Word for something bad about to happen

It may be something that will happen to the person who is having the feeling but it may also be to several persons, as might occur with a highly destructive earthquake, for instance.

The word or phrase would be used in the following sentence:

“I’m no spiritualist but I have a feeling of ___. I hope it’s just a feeling.»

EDIT — The phrase I’m looking for conveys a much stronger feeling than «I have a bad hunch». It is about something catastrophic which the person feels is «going to happen in a few minutes».

Em1's user avatar

Em1

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asked Dec 12, 2014 at 15:56

Centaurus's user avatar

CentaurusCentaurus

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My first thoughts on reading the question were of the phrase ‘I have a feeling of impending doom.’ Since the word ‘catastrophic’ is used, this doesn’t feel unduly strong.

Edit by Centaurus — I’m adding some lines from the reference the answerer has given in his comment below:

Many people experience strong feelings and sensations associated with fear and anxiety. They are especially powerful when they occur for seemingly no reason. Consequently, many people react to these «out of the blue» feelings with fear, which only serves to inflame them. To better understand these strong impending doom feelings, the anxiety symptom “fear of impending doom” is often described as one or many of the following:

  • Feeling like something awful is about to occur
  • A sense that something very dangerous is about to happen
  • An overwhelming feeling you are about to die
  • A strong feeling that something terrible is about to happen and there isn’t anything you can do about it
  • A strong feeling of death and destruction that suddenly comes over you
  • An overwhelming fear of impending doom, destruction, despair, and gloom
  • A horrible feeling of doom and gloom that washes over you
  • Fear of impending doom that begins or accompanies a panic attack or anxiety attack
  • Such a strong feeling of impending doom that you feel you have to escape immediately or something terrible will happen

Community's user avatar

answered Dec 12, 2014 at 17:03

Tony Balmforth's user avatar

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How about foreboding: ‘a strong inner feeling or notion of a future misfortune, evil, etc’.

answered Dec 12, 2014 at 16:12

Patrick Wood's user avatar

Patrick WoodPatrick Wood

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Is not the word you are searching ominous?

I’m no spiritualist but I have an ominous feeling, ….

Equally, as Patrick Wood points out a feeling of foreboding would do equally well, perhaps engendering even more concern in the listener.

answered Dec 12, 2014 at 16:19

WS2's user avatar

WS2WS2

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I’m no spiritualist but I have a premonition. I hope it’s no more than that.

The alternative shown above may work. From en.wiktionary, premonition means

(1) A clairvoyant or clairaudient experience, such as a dream, which resonates with some event in the future.
(2) A strong intuition that something is about to happen (usually something negative, but not exclusively).

answered Dec 12, 2014 at 16:54

James Waldby - jwpat7's user avatar

4

I have a feeling of impending danger or I have a presentiment of impending danger.

answered Dec 12, 2014 at 16:34

Presage:

  • a sign that something, often something unpleasant, will happen:

  • something that foreshadows or portends a future event , omen

    • The fact that no agreement has been reached by the Prime Ministers is a presage that a conflict may be imminent.

(from www.dictionary.cambridge.org)

answered Dec 12, 2014 at 19:34

The word apprehension comes to mind.

answered Dec 13, 2014 at 4:28

Stephen Brackens-Brinkley's user avatar

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This is a perfect opportunity to use one of my favorite words:

consternation — noun — «An emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger.»

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Misti

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answered Dec 12, 2014 at 18:30

J L's user avatar

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«I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up»

answered Dec 12, 2014 at 18:56

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rbprbp

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«I feel like someone just walked over my grave» is a dark, ominous, foreboding description, and it hints toward death with a touch of the supernatural.

answered Dec 12, 2014 at 19:16

Darth Egregious's user avatar

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On this page you may find the A sign of something bad about to happen (adj.) answers and solutions. Figgerits is an amazing logic puzzle game available for both iOS and Android. The way how the game works is basically quite simple and entertaining, you are given the definition of the hidden words and you have to correctly find the solution. Each of the answers you find will help you find the solution for the level. If you are stuck with A sign of something bad about to happen (adj.) figgerits and would like to find the answer then continue scrolling below. If something is wrong or missing kindly let us know and we will be more than happy to help you out.

