Relationship Idioms: Mastering English Expressions of Love & Conflict

Understanding idioms is crucial for mastering English, especially when discussing relationships. Idioms add color and depth to your language, allowing you to express complex emotions and situations succinctly.

This article delves into the world of relationship idioms, providing definitions, examples, and usage rules. Whether you’re an ESL learner or a native speaker, this guide will enhance your understanding and use of English idioms in the context of relationships.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Definition of Relationship Idioms
• Structural Breakdown
• Types and Categories of Relationship Idioms
  • Idioms for Falling in Love
  • Idioms for Being in Love
  • Idioms for Relationship Difficulties
  • Idioms for Breaking Up
  • Idioms for Commitment
• Examples of Relationship Idioms
• Usage Rules for Relationship Idioms
• Common Mistakes with Relationship Idioms
• Practice Exercises
• Advanced Topics in Relationship Idioms
• FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
• Conclusion

Definition of Relationship Idioms

Idioms are expressions whose meanings cannot be understood from the literal meanings of the individual words. Instead, they function as a unit with a figurative meaning. Relationship idioms specifically relate to interactions, feelings, and situations between people in romantic, familial, or platonic connections. These idioms often convey emotions or circumstances more vividly than straightforward language.

Understanding relationship idioms is vital for interpreting conversations and literature, as well as for expressing oneself more naturally and expressively. They are a cornerstone of fluent and idiomatic English.

Structural Breakdown

Most idioms follow a set structure, though they are not always grammatically conventional. They can be phrases, clauses, or even sentences.

The key is that their collective meaning is different from the sum of their parts.

For example, in the idiom “to have a crush on someone,” each word has its own meaning, but the entire phrase signifies a feeling of infatuation. Understanding the underlying structure can help in remembering and using these idioms correctly.

Types and Categories of Relationship Idioms

Relationship idioms can be categorized based on the different stages and aspects of relationships. Here are some common categories:

Idioms for Falling in Love

These idioms describe the initial stages of attraction and affection.

Idioms for Being in Love

These idioms represent the state of being in a loving and committed relationship.

Idioms for Relationship Difficulties

These idioms describe problems, conflicts, or challenges in a relationship.

Idioms for Breaking Up

These idioms refer to the end of a relationship.

Idioms for Commitment

These idioms describe long-term commitment and serious relationships.

Examples of Relationship Idioms

This section provides an extensive list of relationship idioms, categorized for clarity and ease of learning. Each table contains examples showcasing the idiom in context.

Table 1: Idioms for Falling in Love

This table presents idioms used to describe the initial stages of falling in love, including feelings of attraction, infatuation, and developing affection.

Idiom	Meaning	Example Sentence
To have a crush on someone	To be infatuated with someone	She has a crush on the new guy in her class.
To fall head over heels	To fall deeply and madly in love	They fell head over heels for each other during their summer vacation.
To be smitten with someone	To be charmed or captivated by someone	He was completely smitten with her from the moment they met.
To have eyes only for someone	To be attracted to only one person	Since they started dating, he has eyes only for her.
To be swept off one’s feet	To fall in love quickly and intensely	He swept her off her feet with his charm and wit.
To carry a torch for someone	To be in love with someone who doesn’t reciprocate	Even after all these years, he still carries a torch for his high school sweetheart.
Hit it off	To get along well with someone immediately	We hit it off immediately and talked for hours.
Love at first sight	To fall in love immediately upon meeting someone	They say it was love at first sight when they met at the coffee shop.
To be infatuated with	To have a short-lived passion or admiration for someone	Teenagers often become infatuated with pop stars.
To take a shine to someone	To start liking someone	She took a shine to him as soon as they started working together.
Get the hots for someone	To be sexually attracted to someone	He definitely got the hots for her when she walked in the room.
Have a thing for someone	To be attracted to someone	I think she has a thing for the new teacher.
To be sweet on someone	To be romantically interested in someone	He’s been sweet on her ever since they met.
To fall for someone	To begin to love someone	I started to fall for him after our first date.
To be head over heels for someone	To be completely in love with someone	She is head over heels for her new boyfriend.
To click with someone	To immediately feel a connection with someone	We clicked right away when we met at the party.
To be drawn to someone	To be attracted to someone	I was immediately drawn to her intelligence and wit.
To feel butterflies in your stomach	To feel nervous and excited when seeing or thinking about someone you like	I always feel butterflies in my stomach whenever I see him.
To be smitten as a kitten	To be utterly charmed and captivated by someone	He was smitten as a kitten from the moment he saw her smile.
To be love-struck	To be so in love that you seem unable to think of anything else	He was completely love-struck after their first date.
To get googly-eyed over someone	To look at someone with obvious infatuation	She gets googly-eyed over him every time he speaks.
To feel a spark	To feel a sudden connection or attraction	We felt a spark between us the first time we met.
To be captivated by someone	To be completely charmed and fascinated by someone	He was captivated by her intelligence and charm.

