Family is a fundamental part of our lives, shaping our experiences and relationships. Understanding and using expressions related to family can enhance your communication skills and deepen your connections. This blog post introduces 20 idioms and phrasal verbs related to family, complete with short meanings and example sentences.
1. Blood is thicker than water
Meaning: Family is most important
Example: She chose her brother; blood is thicker than water.
2. Chip off the old block
Meaning: Similar to parent
Example: He’s a chip off the old block, just like his dad.
3. Flesh and blood
Meaning: Family member
Example: She’s my flesh and blood; I must help her.
4. Run in the family
Meaning: Common family trait
Example: Artistic talent runs in the family.
5. Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth
Meaning: Born into wealth
Example: He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
6. Bring up
Meaning: Raise a child
Example: They brought up three wonderful children.
7. Black sheep
Meaning: Family outcast
Example: He’s the black sheep of the family.
8. Keep it in the family
Meaning: Keep secret within family
Example: We’ll keep it in the family.
9. Like father, like son
Meaning: Son similar to father
Example: Like father, like son; they both love fishing.
10. Apple of one’s eye
Meaning: Favorite person
Example: His daughter is the apple of his eye.
11. Skeleton in the closet
Meaning: Family secret
Example: Every family has a skeleton in the closet.
12. Runaway marriage
Meaning: Elopement
Example: They had a runaway marriage last weekend.
13. Tie the knot
Meaning: Get married
Example: They’re planning to tie the knot in June.
14. Get along
Meaning: Have good relations
Example: They get along well with their cousins.
15. Hand-me-down
Meaning: Passed down items
Example: I wore hand-me-down clothes from my sister.
16. Close-knit
Meaning: Strongly united
Example: We are a close-knit family, always together.
17. Spitting image
Meaning: Exact resemblance
Example: She’s the spitting image of her mother.
18. Father figure
Meaning: Mentor or guide
Example: He’s been a father figure to many.
19. Break up
Meaning: End a relationship
Example: They decided to break up after many arguments.
20. Overprotective
Meaning: Excessively protective
Example: His parents are very overprotective of him.