SOLUTION: OMINOUS


На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать грубую лексику.


На основании Вашего запроса эти примеры могут содержать разговорную лексику.


Or it could be that they have bad karma from an earlier life, and something bad is about to happen that can be averted if they become a mah song.



Или это может быть плохой кармой из предыдущей жизни, и что-то плохое случится, что может быть предотвращено, если они становятся Мах-Сонг.


I can’t seem to escape the feeling that something bad is about to happen.


Anxiety is an ongoing, vague feeling that something bad is happening or about to happen.


Thus the body reacts to danger and also to the possibility that something bad is about to happen, not only to the event itself.

Ничего не найдено для этого значения.

Результатов: 4161180. Точных совпадений: 1. Затраченное время: 608 мс

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Индекс фразы: 1-400, 401-800, 801-1200

Перевод по словам

something [pronoun]

pronoun: нечто, нечто особенное, что-то, кое-что, что-нибудь, что-либо

adverb: немного, приблизительно, несколько, до некоторой степени, великолепно

  • there’s something for everyone — есть кое-что для всех
  • little something extra — мало что-то дополнительно
  • have got something to say — есть что-то сказать
  • something larger — нечто большее
  • try something — попробовать что-то
  • perhaps something — возможно, что-то
  • something genuine — то подлинное
  • do you want to get something — Вы хотите получить что-то
  • give her something for the pain — дать ей что-то от боли
  • i had to do something — я должен был сделать что-то

bad [adjective]

adjective: плохой, дурной, нехороший, скверный, сильный, вредный, больной, испорченный, недоброкачественный, безнравственный

adverb: нехорошо, дурно

noun: неудача, несчастье, убыток, гибель, дефицит, разорение

  • give someone a bad name — дать кому-то плохое имя
  • bad choices — плохой выбор
  • bad dancer — плохой танцор
  • bad feeding — плохое питание
  • did i come at a bad time — я пришел в плохое время
  • i am not a bad person — я не плохой человек
  • is a bad thing — это плохо
  • is too bad — очень плохо
  • times are bad — плохие времена
  • with bad faith — с недобросовестным
  • is miserable — несчастен
  • is the one and only — это один и только
  • unemployment is falling — безработица падает
  • is still recording — по-прежнему записи
  • it is perhaps interesting — это, возможно, интересно
  • information is expected — информация ожидается
  • that is it includes — что она включает в себя
  • is being read out — считывается из
  • this is a difficult — это трудно
  • an exception is made for — исключение сделано для

about [adverb]

preposition: о, около, об, относительно, по, насчет, вокруг, у, кругом, близ

adverb: около, приблизительно, относительно, вокруг, почти, кругом, повсюду, везде, в обратном направлении, поблизости

verb: менять курс, поворачивать на другой галс

adjective: двигающийся, находящийся в обращении, меняющий курс

  • be brought about by — быть вызванным
  • kvetch about — kvetch о
  • i know more about — я знаю больше о
  • care about customers — забота о клиентах
  • cogitating about — размышляет о
  • alignment about — выравнивание о
  • makes people think about — заставляет людей думать о
  • differ about — отличается о
  • give opinion about — дать заключение о
  • hold a presentation about — провести презентацию

to [preposition]

preposition: к, в, до, на, для

abbreviation: телеграфная контора, телеграфное отделение

  • come to light — выявляться
  • put to the test — подвергнуть испытанию
  • wear to a frazzle — изнашиваться
  • bring someone around to — привозить кого-то
  • acquiesce to — соглашаться на
  • owing to the fact that — в связи с тем, что
  • knock to the ground — стучать в землю
  • put/set a match to — ставить / установить соответствие с
  • tutor oneself to be patient — сдерживаться
  • administer to — администрировать

happen [verb]

verb: происходить, случаться, бывать, статься, случайно оказываться, случайно найти, приводиться

  • wherever you happen to be — где бы вы ни находились
  • doesn’t happen often — не часто
  • likely to happen — может произойти
  • something were to happen to me — что-то должно было случиться со мной
  • imagine what would happen if — представьте, что произойдет, если
  • think is gonna happen — думаю, что это случится
  • to make this happen — чтобы это произошло
  • expect it to happen — ожидать, что это произойдет
  • no matter what happen — неважно, что случилось
  • happen to my sister — случиться с моей сестрой

Предложения с «something bad is about to happen»

Something bad is about to happen.

