Learn Idioms to Talk About Fear in English
Ever felt so scared you ‘jumped out of your skin’? Or maybe someone ‘made your blood run cold’? English is full of idioms that capture the feeling of fear, shock, and those spine-tingling moments that really get to us. Whether you’re sharing a real experience, telling a story, or simply adding a bit more depth to your conversation, these expressions are a great way to capture and convey moments of fear.
Let’s go through 7 idioms that are perfect for talking about fear in English:
1. To Give Someone the Creeps
This English idiom is used when something or someone makes you feel uneasy, uncomfortable, or afraid. You’ll often hear it used to describe a disturbing person, place, or situation.
Example: The abandoned hospital at night always gives me the creeps.
2. Shake Like a Leaf
To ‘shake like a leaf’ means to tremble with fear or nervousness. It describes the feeling of being so scared that you can’t control the physical reaction of shaking.
Example: When she saw the spider crawling toward her, she was shaking like a leaf.
3. Heart in Your Mouth
If you say your ‘heart was in your mouth,’ it usually means you felt a sudden shock or fear. It’s that quick, intense feeling that stops you in your tracks for a second.
Example: My heart was in my mouth when I realised I’d left my keys in the office just as the doors were closing.
4. Make Your Blood Run Cold
When something makes your ‘blood run cold,’ it causes a sense of deep fear or shock, almost as if the fear is flowing through you. It’s often used for intense, haunting moments.
Example: The eerie sound of footsteps in the empty corridor made her blood run cold.
5. Scared to Death
This idiom is used to describe extreme fear, the kind that leaves you feeling frozen or terrified. It’s often used casually but can really emphasise just how scared you felt.
Example: I was scared to death when I saw the car heading straight toward me.
6. Jump Out of Your Skin
To ‘jump out of your skin’ describes the feeling of being startled or surprised by something unexpected. It’s that moment when fear hits and you practically leap up in shock.
Example: I nearly jumped out of my skin when the fire alarm went off unexpectedly.
7. Scare the Wits Out of Someone
To ‘scare the wits out of someone’ means to frighten them very badly. It’s a more intense expression that captures the feeling of being really, deeply scared.
Example: The horror movie scared the wits out of me—I couldn’t sleep all night.
These idioms are a fantastic way to bring your stories to life and communicate your experiences with a bit more flair. Next time you’re sharing a story about something that gave you chills, try using one of these expressions.