People use special phrases called idioms to talk about feeling anxious. These idioms help show emotions in a fun and creative way.
In this lesson, you will learn some common idioms people use when they feel anxious or worried. Each one has a simple meaning and is easy to understand. You’ll also get to practice by rewriting short sentences using these idioms. This will help you remember them better and use them in real life.
Idioms for Anxious
1. Butterflies in my stomach
Meaning: Feeling nervous or worried
Example: I had butterflies in my stomach before my class presentation. / She got butterflies in her stomach at the spelling bee.
Put Differently: I felt nervous inside. / My tummy felt jumpy from worry.
2. On edge
Meaning: Feeling tense or easily upset
Example: He was on edge waiting for his test results. / She seemed on edge during the fire drill.
Put Differently: He looked nervous. / She was ready to snap.
3. Lose sleep over it
Meaning: Worry about something a lot
Example: I lost sleep over the math test. / She lost sleep over her missing homework.
Put Differently: I stayed up worrying. / She couldn’t stop thinking about it.
4. A bundle of nerves
Meaning: Very anxious and jumpy
Example: I was a bundle of nerves before my school play. / He felt like a bundle of nerves before his dentist visit.
Put Differently: I was super nervous. / He was shaking from worry.
5. Biting my nails
Meaning: Feeling nervous
Example: She was biting her nails while waiting her turn. / I started biting my nails during the scary part of the movie.
Put Differently: I was too anxious to sit still. / She felt really nervous.
6. Sweating bullets
Meaning: Extremely nervous
Example: He was sweating bullets during the pop quiz. / I was sweating bullets while waiting to be called.
Put Differently: I was really scared. / He looked super worried.
7. Jumpy as a cat
Meaning: Easily startled
Example: She was jumpy as a cat before her solo. / I was jumpy as a cat waiting for the teacher to call on me.
Put Differently: I was easily scared. / She kept flinching from worry.
8. My heart skipped a beat
Meaning: Feeling surprised or scared
Example: My heart skipped a beat when I heard my name. / His heart skipped a beat when he saw the test score.
Put Differently: I got a sudden shock. / I was scared for a second.
9. Break into a cold sweat
Meaning: Get very nervous and start sweating
Example: I broke into a cold sweat before my speech. / He broke into a cold sweat when the lights went out.
Put Differently: I felt chilly and nervous. / He started sweating from fear.
10. Walking on eggshells
Meaning: Trying hard not to upset someone
Example: I felt like I was walking on eggshells around my upset friend. / She walked on eggshells after the class argument.
Put Differently: I was being very careful. / We didn’t want to make things worse.
11. Panic mode
Meaning: Feeling very scared and not thinking clearly
Example: I went into panic mode when I forgot my lines. / He was in panic mode when he lost his backpack.
Put Differently: I got super scared. / He didn’t know what to do.
12. Tied up in knots
Meaning: Feeling very worried
Example: My stomach was tied up in knots before my piano test. / She felt tied up in knots before going on stage.
Put Differently: I felt twisted from stress. / She was very nervous.
13. A nervous wreck
Meaning: Someone very worried or anxious
Example: I was a nervous wreck before the spelling bee. / He turned into a nervous wreck after losing his homework.
Put Differently: I couldn’t calm down. / He was a mess from worry.
14. White as a ghost
Meaning: Very scared or nervous
Example: He turned white as a ghost during the storm. / She looked white as a ghost before the audition.
Put Differently: He looked super pale. / She was very scared.
15. Keep me up at night
Meaning: Something that causes worry and no sleep
Example: Thinking about the test kept me up at night. / Her lost bracelet kept her up at night.
Put Differently: I couldn’t sleep from worry. / She stayed up thinking.
16. Nerves of steel (used sarcastically)
Meaning: Someone who pretends to be brave but is nervous inside
Example: He says he has nerves of steel, but he was shaking! / She acted brave, but didn’t have nerves of steel.
Put Differently: She was pretending not to be scared. / He looked brave but wasn’t.
17. Shaking like a leaf
Meaning: Trembling from fear or nervousness
Example: I was shaking like a leaf at the talent show. / He was shaking like a leaf when the fire alarm rang.
Put Differently: I was trembling with fear. / He couldn’t stop shaking.
18. Breaking out in hives
Meaning: Getting itchy or red spots due to stress
Example: She broke out in hives before the test. / I got hives from worrying about my grades.
Put Differently: I was so anxious my skin reacted. / She got itchy from stress.
19. A chill down my spine
Meaning: A feeling of fear or nervousness
Example: I felt a chill down my spine when the teacher said, “Pop quiz.” / He got a chill down his spine during the scary movie.
Put Differently: I got scared suddenly. / It made me feel uneasy.
20. Can’t catch my breath
Meaning: Breathing fast from fear or panic
Example: I couldn’t catch my breath before going on stage. / He was nervous and couldn’t catch his breath.
Put Differently: I was breathing too fast. / I felt short of breath from worry.
21. In a flap
Meaning: Upset or anxious and moving around too much
Example: She was in a flap when she couldn’t find her shoes. / He got in a flap before the big game.
Put Differently: She was freaking out. / He was rushing around nervously.
22. Feel like crawling under a rock
Meaning: Feeling very shy or embarrassed
Example: I felt like crawling under a rock when I forgot my lines. / He wanted to hide after spilling juice.
Put Differently: I was really embarrassed. / He didn’t want to be seen.
23. A storm in my head
Meaning: Too many worried thoughts at once
Example: I had a storm in my head before the test. / She had a storm in her head after the fight.
