Dobi Apps

English idioms

Weather & nature idioms

Idioms built on rain, storms, sunshine, trees and the sea, used for everyday situations.

Idioms

  1. 1raining cats and dogsRaining very heavily.Take an umbrella – it's raining cats and dogs out there.
  2. 2every cloud has a silver liningSomething good can come out of even a bad situation.I missed my flight, but I met my business partner in the queue – every cloud has a silver lining.
  3. 3weather the stormTo get through a difficult period without serious damage.Small shops that kept their costs low managed to weather the storm.
  4. 4the calm before the stormA quiet, peaceful time just before a period of trouble or great activity.The office is silent on Monday morning, but it's just the calm before the storm – the launch is on Wednesday.
  5. 5come rain or shineWhatever happens, no matter the conditions.He goes running every morning, come rain or shine.
  6. 6when it rains, it poursWhen one bad thing happens, other bad things often happen at the same time.First my laptop broke, then my phone, then the car – when it rains, it pours.
  7. 7a storm in a teacupA lot of anger or worry about something that is not important.The argument about the office fridge was just a storm in a teacup.
  8. 8have your head in the cloudsTo be dreamy and not pay attention to practical things.Sorry, I had my head in the clouds – what did you say?
  9. 9a bolt from the blueSomething completely unexpected and sudden, often surprising news.The news that the company was closing came like a bolt from the blue.
  10. 10make hay while the sun shinesMake the most of a good opportunity while it lasts.Tickets are selling well this month, so let's make hay while the sun shines.
  11. 11the tip of the icebergA small, visible part of a much bigger problem.The bugs users reported are just the tip of the iceberg.
  12. 12out of the woodsOut of danger or difficulty, though often not completely yet.Sales are improving, but we're not out of the woods yet.
  13. 13can't see the wood for the treesTo be so focused on small details that you miss the bigger picture.I've been editing this report for so long that I can't see the wood for the trees.
  14. 14nip something in the budTo stop a problem early, before it grows bigger.If students start arriving late, nip it in the bud straight away.
  15. 15turn over a new leafTo change your behaviour and start acting in a better way.After failing his exams, he decided to turn over a new leaf and study every day.
  16. 16the grass is always greenerOther people's situations always seem better than yours, even when they are not.He keeps changing jobs, but the grass is always greener, isn't it?
  17. 17go with the flowTo relax and accept what happens instead of trying to control it.We didn't plan anything for the trip – we just went with the flow.
  18. 18make wavesTo cause trouble or attract attention by challenging how things are done.She's new, so she doesn't want to make waves in her first month.
  19. 19a perfect stormA very bad situation caused by several problems happening at the same time.Rising prices, a staff shortage and bad weather created a perfect storm for the restaurant.
  20. 20get wind of somethingTo hear about something secret or private, often by accident.If the press gets wind of this, we'll be in trouble.
  21. 21a snowball effectA situation where something small grows bigger and faster as it continues.One good review led to more customers – it had a snowball effect.