50 Idioms About Life With Meaning & Sentences
Idioms About Life
1. Life is a rollercoaster
Meaning: Life has ups and downs.
In a Sentence: My last year was a rollercoaster of emotions with school, friends, and family.
Other Ways to Say: Full of ups and downs, Unpredictable journey
2. Every cloud has a silver lining
Meaning: There is something good in every bad situation.
In a Sentence: Even though the picnic was canceled, we got to play board games together.
Other Ways to Say: Good things come from bad situations, There’s always hope
3. The school of hard knocks
Meaning: Learning through difficult experiences in life.
In a Sentence: He didn’t go to college, but the school of hard knocks taught him everything.
Other Ways to Say: Real-life experience, Tough lessons
4. Actions speak louder than words
Meaning: What you do is more important than what you say.
In a Sentence: Don’t just say you’ll help; show me by doing it.
Other Ways to Say: Prove it by doing, Show, don’t tell
5. Live and learn
Meaning: You learn from your mistakes or life experiences.
In a Sentence: I forgot my lines during the play, but hey—live and learn.
Other Ways to Say: Learn from experience, Trial and error
6. Life is what you make it
Meaning: Your choices shape your life.
In a Sentence: Don’t wait for happiness—life is what you make it.
Other Ways to Say: You’re in control, Make your own path
7. Life is not a bed of roses
Meaning: Life isn’t always easy or perfect.
In a Sentence: Moving to a new city was tough—life is not a bed of roses.
Other Ways to Say: Life is hard, Life has challenges
8. Take life with a grain of salt
Meaning: Don’t take everything too seriously.
In a Sentence: When people criticize, I take life with a grain of salt.
Other Ways to Say: Stay calm, Don’t worry too much
9. A slice of life
Meaning: A realistic experience or glimpse into everyday life.
In a Sentence: That novel gives a slice of life in small-town America.
Other Ways to Say: Realistic view, Glimpse of real life
10. The circle of life
Meaning: Natural cycle of birth, growth, and death.
In a Sentence: Watching the baby lambs reminded me of the circle of life.
Other Ways to Say: Life cycle, Nature’s pattern
11. March to the beat of your own drum
Meaning: Live life your own unique way.
In a Sentence: She doesn’t follow trends—she marches to the beat of her own drum.
Other Ways to Say: Be different, Live freely
12. Life isn’t fair
Meaning: Sometimes bad things happen without reason.
In a Sentence: I studied so hard but still didn’t win—life isn’t fair.
Other Ways to Say: That’s how life goes, Life’s not always just
13. In the prime of life
Meaning: At your healthiest or most energetic stage in life.
In a Sentence: She ran marathons in the prime of her life.
Other Ways to Say: Peak condition, Best years
14. Life is a journey
Meaning: Life is a process with many experiences.
In a Sentence: Don’t rush; life is a journey, not a race.
Other Ways to Say: Life takes time, Enjoy the ride
15. Make the most of it
Meaning: Take full advantage of life or an opportunity.
In a Sentence: The trip was short, but we made the most of it.
Other Ways to Say: Enjoy it fully, Use your time well
16. Life goes on
Meaning: Life continues despite challenges.
In a Sentence: I was heartbroken, but life goes on.
Other Ways to Say: Keep moving, Don’t stop
17. Easy come, easy go
Meaning: Things gained easily can be lost easily.
In a Sentence: He won money fast and lost it just as fast—easy come, easy go.
Other Ways to Say: Temporary gain, Quickly lost
18. Life in the fast lane
Meaning: Living a very active, risky, or exciting life.
In a Sentence: After moving to the city, she’s living life in the fast lane.
Other Ways to Say: High-speed life, Fast-paced living
19. Get a life
Meaning: Stop wasting time and do something meaningful.
In a Sentence: Stop arguing online and get a life!
Other Ways to Say: Be productive, Do something useful
20. That’s life
Meaning: Accept that life has ups and downs.
In a Sentence: I lost my wallet, but that’s life.
Other Ways to Say: It happens, Such is life
21. The circle of life
Meaning: Life is a cycle of birth, growth, and death.
In a Sentence: Watching the baby animals at the zoo reminded me of the circle of life.
Other Ways to Say: Life goes on, Natural cycle
22. Live and let live
Meaning: Accept others as they are and don’t interfere.
In a Sentence: I don’t agree with her hobbies, but I believe in live and let live.
Other Ways to Say: Be tolerant, Let others be
23. Life’s no bed of roses
Meaning: Life is not always easy or pleasant.
In a Sentence: She’s learned that life’s no bed of roses after losing her job.
Other Ways to Say: Life is tough, Life has challenges
24. Life in the fast lane
Meaning: Living a busy and exciting lifestyle.
In a Sentence: Ever since he got promoted, he’s been living life in the fast lane.
Other Ways to Say: High-paced life, Busy lifestyle
25. Get a life
Meaning: Do something more interesting or meaningful.