Put Differently: I couldn’t think clearly. / I had too much going on in my mind.
24. Jump out of my skin
Meaning: Get really scared suddenly
Example: I almost jumped out of my skin when the balloon popped. / He jumped out of his skin during the thunderstorm.
Put Differently: I got scared fast. / It startled me a lot.
25. At my wit’s end
Meaning: Not knowing what to do next
Example: I was at my wit’s end trying to fix my project. / She was at her wit’s end before the exam.
Put Differently: I was out of ideas. / She didn’t know what else to try.
26. Like a deer in headlights
Meaning: Too shocked or nervous to move
Example: I froze like a deer in headlights when the teacher called on me. / He stood still like a deer in headlights during the fire drill.
Put Differently: I couldn’t move from fear. / I felt stuck and nervous.
27. Clam up
Meaning: Stop talking because of nervousness
Example: I clammed up during my turn in the play. / She clammed up when the teacher asked a question.
Put Differently: I went silent from worry. / I was too nervous to speak.
28. Ants in my pants
Meaning: Feeling jumpy and restless
Example: I had ants in my pants waiting to get called. / He had ants in his pants before the field trip.
Put Differently: I couldn’t sit still. / He was too excited and nervous.
29. Holding my breath
Meaning: Waiting nervously for something
Example: I was holding my breath while the teacher graded my paper. / She held her breath during the spelling contest.
Put Differently: I was waiting nervously. / I was full of suspense.
30. Cold feet
Meaning: Getting nervous about doing something
Example: I got cold feet before the talent show. / He had cold feet about joining the soccer team.
Put Differently: I almost backed out from fear. / He got scared at the last minute.
31. Catching my breath
Meaning: Trying to calm down after feeling nervous
Example: I needed to catch my breath after the big game. / She caught her breath before the speech.
Put Differently: I needed a moment to calm down. / I was slowing my breathing.
32. Freak out
Meaning: React very strongly to fear or stress
Example: I freaked out when I lost my lunch. / She freaked out before her first sleepover.
Put Differently: I panicked. / She got very upset.
33. Feel sick with worry
Meaning: Worrying so much it makes you feel unwell
Example: I felt sick with worry after I lost my homework. / He was sick with worry about his pet.
Put Differently: I felt bad from thinking too much. / He was worried and upset.
34. Out of sorts
Meaning: Not feeling like yourself, often from worry
Example: I was out of sorts before the group project. / She felt out of sorts when her friend was mad.
Put Differently: I wasn’t feeling okay. / She was feeling off.
35. Heart pounding
Meaning: Feeling scared or nervous and your heart beats fast
Example: My heart was pounding before the audition. / Her heart pounded when she heard the fire alarm.
Put Differently: My heart beats really fast. / I felt very scared.
36. All over the place
Meaning: Feeling scattered or stressed
Example: My mind was all over the place during the test. / He was all over the place before the trip.
Put Differently: I couldn’t focus. / He was not calm.
37. Go to pieces
Meaning: Break down emotionally from fear or worry
Example: I went to pieces after I dropped my project. / She went to pieces when she lost the game.
Put Differently: I started crying. / She couldn’t stay calm.
38. Feel like a ticking time bomb
Meaning: Feeling like you might explode from stress
Example: I felt like a ticking time bomb before the test. / He was like a time bomb after the fight.
Put Differently: I was about to lose control. / I felt ready to blow up.
39. Nailbiter
Meaning: A very tense or scary situation
Example: The spelling contest was a real nailbiter. / The last inning of the game was a nailbiter.
Put Differently: It was super close and made me anxious. / It kept me on edge.
40. Have a lump in my throat
Meaning: Feeling nervous, sad, or emotional
Example: I had a lump in my throat before saying my speech. / She had a lump in her throat after the goodbye party.
Put Differently: I felt like crying. / It made me emotional and quiet.
“Rewrite the Sentence “Activity: Feeling Anxious
Below are 10 sentences expressing feelings or situations about anxiety without using idioms. Your task is to rewrite each sentence using one of the idioms from the previous sections. Be sure to make the new sentences sound natural and keep the meaning the same.
Sentences to Rewrite
- I was very nervous before reading my poem in front of the class.
- Jason felt scared when he forgot his homework.
- My hands were shaking during my piano test.
- Emily was super quiet when the teacher asked her a question.
- Dad looked pale after getting a call from school.
- I was worried all night about my science project.
- Mia felt nervous before asking a question in front of everyone.
- Ethan started crying when he thought he failed the test.
- We were nervous about the results of our group work.
- I felt tense while walking past the angry dog next door.
Answer Key
- I had butterflies in my stomach before reading my poem in front of the class.
- Jason broke out in a cold sweat when he forgot his homework.
- My hands were shaky during my piano test.
- Emily clammed up when the teacher asked her a question.
- Dad looked white as a sheet after getting a call from school.
- I lost sleep over my science project.
- Mia was on edge before asking a question in front of everyone.
- Ethan broke down when he thought he failed the test.
- We were a bundle of nerves about the results of our group work.
- I felt like I was walking on eggshells past the angry dog next door.
Conclusion
Understanding idioms about anxiety can help you talk about your feelings in a clear and simple way. These phrases are often used in everyday conversations, especially when people feel nervous, scared, or unsure.
Now that you’ve learned what these idioms mean and how to use them, try using one the next time you feel worried. It can make your speaking and writing more natural and easier to relate to.