Случится что — то плохое.

Justice is something that people of goodwill make happen.

Справедливость — это то, что люди доброй воли заставляют восторжествовать.

I believe something similar needs to happen with the universe of data.

Я считаю, что нечто подобное должно произойти со вселенной данных.

But eventually either jobs will come back or they will not come back, and at that point, either something will work or it doesn’t work, and it doesn’t work or not work because of great marketing, it works because it actually addresses a real problem and so I happen to think the truth will out.

В конечном счёте — вернутся ли рабочие места или нет, сработает ли что — то или потерпит крах, и вовсе не из — за искусного маркетинга — это сработает, поскольку затрагивает реальную проблему, и рано или поздно мы узнаем правду.

And you kind of felt — they never announced the mall was closing, but you had this sort of feeling, this ominous feeling, that something big was going to happen, like it was the end of the road.

И создаётся ощущение — а они, кстати, так и не объявили о его закрытии — и тебя охватывает зловещее предчувствие, что должно случится что — то грандиозное, словно близится конец.

But here’s something I’ve learned: if love were enough to stop someone who is suicidal from hurting themselves, suicides would hardly ever happen.

Но вот что я поняла: если бы достаточно было любви, чтобы помешать склонному к суициду человеку причинить себе вред, самоубийств почти бы не было.

It was the chaos and the imperfections that were fascinating me, and something started to happen.

Хаос и несовершенство очаровали меня, и что — то начало происходить .

You know may be something will be not OK, because I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but I know that I’ll do everything to realize my plane and my dreams.

Вы знаете, может быть что — то будет не в порядке, потому что я не знаю, что будет завтра, но я знаю, что я сделаю все, чтобы реализовать свои намерения и мои мечты.

But it’s a pity that so often something horrible has to happen before we see some things at all.

Увы, так часто беда случается еще задолго до того как мы хоть что — то разглядим.

You didn’t think something unimaginable like this would ever happen to you, right?

Ты же не думала, что с тобой когда — либо сможет произойти что — то настолько невероятное?

What Gaynor thinks he will achieve, I do not entirely know, but Hitler and his friends are convinced that something monumental will happen.

Не знаю, чего добивается Гейнор, но Гитлер явно планирует что — то грандиозное.

She touched the smooth crimson armor tentatively, then with more assurance, as if she’d expected something to happen.

Она неуверенно дотронулась до алого панциря, словно ждала какого — то подвоха, потом стала смелее.

You shouldn’t stand by and let something terrible happen because you were too scared to do the right thing.

Ты не должен позволять чему — то плохому случаться потому, что ты боишься совершить правильный поступок.

I never would have believed something so awful could happen around here.

Никогда бы не подумал, что здесь могло произойти нечто столь отвратительное.

We wouldn’t want to discourage him from calling us in the event that something real ever does happen.

Я не хотел бы отбивать у него желание позвонить, если действительно произойдет что — то плохое.

He could not shake a subtle conviction that something dreadful was about to happen.

Его не оставляло предчувствие, что вот — вот случится что — то ужасное.

We are patiently waiting for something to happen.

Мы должны запастись терпением и ждать, когда что — нибудь произойдёт .

I was born semipsychic, and I had a hunch something would happen.

Я родился полумедиумом, и я чувствовал, что что — то случится.

We hope that something similar will happen with the Millennium Declaration.

Мы надеемся, что нечто подобное произойдет и в отношении Декларации тысячелетия.

And something similar could happen for the Higgs boson mass in the multiverse.

