50 Idioms for Stress With Meaning & Sentence
Idioms for Stress
1. On the edge
Meaning: Feeling nervous or anxious.
In a Sentence: After the accident, Sarah was on edge every time she got into a car.
Other Ways to Say: Anxious, Jumpy, Nervous.
2. Under pressure
Meaning: Experiencing stress because of demanding circumstances.
In a Sentence: I’m under pressure to finish this report by noon.
Other Ways to Say: Stressed, Burdened, Overloaded.
3. At one’s wit’s end
Meaning: Being so worried or stressed that you don’t know what to do.
In a Sentence: I’m at my wit’s end with these deadlines.
Other Ways to Say: Desperate, Frustrated, Stretched Thin.
4. Stressed out
Meaning: Feeling overwhelmed with stress.
In a Sentence: She was completely stressed out before her exams.
Other Ways to Say: Tense, Distraught, Frazzled.
5. Burn the candle at both ends
Meaning: Overworking oneself and getting stressed by doing too much.
In a Sentence: You’ll burn the candle at both ends if you keep working late and waking up early.
Other Ways to Say: Overexert, Overwork, Wear Yourself Thin.
6. Feel the heat
Meaning: Experience intense pressure or stress.
In a Sentence: The team started to feel the heat when the boss called for urgent results.
Other Ways to Say: Face Pressure, Be Pressurized, Be Stressed.
7. Keep your hair on
Meaning: Stay calm in a stressful situation.
In a Sentence: Keep your hair on — the situation isn’t as bad as it seems.
Other Ways to Say: Stay Cool, Relax, Calm Down.
8. In over your head
Meaning: Involved in a stressful situation beyond your ability to handle.
In a Sentence: He was in over his head when he took on five projects at once.
Other Ways to Say: Overwhelmed, Stuck, Outmatched.
9. Get cold feet
Meaning: Become anxious or afraid before doing something stressful.
In a Sentence: I got cold feet before giving my first presentation.
Other Ways to Say: Lose Nerve, Panic, Hesitate.
10. Have a lot on your plate
Meaning: Have many responsibilities causing stress.
In a Sentence: She has a lot on her plate with work and family issues.
Other Ways to Say: Be Busy, Be Overloaded, Be Occupied.
11. Hanging by a thread
Meaning: Being in a risky, stressful situation where disaster feels near.
In a Sentence: The company was hanging by a thread during the crisis.
Other Ways to Say: In Danger, On the Brink, Precarious.
12. Bite the bullet
Meaning: To do something stressful and unpleasant with courage.
In a Sentence: I decided to bite the bullet and tell the truth.
Other Ways to Say: Face It, Tough It Out, Brave It.
13. Blow a gasket
Meaning: Suddenly become very angry or stressed.
In a Sentence: My boss blew a gasket when the report was late.
Other Ways to Say: Lose Control, Flip Out, Explode.
14. Carry the world on your shoulders
Meaning: Take on too many worries or stresses.
In a Sentence: She acts like she’s carrying the world on her shoulders.
Other Ways to Say: Overburdened, Troubled, Stressed.
15. Climb the walls
Meaning: Feel trapped and stressed, wanting to escape.
In a Sentence: I was climbing the walls waiting for the exam results.
Other Ways to Say: Agitated, Uneasy, Restless.
16. Cracking under pressure
Meaning: Failing due to intense stress.
In a Sentence: He started cracking under pressure during the finals.
Other Ways to Say: Break Down, Collapse, Lose Control.
17. Drive someone up the wall
Meaning: Make someone extremely irritated or stressed.
In a Sentence: The constant noise is driving me up the wall.
Other Ways to Say: Annoy, Infuriate, Aggravate.
18. Lose your cool
Meaning: Lose control due to stress or anger.
In a Sentence: She lost her cool during the heated debate.
Other Ways to Say: Get Angry, Lose Temper, Snap.
19. A bundle of nerves
Meaning: Extremely nervous and stressed.
In a Sentence: I was a bundle of nerves before my wedding speech.
Other Ways to Say: Tense, Jittery, Uneasy.
20. Hit the roof
Meaning: React violently to stress or bad news.
In a Sentence: He hit the roof when he found out about the mistake.
Other Ways to Say: Explode, Go Crazy, Snap.
21. Jump out of your skin
Meaning: Be extremely startled or stressed.
In a Sentence: I nearly jumped out of my skin when the phone rang.
Other Ways to Say: Startle, Be Alarmed, Panic.
22. Keep your cool
Meaning: Stay calm under stress.
In a Sentence: Despite the chaos, she kept her cool.
Other Ways to Say: Stay Composed, Remain Calm, Control Yourself.
23. Lose sleep over it
Meaning: Worry and stress about something.
In a Sentence: Don’t lose sleep over what others think.
Other Ways to Say: Worry, Obsess, Be Anxious.
24. Make your blood boil
Meaning: Make you extremely angry or stressed.
In a Sentence: The unfair decision made my blood boil.
