Expressions for happiness
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Satisfied / Satisfaction – Happy and satisfied with the results of something, feeling
accomplished.
Pleased / Pleasant – Happy and satisfied with the outcome of something. An
atmosphere that gives a sense of happiness and enjoyment.
Glad / Gladness – Happy and pleased about something.
Content / Contentment – Happy and satisfied with your life.
Cheerful / Cheer – Behaving in a happy and friendly way, or a happy and friendly
environment.
Delighted / Delight – feeling or showing great pleasure and enjoyment.
Joyful / Joy – To be beaming with happiness. A person who is continuously laughing and
energetic, always in light and good mood. A situation that has a burst of happiness,
laughter, and celebration.
Blissful / Bliss – extremely happy, full of joy, and feeling at peace.
Optimistic / Optimism – Hopeful and positive person.
Euphoric / Euphoria – feeling intense excitement and happiness.
Carefree / Carefreeness – Content, free from anxiety or responsibility.
Exuberant / Exuberance– happy, excited, and full of energy
On Top of the World. The height of happiness. ...
On Cloud Nine. To be extremely happy or elated, it is often used when the feeling lasts
long past the event that caused it. ...
Happy go lucky. ...
Over the moon. ...
Cheer up. ...
Buzzed/ Hyped. ...
Grin from ear to ear. ...
Full of the joys of Spring
Like a dog with two tails
In seventh heaven
Expressions for sadness
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Down in the mouth (expresses sadness means to look unhappy)
This idiom is never used to describe oneself. It is always used to
describe another person. For example; she seems to be down in the
mouth. Maybe she failed her exams.
Down in the dumps (used so much to describe a person’s appearance, but
rather a person’s mood or the way they feel). For example: Nina seems to
be down in the dumps because she broke up with her friend recently.
Reduce to tears (means to make someone cry or to be so unhappy, and
down that, you begin to cry). For example: My boss reduced me to tears
with his constant criticism today.
Lump in your throat (to get a feeling in our throat that means we are about
to cry. We are upset, sad, and worried). For example; His speech was so
emotional that I lumped my throat.
Feeling blue/to have the blues. For example: His speech was so emotional
that I lumped my throat.
Face like a wet weekend(It may come from a situation where a person
wants to relax, do something outdoors, or get some fresh air on the
weekend but can’t because the weather leaves much to be desired – it’s
overcast, cold, or continuously raining, and this makes the person sad or
depressed.). For example; Billy, your face is like a wet weekend. What’s
wrong?
Expressions for fear
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afraid of one's own shadow. A person who is afraid of his/her own shadow is very
nervous or easily frightened. ...
bated breath. ...
make your blood run cold. ...
break out in a cold sweat. ...
bundle of nerves. ...
(have) butterflies in stomach. ...
can't stand the pace. ...
(like a) cat on hot bricks.
Expressions for anxiety or fear
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get/have the jitters
o If you get (or have) the jitters, especially before an important event, you
become very nervous or anxious and begin to shake.
"Some people get the jitters when they have to make a speech."
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have kittens
o To say that you're going to have kittens is a dramatic way of expressing
worry, anxiety or fear.
"His mother nearly had kittens when Alex announced that we wanted to
be a trapeze artist."
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jump out of your skin
o If you jump out of your skin, you are extremely surprised or shocked.
"Jane nearly jumped out of her skin when the horse put its head through
the kitchen window!"
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get your knickers in a twist
o If you get your knickers in a twist, you are anxious, nervous, or angry
faced with a difficult situation.
"Don't get your knickers in a twist! Everything is under control."
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nerves of steel
o Someone who has nerves of steel is not afraid and stays calm in difficult
or dangerous situations.
"Fire-fighters need to have nerves of steel."
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on pins and needles
o If you are on pins and needles, you are very anxious or nervous about
what is going to happen.
"Scott was on pins and needles while he waited for the result of the
exam."
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quaking in one's boots
o When someone is extremely scared, it is said that they are quaking in their
boots.
"When he saw the crocodiles in the water, he started quaking in his
boots."
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scare (someone) out of their wits
o If something scares you out of your wits, it makes you very frightened or
worried.
"The feeling that a house is haunted can scare people out of their wits."
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scare the daylights out of someone
o If something scares the (living) daylights out of you, it terrifies you.
"The sudden screaming scared the daylights out of me. I
was absolutely terrified!"
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scared stiff
o Someone who is scared stiff is so frightened that they are unable to
move.
"My mother is scared stiff of heights."
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shake like a leaf
o If you shake like a leaf, you tremble with fear or nervousness.
"At the beginning of the interview the candidate was shaking like a leaf."
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on tenterhooks
o A person who is on tenterhooks is in a state of anxious suspense or
excitement
"The candidates were kept on tenterhooks for hours while the panel
deliberated."
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tongue-tied
o If you are tongue-tied,you have difficulty in expressing yourself because
you are nervous or embarrassed.
"At the start of the interview I was completely tongue-tied!"
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whistle in the dark
o If you whistle in the dark, you try to hide your fear and pretend to be brave
in a scary or dangerous situation.
"Bob looks confident but he's just whistling in the dark; he knows he's
going to lose his job."
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at your wits' end
o If you are at your wits' end, you are so worried about something that you
do not know what to do next.
"When her son dropped out of school, Susan was at her wits' end."