Что — то подобное могло случиться с массой бозона Хиггса в мультивселенной.

So something did happen to me in the transporter beam.

Значит, что — то все — таки со мной случилось, пока я был в транспортерном луче.

And it can happen… you to take pleasure in something that you find harmful.

И может случиться так, что любимое вами есть зло для вас.

We think this one thing is going to happen and something else happens instead.

Мы думаем, что произойдет одно, а происходит что — то другое.

Assad can survive if his regime and its backers preclude a partnership with the Sunni Arab groups — something the White House is letting happen.

Асад сможет выжить лишь в том случае, если его режим со своими спонсорами сделает невозможным партнерство с арабскими суннитскими группировками. Но Белый дом уже позволяет это.

I have a nasty feeling something awful is going to happen.

У меня неприятное чувство, как будто произойдёт что — то ужасное.

In fact, by definition, these are decisions about something that will happen to us after we die.

Простите, но речь в буквальном смысле слова идет о том, что произойдет с человеком после его смерти.

Krasnik was extremely uncomfortable, telling Tablet’s Michael Moynihan that he thought, “If I keep doing this for an hour or two, something will happen.

Красник чувствовал, что он находится в опасности: позже он признался Майклу Мойнихану (Michael Moynihan) из Tablet, что, «если бы я продолжил ходить по этому району в течение часа или двух, что — нибудь обязательно бы случилось.

But rather than writing yet some kind of manifesto or something , she’s leaving behind a business plan to make it happen.

Однако, вместо того, чтобы написать ещё один манифест, или что то в этом роде, она оставляет после себя бизнес — план, чтобы её мечта осуществилась.

What would happen if authors, or people with ideas could use version two, which comes out on Monday, and use it to organize people who want to talk about something .

Что произошло бы, если бы люди с идеями могли использовать вторую версию, которая выходит в понедельник. Использовать её для организации людей, которые хотят о чём — то разговаривать.

She told me never tell anyone where she went, or something bad would happen.

Она сказала мне, чтобы я никому не говорил, куда она ходила, или случится что — то плохое.

It won’t happen often, but there may be a time when something goes wrong and your PC will display a black or blank screen.

Это происходит редко, но иногда на экране будет отображаться черный или пустой экран, если что — то пошло не так.

I don’t see, without this nation taking it as some collective will or something that is a national goal to make that happen, it will not happen.

Если нация не воспримет это как общественное твердое намерение или как национальную цель, Я не вижу чтобы это случилось, этого не случится.

This will not happen unless we relate these values to something that lies beyond the horizon of our immediate personal or group interest.

Это не случится, пока мы не будем относиться к этим ценностям как к тому, что находится выше горизонта наших непосредственных личных и групповых интересов.

Or, more accurately, something they happen not to be.

Или, более точно, тем, чем они не являются.

Or will something happen that we can’t understand and we can’t fix, thereby negating the concept of man-made biospheres?

Или случится что — то, что мы не сможем понять и не сможем наладить, сводя на нет таким образом концепт рукотворных биосфер?

The smaller ones happen more often, but probably on the order of a millennium, every few centuries or every few thousand years, but it’s still something to be aware of.

Меньшие случаются гораздо чаще, возможно, раз в 1000 лет, или каждые несколько сотен или тысяч лет, но о них все равно нужно знать.

Warnings that something will happen to your account if you don’t update it or take another action

Предупреждения о том, что с вашим аккаунтом может что — то произойти , если вы не обновите его или не предпримете другое действие

We start tossing a coin, and we get a head — and you start sitting on the edge of your seat because something great and wonderful, or awesome, might be about to happen.

Мы начинаем бросать монетку, и получаем решку — и вот вы уже сидите на краю сиденья потому что что — то замечательное и великолепное, потрясающее, может вот — вот случиться.

This, too, is something that may happen any day now or that could be a few years off.

Эта опасность также принадлежит к числу тех, которые могут случиться как сегодня, так и многие годы спустя.

Maybe something similar, albeit not on such a grand scale, will happen with the iPhone X. Those who shell out the cash for this device will enjoy their screen and battery life today.