Other Ways to Say: Enrage, Infuriate, Upset.
25. Push the panic button
Meaning: React to stress with immediate fear or action.
In a Sentence: Don’t push the panic button just yet.
Other Ways to Say: Overreact, Freak Out, Get Alarmed.
26. Reach boiling point
Meaning: Become too stressed or angry to stay calm.
In a Sentence: I reached boiling point after the tenth mistake.
Other Ways to Say: Explode, Lose It, Overflow.
27. Run ragged
Meaning: Exhaust yourself due to stress.
In a Sentence: The long hours ran me ragged.
Other Ways to Say: Drain, Tire Out, Overwork.
28. Run out of steam
Meaning: Lose energy due to prolonged stress.
In a Sentence: I ran out of steam after back-to-back meetings.
Other Ways to Say: Get Exhausted, Be Drained, Wear Out.
29. See red
Meaning: Get extremely angry and stressed.
In a Sentence: I saw red when he lied to me.
Other Ways to Say: Get Furious, Blow Up, Lose It.
30. Tear your hair out
Meaning: Feel extremely frustrated and stressed.
In a Sentence: I was tearing my hair out over the delays.
Other Ways to Say: Get Agitated, Worry, Be Anxious.
31. Break out in a cold sweat
Meaning: Get extremely anxious.
In a Sentence: I broke out in a cold sweat before the interview.
Other Ways to Say: Get Nervous, Panic, Be Alarmed.
32. A nervous wreck
Meaning: Be very stressed and unable to function normally.
In a Sentence: I became a nervous wreck before the exam.
Other Ways to Say: Distressed, Anxious, Uneasy.
33. Bottled up emotions
Meaning: Keep stress and emotions inside.
In a Sentence: Bottled up emotions can be harmful.
Other Ways to Say: Suppress, Hold In, Conceal Feelings.
34. On pins and needles
Meaning: Anxious while waiting for something.
In a Sentence: I was on pins and needles waiting for the doctor’s call.
Other Ways to Say: Restless, Anxious, Uneasy.
35. Walking on eggshells
Meaning: Being overly careful not to cause stress.
In a Sentence: I felt like I was walking on eggshells around him.
Other Ways to Say: Cautious, Careful, Hesitant.
36. Like a cat on a hot tin roof
Meaning: Restless and stressed.
In a Sentence: He was like a cat on a hot tin roof during the test.
Other Ways to Say: Fidgety, Nervous, Jumpy.
37. Bite your nails
Meaning: Show stress or anxiety.
In a Sentence: I was biting my nails during the final minutes.
Other Ways to Say: Worry, Be Anxious, Be Nervous.
38. Blowing off steam
Meaning: Release stress by venting or acting out.
In a Sentence: I blow off steam by going for a run.
Other Ways to Say: Vent, Let It Out, Relax.
39. Chew someone out
Meaning: Scold someone out of stress or anger.
In a Sentence: The coach chewed him out for missing practice.
Other Ways to Say: Scold, Rebuke, Yell At.
40. Kick up a fuss
Meaning: React to stress by complaining loudly.
In a Sentence: She kicked up a fuss when her order was wrong.
Other Ways to Say: Complain, Protest, Object.
41. Go ballistic
Meaning: Lose control from stress.
In a Sentence: He went ballistic when the deal fell through.
Other Ways to Say: Explode, Lose It, Go Crazy.
42. Get worked up
Meaning: Become very stressed or upset.
In a Sentence: Don’t get worked up about minor issues.
Other Ways to Say: Agitated, Tense, Emotional.
43. A hair-trigger temper
Meaning: Become stressed and angry easily.
In a Sentence: He has a hair-trigger temper under pressure.
Other Ways to Say: Short-Tempered, Testy, Irritable.
44. Keep it together
Meaning: Stay calm and composed.
In a Sentence: She managed to keep it together during the crisis.
Other Ways to Say: Stay Strong, Hold On, Remain Calm.
45. Crack up
Meaning: Mentally break under stress.
In a Sentence: He cracked up after months of work stress.
Other Ways to Say: Collapse, Break Down, Lose Control.
46. A pressure cooker situation
Meaning: A highly stressful environment.
In a Sentence: The office was a pressure cooker during year-end.
Other Ways to Say: Tense Situation, High-Pressure, Stressful.
47. Have a meltdown
Meaning: Lose emotional control.
In a Sentence: I had a meltdown after a tough day.
Other Ways to Say: Break Down, Lose It, Explode.
48. Snap at someone
Meaning: Speak harshly due to stress.
In a Sentence: He snapped at me for no reason.
Other Ways to Say: Yell, Rebuke, Lash Out.
49. Be driven to distraction
Meaning: So stressed you can’t focus.
In a Sentence: The noise drove me to distraction.
Other Ways to Say: Distracted, Unfocused, Anxious.
50. Be in a stew
Meaning: Worry intensely.
In a Sentence: She was in a stew over her late assignment.
Other Ways to Say: Anxious, Nervous, Worried.