In a Sentence: Stop watching TV all day—get a life!
Other Ways to Say: Be more productive, Find purpose
26. Life goes on
Meaning: Even after bad things happen, life continues.
In a Sentence: After the breakup, I reminded myself that life goes on.
Other Ways to Say: Move forward, Carry on
27. Life is what you make it
Meaning: Your actions shape your life.
In a Sentence: Don’t wait for things to happen—life is what you make it.
Other Ways to Say: Create your destiny, Your choice matters
28. That’s life
Meaning: Accept things the way they are, even if they’re unfair.
In a Sentence: I missed the bus again, but hey—that’s life!
Other Ways to Say: C’est la vie, Life happens
29. Lead a double life
Meaning: To live with two very different roles or identities.
In a Sentence: The detective discovered the suspect was leading a double life.
Other Ways to Say: Two-faced, Secret life
30. The spice of life
Meaning: Variety makes life interesting.
In a Sentence: Trying new foods is the spice of life!
Other Ways to Say: Variety is fun, Change keeps things fresh
31. In the prime of life
Meaning: At the peak of health, strength, or success.
In a Sentence: She’s in the prime of life—strong, smart, and full of energy.
Other Ways to Say: At your best, Peak condition
32. Life or death situation
Meaning: A very serious or critical situation.
In a Sentence: The rescue team was in a life or death situation in the storm.
Other Ways to Say: Critical moment, Dire situation
33. Larger than life
Meaning: Very impressive or exaggerated in personality or appearance.
In a Sentence: The movie star seemed larger than life on the red carpet.
Other Ways to Say: Dramatic, Grand
34. Life of the party
Meaning: The most fun and lively person at an event.
In a Sentence: Uncle Joe is always the life of the party at family gatherings.
Other Ways to Say: Party star, Entertainer
35. Real-life
Meaning: Based on actual events or people, not fiction.
In a Sentence: This movie is based on a real-life story.
Other Ways to Say: True story, Actual events
36. Live life to the fullest
Meaning: Enjoy life completely without regrets.
In a Sentence: After surviving the accident, he decided to live life to the fullest.
Other Ways to Say: Make the most of life, Embrace every moment
37. All walks of life
Meaning: People from all backgrounds and lifestyles.
In a Sentence: Volunteers came from all walks of life to help.
Other Ways to Say: Every background, All types of people
38. The story of my life
Meaning: A common or repeated unfortunate event.
In a Sentence: Missed the bus again—story of my life!
Other Ways to Say: Happens every time, Just my luck
39. As if your life depended on it
Meaning: Doing something with urgency or effort as if it’s critical.
In a Sentence: He studied for the test as if his life depended on it.
Other Ways to Say: With great urgency, Desperately
40. Not on your life
Meaning: Absolutely not; no way.
In a Sentence: You want me to jump off that cliff? Not on your life!
Other Ways to Say: Never, No chance
41. A hard pill to swallow
Meaning: Something difficult to accept or deal with.
In a Sentence: Losing the game after working so hard was a hard pill to swallow.
Other Ways to Say: Tough to accept, Difficult truth
42. Life’s a journey, not a destination
Meaning: The experiences along the way are more important than the end goal.
In a Sentence: Enjoy each day—life’s a journey, not a destination.
Other Ways to Say: Enjoy the process, Focus on the experience
43. The school of hard knocks
Meaning: Learning through difficult or real-life experiences.
In a Sentence: He never went to college but learned everything from the school of hard knocks.
Other Ways to Say: Real-life lessons, Learned the hard way
44. Live and let live
Meaning: Let others live their lives as they wish.
In a Sentence: She disagrees with his choices, but she believes in live and let live.
Other Ways to Say: Be tolerant, Let people be
45. Life’s not a bed of roses
Meaning: Life isn’t always easy or pleasant.
In a Sentence: She realized life’s not a bed of roses when she started living alone.
Other Ways to Say: Life is tough, Not always easy
46. To each their own
Meaning: Everyone has their own preferences.
In a Sentence: I don’t like pineapple on pizza, but to each their own.
Other Ways to Say: Everyone’s different, Personal choice
47. Life hangs by a thread
Meaning: Life is fragile or close to ending.
In a Sentence: After the accident, his life hung by a thread.
Other Ways to Say: Barely surviving, Near death
48. Take life as it comes
Meaning: Accept life and its changes without worry.
In a Sentence: She doesn’t plan much and just takes life as it comes.
Other Ways to Say: Go with the flow, Accept life
49. Life in the fast lane
Meaning: A lifestyle filled with excitement or risk.
In a Sentence: He lives life in the fast lane, always seeking new adventures.
Other Ways to Say: High-paced life, Risky lifestyle
50. A slice of life
Meaning: A realistic representation of everyday experiences.
In a Sentence: The movie gives us a slice of life from a small-town family.
Other Ways to Say: Real-life moments, Everyday reality