Table 2: Idioms for Being in Love

This table details idioms that describe the state of being in a loving and committed relationship, including phrases about affection, contentment, and partnership.

Idiom	Meaning	Example Sentence
Like two peas in a pod	Very similar and always together	They are like two peas in a pod; they do everything together.
To be the apple of one’s eye	To be cherished above all others	His granddaughter is the apple of his eye.
To be head over heels in love	To be completely and deeply in love	They are head over heels in love after only a few months of dating.
To be lovey-dovey	To be excessively affectionate, often in public	They were being so lovey-dovey that it made everyone uncomfortable.
To be a match made in heaven	To be perfectly suited for each other	Everyone says they are a match made in heaven.
To have a soft spot for someone	To feel affection for someone	He has a soft spot for his younger sister.
To be an item	To be in a romantic relationship	They’ve been an item since they met at college.
To be joined at the hip	To be inseparable	Those two are joined at the hip; you never see them apart.
To wear your heart on your sleeve	To openly show your emotions	She wears her heart on her sleeve, so everyone knows how she feels.
To be wrapped around someone’s little finger	To be easily controlled by someone	He is completely wrapped around her little finger.
To be crazy about someone	To be very much in love with someone	She is crazy about her new boyfriend.
To adore someone	To love and admire someone deeply	He adores his wife and children.
To worship the ground someone walks on	To admire and love someone excessively	He worships the ground she walks on.
To dote on someone	To show excessive love and attention	She dotes on her grandchildren.
To cherish someone	To protect and care for someone lovingly	He cherishes every moment they spend together.
To treasure someone	To value and appreciate someone greatly	She treasures their friendship above all else.
To be inseparable	To be unable to be separated	They are inseparable since they became friends.
To be best buds	To be very close friends	They’ve been best buds since childhood.
To be a perfect match	To be ideally suited to each other	They are a perfect match in every way.
To be soulmates	To be two people who are perfectly suited to each other	They believe they are soulmates.
To be each other’s rock	To be a source of strength and support for each other	They are each other’s rock during difficult times.
To be partners in crime	To be close friends who share adventures and mischief	They are partners in crime and always up to something.
To be two halves of a whole	To perfectly complement each other	They are two halves of a whole and complete each other.
To be on the same wavelength	To understand each other perfectly	They are always on the same wavelength.

Table 3: Idioms for Relationship Difficulties

This table includes idioms that describe problems, conflicts, or challenges that arise in relationships, encompassing misunderstandings, arguments, and periods of strain.

