This is lesson 4 from Idiom Part 2. Each idiom is followed by its definition and examples. After you learn them, you can use them in your daily conversation.
Previous English Idiom Lesson
In our previous English idiom lesson, we cover below:
English Idiom Part 2- Lesson 4
1- A smashing person= if you say someone is smashing, you like them very much
She is a smashing person as a friend.
2- Going to pieces= become so upset or nervous
My mother went to pieces after her father’s death.
3- Breaking point= when a person can no longer accept or deal with a situation because of too much pressure or stress.
The situation reached breaking point when his son crashed the family car.
4- (Someone needs) careful handling= Pay more attention to someone since s/he is delicate and sensitive
He needs careful handling. He’s brilliant, but he’s a bit sensitive to criticism.
5- Coming from a broken home= a family in which the parents are separated or divorced
Almost all of these young people came from broken homes.
6- To snap back= to reply angrily
She snapped back when we told her to clean the room.
7- Shattered confidence= to lose confidence
Being rejected by seven job interviews in a row has shattered my confidence in applying for new jobs.
8- If sb has a chip on his shoulder= to seem angry all the time because you think you have been treated unfairly
John has got a chip on his shoulder about his background.
9- Put life back together= to begin living in a normal way after suffering loss, hardship, etc.
She made a clean break with the past and is starting to put her life together.
10- Handle with kid gloves= to deal with someone very gently or carefully
Since these athletes grow up by being handled with kid gloves, they don’t know how the real world works.
11- Mend the relationship= repairing the relationship
Diane wants a divorce, but Justin is trying to mend the relationship.
12- Pick up the pieces= to try to make a situation better after something bad has happened.
After her business went bankrupt, she picked up the pieces and started again.
13- Knock down with a feather= extremely surprised
I won 54 to 48 votes. I was completely overwhelmed; you could have knocked me down with a feather.
14- To break heart= to make one feel very sad
She really broke her mother’s heart when she left home.
15- Crack (under the pressure)= lose control of their emotions or actions because they are under a lot of pressure
After two days of interrogation, his son cracked (under the pressure) and confessed to the murder.
16- Feeling fragile= feeling unwell either physically or mentally
He’s feeling fragile this morning. He had a late night.
Next English Idiom Lesson
In our next English idiom lesson, we cover below:
Related Idioms
Here is the list of idioms related to this lesson.
Idiom Part 1 Outline
If you wish to explore all lessons that are covered in HiCafe Idiom Part 1, you can visit the Essential and Popular English idioms- Part 1 page.
English Fluency Resources
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