Navigating through life’s challenges often involves encountering various setbacks. This post explores 20 expressions that vividly capture these moments of delay and difficulty, helping you articulate and understand these experiences more profoundly.
1. Hit a snag
Meaning: Encounter a sudden obstacle
Example: They hit a snag while renovating the kitchen.
2. Back to square one
Meaning: Start over completely
Example: After the deal failed, it was back to square one.
3. Fall through the cracks
Meaning: Be overlooked or missed
Example: Her application fell through the cracks initially.
4. Go south
Meaning: Deteriorate or decline
Example: Their plans went south after the disagreement.
5. Come up against a brick wall
Meaning: Meet a strong barrier to progress
Example: He came up against a brick wall with his proposal.
6. Lose ground
Meaning: Move backward, lose progress
Example: She lost ground in her recovery last week.
7. At a standstill
Meaning: Completely stopped
Example: Traffic was at a standstill for hours.
8. Knock the wind out of
Meaning: Discourage greatly
Example: The rejection knocked the wind out of him.
9. Take a nosedive
Meaning: Decrease suddenly and sharply
Example: Stock prices took a nosedive yesterday.
10. Hit rock bottom
Meaning: Reach the lowest possible level
Example: He hit rock bottom before seeking help.
11. Throw a spanner in the works
Meaning: Disrupt or spoil a plan
Example: The sudden storm threw a spanner in the works.
12. Bite the dust
Meaning: Fail after effort
Example: Their startup bit the dust last year.
13. Bark up the wrong tree
Meaning: Misdirect one’s efforts
Example: He was barking up the wrong tree with his complaints.
14. Burn bridges
Meaning: Destroy relationships recklessly
Example: Quitting abruptly might burn bridges.
15. Miss the boat
Meaning: Lose an opportunity
Example: He missed the boat on that investment.
16. Go over like a lead balloon
Meaning: Be received poorly
Example: His joke went over like a lead balloon.
17. Spin one’s wheels
Meaning: Waste effort
Example: They were just spinning their wheels with that approach.
18. Get the short end of the stick
Meaning: Be treated unfairly
Example: She got the short end of the stick in that deal.
19. Add fuel to the fire
Meaning: Worsen a situation
Example: His comments added fuel to the fire.
20. Bite off more than one can chew
Meaning: Take on a task that is too big
Example: He bit off more than he could chew with that project.