Idiom	Meaning	Example Sentence
To be on the rocks	To be experiencing difficulties	Their marriage is on the rocks after the recent arguments.
To go through a rough patch	To experience a difficult period	They are going through a rough patch in their relationship.
To argue like cats and dogs	To argue frequently and intensely	They argue like cats and dogs whenever they are together.
To have a falling out	To have a serious argument that damages a relationship	They had a falling out over a misunderstanding.
To give someone the cold shoulder	To intentionally ignore someone	She gave him the cold shoulder after he forgot her birthday.
To be at each other’s throats	To argue or fight fiercely	They are at each other’s throats all the time.
To be on bad terms	To have a strained relationship	They are on bad terms since their disagreement.
To drive a wedge between	To cause a division or separation	His lies drove a wedge between them.
To be a thorn in someone’s side	To be a constant source of annoyance	His constant complaining is a thorn in her side.
To rub someone the wrong way	To annoy or irritate someone	His arrogance rubs me the wrong way.
To be on thin ice	To be in a precarious situation	He’s on thin ice with his girlfriend after lying to her.
To be walking on eggshells	To be very careful not to offend someone	I feel like I’m walking on eggshells around him lately.
To have a bone to pick with someone	To have a grievance to discuss with someone	I have a bone to pick with you about what you said yesterday.
To hit a nerve	To touch upon a sensitive issue	I think I hit a nerve when I mentioned her ex-boyfriend.
To get on someone’s nerves	To irritate or annoy someone	His constant humming gets on my nerves.
To be at loggerheads	To be in strong disagreement	They are at loggerheads over the budget.
To lock horns	To engage in a conflict or argument	They often lock horns over political issues.
To cross swords	To argue or disagree strongly	They crossed swords during the debate.
To not see eye to eye	To disagree	They don’t see eye to eye on many issues.
To have words	To have an argument	They had words after the party last night.
To give someone a piece of your mind	To express your anger or displeasure	I’m going to give him a piece of my mind for what he did.
To air dirty laundry	To discuss private or embarrassing matters publicly	They aired their dirty laundry in front of everyone.
To sweep something under the rug	To ignore or hide a problem	They tried to sweep the issue under the rug.
To pour oil on troubled waters	To try to calm a situation	He tried to pour oil on troubled waters during their argument.

Table 4: Idioms for Breaking Up

This table presents idioms that describe the end of a relationship, including phrases about separation, disappointment, and moving on.

Idiom	Meaning	Example Sentence
To break up	To end a romantic relationship	They decided to break up after five years together.
To call it quits	To end a relationship or activity	They called it quits because they were no longer happy.
To split up	To end a relationship	They split up after a series of arguments.
To go separate ways	To end a relationship and live different lives	They decided to go their separate ways.
To be history	To be over or finished	Their relationship is history after that fight.
To dump someone	To end a relationship with someone	She dumped him because he was unreliable.
To get dumped	To be the person who is left in a relationship	He got dumped last week.
To kick someone to the curb	To end a relationship abruptly	She kicked him to the curb after finding out about his lies.
To leave someone in the lurch	To abandon someone in a difficult situation	He left her in the lurch when she needed him most.
To be on the outs with someone	To be temporarily not on good terms	They are on the outs with each other right now.
To be over someone	To have recovered from a broken heart	She is finally over her ex-boyfriend.
To move on	To start a new phase in life after a relationship ends	It’s time for him to move on and find someone new.
To patch things up	To resolve a disagreement and restore a relationship	They tried to patch things up, but it didn’t work.
To kiss and make up	To resolve a disagreement with affection	They kissed and made up after their argument.
To bury the hatchet	To make peace after a conflict	They decided to bury the hatchet and be friends again.
To clear the air	To resolve misunderstandings	They needed to clear the air after the argument.
To part ways	To end a relationship	They decided to part ways amicably.
To sever ties	To end a relationship completely	They severed ties after the divorce.
To throw in the towel	To give up on a relationship	He threw in the towel because he couldn’t handle the stress.
To go kaput	To come to an end	Their relationship went kaput after the infidelity.
To come to an end	To finish or conclude	All good things must come to an end.
To reach a breaking point	To reach a point where a relationship can no longer continue	They reached a breaking point and decided to separate.
To come undone	To fall apart or fail	Their relationship came undone due to constant stress.
To turn sour	To become unpleasant or negative	The relationship turned sour after the argument.

Table 5: Idioms for Commitment

This table showcases idioms related to long-term commitment and serious relationships, including phrases about marriage, promises, and enduring love.

