Professional Documents
Culture Documents
15 Must-Know English Idioms About Health To Exercise Your Language Skills FluentU English
15 Must-Know English Idioms About Health To Exercise Your Language Skills FluentU English
Home » English Vocab and Grammar » 15 Must-know English Idioms About Health to Exercise Your
Language Skills
The idiom goes, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” And, as we know,
idioms are not to be taken literally.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away is one of the most common English
idioms about health. It reminds us to eat healthily and to think about our food
choices. This idiom is from 1913 but is more relevant than ever!
If you want to sound more like a native speaker and learn some interesting
English, then keep reading. We’re going to explore 15 of the most common
health and wellness idioms.
Idioms are part of what we call everyday English. For example, visiting the
doctor, talking to your friends and coworkers or describing something to your
family are all situations in which you can use idioms.
And, if you want to sound more like a native speaker, then you should use
health idioms! This is because asking about somebody’s health and wellbeing is
very common in English. This is especially important if you know someone has
been sick or unwell recently. In fact, you’ll note that almost all small talk relates
to asking somebody a question about their health.
Try the quiz below by BBC Learning English to see how many English health
idioms you already know!
Idioms about medicine: There are lots of health idioms that may use medical
language or language related to medical procedures. For example, if you’re
having surgery, you might say, “I’m going under the knife” (keep reading for a
full explanation of this idiom).
Idioms that refer to one’s fitness: These idioms refer to your health and fitness
level. In fact, there’s a whole category of vocabulary dedicated to fitness and
exercise for you to discover.
Age idioms: There’s some crossover between age idioms and health idioms. Of
course, the two ideas are linked, and you may find that some idioms that refer to
age also refer to health. For example, you might say someone has “seen better
days,” which means that they’re both old and not in great physical condition.
Learning idioms can be fun and is extremely helpful. However, it can also be
frustrating. This is because idioms don’t make sense just by looking at the
words alone. We need to understand them through context. There are a few
ways to do this, such as by learning with photos or simply using idioms in real
life as much as possible.
1. As fit as a fiddle
As an extra bonus to this idiom, you can learn an interesting piece of vocabulary:
fiddle.
This is a great idiom because it can be used to talk about many different things.
The basic definition is something that’s (still) functioning in a good way. This
can be a person, an object or even an idea! The reason I wrote still in brackets is
that alive and kicking often refers to something that’s perhaps old or thought to
be useless.
“Do you still have that motorbike you bought in the 1970s?”
“My grandmother is still alive and kicking at 89 years old. She never slows
down!”
This idiom sounds a little scary, and, in some cases, it can be. To go under the
knife is to have surgery or an operation.
Because of the use of the word knife, the idiom usually implies (suggests) that
it’s serious surgery.
“He’s ok; he’s going under the knife next week to have surgery on his
stomach.”
Check out the following video to hear this idiom being used:
In this example, under the weather refers to being unwell, typically with a cold
or other small sickness.
If you’re back on your feet, then you’ve successfully recovered from injury or
sickness and are feeling better again!
“Realizing that my business was going to lose half its profit was a bitter pill
to swallow.”
This idiom can also be used to refer to a group of people or even to non-human
things. For example, you could use it in any situation where somebody with a
special authority assesses something and finds it to be good. This could be
anything from a car to a natural landscape.
“The local biologist assessed the river and found it to be healthy. He gave
it a clean bill of health.”
“The hikers who were lost in the woods for two days received a clean bill
of health from the local physician.”
8. A picture of health
english idioms about health
“Have you met my Uncle Paul? He drinks every day, but he’s still the
picture of health!”
9. Out of shape
This simple idiom describes somebody who’s physically unfit. It’s perhaps one
of the most commonly used health idioms.
“Very tough! I’m pretty out of shape, so I’m surprised I made it to the end!”
In the following video, you might notice that Olaf exclaims, “Man am I out of
shape!” after rushing down the mountain.
“No, why?”
“She looked so happy. There was definitely a spring in her step this
morning.”
A new lease on life refers to a change in attitude and feeling for the better. It
covers a number of different feelings, but generally, they’re positive. They relay
happiness and enthusiasm for life. This idiom can be considered a health idiom
because it refers to a change in mental attitude or outlook.
While not always, the idiom is commonly used to describe a situation in which
an event or person has caused a change in somebody else for the better.
We say that this change has been given. Let’s look at an example:
“Meditating every morning has given me a new lease on life. I’ve never
been happier!”
“After her surgery, she was given a new lease on life and decided to travel
the world.”
It uses a simile, which is a comparison of one thing to another. Similes are often
found in poetry.
If someone is as pale as a ghost, then they’re very pale. Pale is a very light shade
of color associated with sickness.
Because of this, the simile has two meanings: You can be as pale as a ghost
because of fear or because you’re very sick or nauseous.
“Ribbit, ribbit!”
If someone has a frog in their throat, then they’re unable to speak in a clear
way. The reason that this idiom is included in this list is that it’s very common to
use it when you’re unwell. For example, you may have seasonal allergies or have
contracted a cold or the flu, which has led to a change in your voice.
“I’m sorry, but no matter how much water I drink, I can’t get rid of this frog
in my throat.”
This is perhaps the most commonly used idiom in the entire list. Again, it uses a
simile.
“I was as sick as a dog after we ate that chicken from the new restaurant
last night. I think that something was wrong with it.”
How was that for a brain workout? Hopefully, you’re feeling as fit as a fiddle and
ready to take on the English-speaking world with your new set of health idioms.
Don’t forget to keep exercising your brain and continuing to learn English
idioms. You’ll put a spring in your step for sure!