Может быть, нечто подобное, хотя и не в таких масштабах, произойдет с iPhone Х. Тем, кто потратил деньги на его приобретение, сегодня понравится экран и срок действия батареи.

In theory, something similar could happen to Baumgartner when he reaches Mach 1, as shock waves bounce off of differently angled parts of his body.

Теоретически нечто подобное может произойти и с Баумгартнером, когда он достигнет скорости с числом Маха 1, и ударные волны начнут отлетать от разных частей его тела под разными углами.

There’s concern within the president’s inner circle that if something were to happen to Putin, the constitution would install Medvedev in his place.

В окружении президента многих беспокоит, что, если с Путиным что — нибудь случится, по конституции его место займет Медведев.

Something had to happen quickly.

Что — то должно было быстро произойти .

I had a hunch something pleasant was going to happen.

У меня было предчувствие, что должно было произойти что — то хорошее.

Something’s going to happen. I can feel it.

Что — то случится. Я это чувствую.

Something would happen. She would go back to simple things, to a side street, a poor cottage, to old clothes.

Что — то случится, и снова она окажется, где была — в глухом переулке, в убогом домишке, в стареньком, поношенном платье.

‘If something doesn’t happen soon, Germany may surrender.

Если в ближайшем будущем не произойдет какого — то чуда, Германия капитулирует.

In the near future, in the middle of Seoul, something will happen that you could never imagine.

В скором времени, в самом центре Сеула случится такое, чего ты и представить не можешь.

I got a feeling when he stops whittling, something’s gonna happen.

И мне кажется, когда он прекратит строгать, что — то случится.

You know tension, atmosphere, a feeling that something was going to happen?

Подумать только напряженность, особая обстановка, предчувствие чего — то ужасного.

Odd that you should pick that, something like it did happen.

Странно, что вы выбрали такой пример — со мной как раз случилось нечто подобное.

She could hear silence in a thick rustling as he moved toward her through it, thrusting it aside, and she began to say Something is going to happen to me.

Темпл слышала безмолвие в глухом шуршанье, сквозь которое к ней шел Лупоглазый, и стала говорить: Надо мной что — то совершится.

It revealed that you knew of the existence of Mr. Morley, that you had rather expected something to happen — not to happen to him — but possibly to happen in his house.

Она свидетельствует о том, что вы знали м — ра Морли и предполагали, что там может произойти . Не с ним, но в его доме…

I told my husband, the kind of animals he dealt with every day, something bad was gonna happen.

Я говорила мужу, что он имеет дело с сущими тварями и что беда не за горами.

I figured something like this would happen.

Я полагал, что что — то подобное может случиться.

I mean, do you ever think what it must be like to have something like that happen to you and for there to be no redress?

Ты хоть раз задумывался, каково было бы пережить нечто подобное и не получить никакой сатисфакции?

It can happen in rare instances- when a person hears something completely devoid of interest, the brain becomes starved for stimulation, and it begins to eat itself.

Такое случается, очень редко. Когда человек слышит что — то совершенно неинтересное, мозг начинает голодать без стимуляции, и поедает себя.

If he’s not putting up fences or digging trenches or repairing the windmill, he’ll be out sowing sugar beet, which is where I should be only I happen to be rather busy doing something else.

Если он не ставит заборы и не копает канавы, или не чинит ветряки, то наверняка сажает свеклу, чем и я должна бы заниматься, да только у меня своих дел полно.

Yesterday I thought that something next door to a really entertaining miracle might happen to me before I went to amuse the worms.

Вчера я было подумал, будто случилось нечто едва ли не чудесное, и я успею этому порадоваться, прежде чем обрадую могильных червей своим появлением под землей.

In fact, every time I sense anything in the world, with my eyes, with my ears, with my fingers, at some point between that sensation and my brain, something very similar to that will happen.

Всякий раз, когда я воспринимаю что — либо — глазами, ушами, или же пальцами — в какой — то момент между самим ощущением и мозгом происходит нечто крайне схожее.