Idiom	Meaning	Example Sentence
To tie the knot	To get married	They are planning to tie the knot next summer.
To walk down the aisle	To get married	She is excited to walk down the aisle.
To pop the question	To propose marriage	He is going to pop the question on their anniversary.
To take the plunge	To make a major decision, like getting married	They decided to take the plunge and get married.
To settle down	To start living a stable life, often with marriage	They are ready to settle down and start a family.
To be husband and wife	To be married	They are finally husband and wife.
To be an old married couple	To behave like a long-married couple, even if not married	They bicker like an old married couple.
To be joined at the hip	To be inseparable, often used for married couples	They are joined at the hip after 50 years of marriage.
To be a lifelong commitment	To be a commitment that lasts for the duration of one’s life	Marriage is a lifelong commitment.
To be together through thick and thin	To be together during good times and bad times	They promised to be together through thick and thin.
To weather the storm	To survive a difficult situation together	They weathered the storm of financial difficulties together.
To build a life together	To create a shared life and future	They are excited to build a life together.
To grow old together	To spend the rest of one’s life with someone	They hope to grow old together.
To be each other’s better half	To be the person who completes or improves the other	She is definitely his better half.
To stand the test of time	To remain strong and lasting over a long period	Their love stood the test of time.
To have and to hold	To commit to cherish and care for someone forever	They vowed to have and to hold each other.
To be devoted to someone	To be completely dedicated to someone	He is completely devoted to his wife.
To be faithful to someone	To be loyal and committed to someone	She has always been faithful to her husband.
To keep the home fires burning	To maintain a warm and welcoming home	She always keeps the home fires burning for her family.
To put down roots	To settle in a place and make it your home	They decided to put down roots in the countryside.
To start a family	To begin having children	They are planning to start a family soon.
To have a bun in the oven	To be pregnant	She has a bun in the oven.
To be a family man/woman	To prioritize family life	He is a true family man.
To lay down roots	To establish a permanent home and life	They decided to lay down roots in the small town.

Usage Rules for Relationship Idioms

Using idioms correctly requires understanding their specific context and nuances. Here are some general guidelines:

• Context is key: Idioms can change meaning slightly based on the context of the conversation.
• Know your audience: Some idioms are more formal than others. Choose idioms appropriate for your audience.
• Don’t mix idioms: Avoid combining parts of different idioms; this can lead to confusion and sound unnatural.
• Pay attention to prepositions: Many idioms rely on specific prepositions. Using the wrong one can alter the meaning or make the idiom incorrect. For example, it’s “fall for someone,” not “fall to someone.”
• Practice: The best way to master idioms is to use them in conversation and writing.

Common Mistakes with Relationship Idioms

Learners often make mistakes when using idioms due to their figurative nature. Here are some common errors and how to avoid them:

• Literal interpretation: Interpreting idioms literally instead of understanding their figurative meaning.
• Incorrect word choice: Substituting words within an idiom changes its meaning or renders it nonsensical.
• Misunderstanding the context: Using an idiom in an inappropriate situation.

Table 6: Correct vs. Incorrect Usage

This table illustrates common mistakes made when using relationship idioms, providing both the incorrect and correct examples for clarity.

Incorrect	Correct	Explanation
She fell head over shoes for him.	She fell head over heels for him.	The correct idiom is “head over heels,” not “head over shoes.”
They are like two apples in a pod.	They are like two peas in a pod.	The correct idiom is “two peas in a pod,” meaning very similar.
Their marriage is on the rocks stone.	Their marriage is on the rocks.	The correct idiom is “on the rocks,” meaning experiencing difficulties.
He gave her a cold arm.	He gave her the cold shoulder.	The correct idiom is “give someone the cold shoulder,” meaning to ignore someone.
They called the quits on it.	They called it quits.	The correct idiom is “call it quits,” meaning to end something.
She dumped him to the curb.	She kicked him to the curb.	The correct idiom is “kick someone to the curb,” meaning to end a relationship abruptly.
Let’s bury the axe.	Let’s bury the hatchet.	The correct idiom is “bury the hatchet,” meaning to make peace.
He popped a question.	He popped the question.	The correct idiom is “pop the question,” meaning to propose marriage.
They are settling down the roots.	They are putting down roots.	The correct idiom is “put down roots,” meaning to settle in a place.
They are together through fat and skinny.	They are together through thick and thin.	The correct idiom is “through thick and thin,” meaning through good times and bad.