Life doesn’t always go as planned, so it’s no wonder there are plenty of English idioms about bad things happening.

Some of these idioms are used to describe a choice or feelings; others are useful for offering advice to people in a tough situation. To ensure you don’t use the wrong one in the wrong situation and cause even more upset, we have included definitions and example sentences with all of these expressions about bad things happening.

At your wit’s end

If you’re feeling perplexed and unsure of what to do next, or perhaps you are confused and exhausted by an issue or difficult situation, you can express this by saying you are at your wit’s end.

“I have no idea what to do with the kids. I’m at my wit’s end with them.”

Interestingly, this is one of the English idioms from the Bible.

Bad taste in your mouth

It’s important to remember that with this idiom about bad things happening, there is no actual bad taste in your mouth. You just use it when you have had an experience that left you feeling unhappy, dissatisfied or displeased. A great example of this would be bad customer service.

“I wasn’t impressed with how the staff spoke to us. It’s left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth.”

Bite the bullet

When you bite the bullet, you do something that you would prefer not to do. It’s likely something you have been putting off because it is uncomfortable to do, but you realize that you must just get on with it.

“I’m going to have to bite the bullet and admit my mistake.”

Perhaps this saying is taken from war times when soldiers would bite down on a bullet if they were in pain while receiving medical help without painkillers.

Catch 22

Catch 22 is an interesting expression. People say this to describe a situation, problem or task in which there is no obvious solution because of illogical, contradictory or paradoxical rules or conditions.

It’s often the case that each solution is dependent on another, and therefore neither one is possible to achieve.

For example, you can’t get a job without work experience BUT you can’t get work experience without a job.

“This is a bit of a Catch 22. No matter what I do, it’s not going to work out for me.”

This term to describe a difficult situation originates from the 1961 novel of the same name by Joseph Heller. You may be more familiar with the 2019 comedy miniseries based on the novel, though.

Chin up

Although this sounds similar to the saying ‘stiff upper lip’, to keep your chin up is more of an American English phrase. It’s telling you to remain strong and keep on trying in hard or scary times. It can also be an instruction to act confident and hold your head up high.

“I know that you didn’t make a great first impression, but chin up, let’s see what happens tomorrow.”

This list of idioms about bad things happening mentions your chin, lip, mouth and legs. There are plenty of other body part idioms if you need more to look through.

Clutching / grasping at straws

When you’re in a bad situation but you keep thinking of increasingly desperate ways to improve the situation, some people might say you are clutching at straws. Even though it’s very unlikely your efforts will succeed, you keep pushing ahead.

This idiom can also refer to someone being overly optimistic even though there is nothing really left to hope for in a particular situation.

“Ok, I think you’re clutching at straws with that argument.”
“I told myself that maybe he had just lost his phone, but really I was clutching at straws. Turns out he wasn’t interested in me.”

Dodge a/the bullet

The dodged bullet in this phrase isn’t a physical one. It represents bad news, injury, disaster or another unwanted situation that you manage to avoid (perhaps with a little luck on your side).

If someone says you dodged a/the bullet, it probably means they expected the bad thing to happen, but fortunately it didn’t.

“I was so lucky. I really dodged the bullet on that one.”

Down in the dumps

Down in the dumps is a simple phrase to describe a state of sadness, dejection or gloominess.

“I’ve been feeling a bit down in the dumps since our team lost.”

Check out some more idioms to describe sadness.

Face the music

Could this be one of the idioms about bad things happening with a more positive twist? It depends how you look at it. When you face the music you are taking responsibility for a situation and accepting the (perhaps negative) consequences.

“I think it’s time I face the music and admit what happened.”

There is also a longer version of this phrase: face the music and dance – read more about this and other music idioms.

You may hear a similar saying, let’s face it, which is a request to be realistic about an unwelcome fact or situation. You could also adapt it to say it’s time to face facts, which again means to stop ignoring something bad.

It never rains but it pours

It never rains but it pours is a proverb about how bad things, bad luck or difficult situations seem to follow each other in quick succession. They may even arrive all at the same time.