Practice Exercises

Test your understanding of relationship idioms with these exercises. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate idiom from the list provided.

Table 7: Practice Exercise 1

This table contains sentences with blanks where you should insert the correct idiom from the provided list to complete the sentence appropriately.

Question	Answer
1. After their big fight, they decided to _______ and try to fix their relationship. (patch things up, call it quits, hit it off)	patch things up
2. She completely _______ for him after their first date; she couldn’t stop thinking about him. (fell head over heels, gave him the cold shoulder, had a falling out)	fell head over heels
3. They _______ immediately when they met at the party and talked for hours. (hit it off, are on the rocks, went their separate ways)	hit it off
4. Their marriage _______ after years of constant arguments and disagreements. (is on the rocks, tied the knot, went kaput)	went kaput
5. After dating for five years, he finally decided to _______ and asked her to marry him. (pop the question, give her the cold shoulder, sweep her off her feet)	pop the question
6. They _______ after the argument and haven’t spoken since. (had a falling out, are joined at the hip, are like two peas in a pod)	had a falling out
7. He’s been _______ since she left him; he can’t seem to move on. (carrying a torch for her, worshiping the ground she walks on, building a life together)	carrying a torch for her
8. Even though they argue sometimes, they always _______ and resolve their issues. (kiss and make up, drive a wedge between, get on each other’s nerves)	kiss and make up
9. They are _______; they are always together and do everything as a team. (joined at the hip, on thin ice, on bad terms)	joined at the hip
10. She decided to _______ after finding out about his lies and betrayal. (kick him to the curb, be head over heels in love, weather the storm)	kick him to the curb

Table 8: Practice Exercise 2

This table presents sentences where you must choose the correct idiom from the multiple-choice options to complete the sentence accurately.

Question	Answer
1. They are always arguing; they _______. (a) argue like cats and dogs (b) argue like birds and fish (c) argue like horses and cows)	(a) argue like cats and dogs
2. She is always so supportive; she is _______. (a) his better half (b) his good side (c) his best part)	(a) his better half
3. They decided to _______ and start a family. (a) settle down (b) settle up (c) settle out)	(a) settle down
4. After many years, their love _______. (a) stood the test of time (b) sat the test of time (c) ran the test of time)	(a) stood the test of time
5. They had a disagreement and now they _______. (a) are on good terms (b) are on bad terms (c) are on fair terms)	(b) are on bad terms
6. He is completely _______ with her. (a) love-struck (b) love-stricken (c) love-stuck)	(a) love-struck
7. They want to _______ next year. (a) tie a knot (b) tie the knot (c) tie knots)	(b) tie the knot
8. She _______ when she met him. (a) felt sparks (b) felt a spark (c) felt the spark)	(b) felt a spark
9. They decided to _______ and end the relationship. (a) part ways (b) part the ways (c) part their ways)	(a) part ways
10. He is always _______ her. (a) doting on (b) doting at (c) doting in)	(a) doting on

Advanced Topics in Relationship Idioms

For advanced learners, exploring the origin and evolution of relationship idioms can provide a deeper understanding. Many idioms have historical or cultural roots that add layers of meaning.

Additionally, analyzing how idioms are used in literature and media can enhance comprehension and appreciation of their impact.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Relationship idioms are a vibrant and essential part of the English language. By understanding their meanings, usage rules, and common pitfalls, you can significantly enhance your communication skills and cultural literacy.

Keep practicing and exploring new idioms to enrich your vocabulary and express yourself more fluently. Embrace the colorful world of idioms and watch your English language skills flourish.