“I’ve really had some bad luck recently. It seems like it never rains but it pours.”

You may hear an alternative version of this rain idiom: When it rains, it pours.

There are many more idioms about luck (both good and bad) in English.

Out of the woods

Some idioms about bad things happening are really useful to know. The ‘woods’ in this phrase refers to danger or difficult times.

Be sure to check whether someone is saying that you are out of the woods (meaning out of danger or difficulty) or, perhaps more commonly, not out of the woods yet (meaning danger or difficulty still lies ahead).

“Sadly team, we are not out of the woods yet.”
“It seems we are out of the woods financially, but not emotionally.”

On its last legs

Here is one of the most common idioms about bad situations, although its meaning is a little sad. To talk about something being on its last legs is to say that it is in bad condition and likely to break or fail soon.

“The garage just called and said that the car is on its last legs.”

You may also describe an animal in this way if it is very ill or old and likely to die soon. Although you could say this about a person, it wouldn’t be very kind and there are more appropriate idioms about death to use.

More idioms for bad situations

On the line

This is one of the more serious idioms about bad things happening. If something is on the line, it means that there is a risk of you losing it or messing it up. This could apply to your life, your job, an opportunity, your marriage, your education, and so on.

“This is such an important test. Everything is on the line.”
“He put his life on the line to save a stranger from a burning building.”

This expression does have a less serious meaning too, related to phone calls.

On the rocks

This phrase is commonly used to describe a marriage or business relationship. A relationship that is on the rocks is experiencing problems and is likely to fail unless action is taken to improve it.

“Sadly their marriage has been on the rocks for a while now.”

We have plenty more relationship idioms here for you to check out.

Sinking feeling

Have you ever had a sensation that something bad has happened or is about to happen? Perhaps a premonition of dread or worry? Well, out of all the idioms about bad situations, a sinking feeling best describes this sensation.

“I have a bit of a sinking feeling about this.”
“I got a sinking feeling as soon as I saw the look on his face.”

Prevention is better than cure

Prevention is better than cure is a great attitude to apply to most aspects of life. This advice means that it’s better to stop a problem before it happens than to have to fix it afterward.

The words ‘prevention’ and ‘cure’ often apply to health, and although this can be used as a health-related idiom, it can also apply to all kinds of other situations.

“Remember to brush your teeth twice a day. After all, prevention is better than cure.”
“Prevention is better than cure, so I always get my car serviced when it’s due.”

Stiff upper lip

This British idiom about bad things happening may get confused with the American saying ‘chin up’. However, the meaning is slightly different. To have a stiff upper lip is to be stoic and not show your feelings even when you are upset or things are not going well.

“I know things seem bad right now, but let’s all keep a stiff upper lip.”

Some believe this phrase comes from when British Army officers kept a tidy, straight-looking, stiff mustache during war times. Or perhaps it is to do with keeping your mouth neutral and not allowing your lips to shake like they do when you cry. What do you think?

The tip of the iceberg

When people refer to the tip of the iceberg they are saying that although you are aware of part of a problem or bad situation, there may be much more to it than you realize.

This idiom comes from the fact that around 90% of an iceberg’s volume is underwater while only the tip is visible.

“I thought I knew what the problem was, but that turned out to only be the tip of the iceberg.”

Ups and downs

The phrase ups and downs refers to the good and bad things that happen in life; the positive and the negative in the things we experience. This could apply to wealth, personal experiences, health, or even business ventures.

“My new job is going ok, but it has its ups and downs.”
“A strong marriage will carry you through life’s ups and downs.”

Hopefully, you won’t need to use too many of these idioms about bad things happening. If you do, please leave a comment and let us know how they came up in conversation. If you want to focus more on the positive than the negative side of life, take a look at some good idioms next.

You might also find it helpful to know some idioms about stress and worry so you can convey your feelings clearly when bad situations do occur.

Do you want to be more confident using English? Why not try Grammarly’s free proofreading tool. It checks as you write and helps you correct and improve your spelling and grammar.

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