26 Idioms About Bad Things Happening
Bad things happen to everyone, and sometimes it feels like things just aren’t going your way. Luckily, the English language is rich with idioms that describe difficult or unfortunate situations in colorful ways. Whether it’s a string of bad luck, an unexpected setback, or a disaster in the making, these idioms offer vivid, relatable expressions to convey your frustration, confusion, or misfortune.
In this article, you’ll discover 26 idioms about bad things happening, each with its meaning, example sentence, and alternative ways to express the same idea. These idioms will help you describe tough situations with both creativity and clarity, whether you’re writing, speaking, or just trying to make sense of life’s curveballs.
1. When it rains, it pours
Meaning: Bad things tend to happen all at once, often in quick succession
In a Sentence:
– “First I lost my job, then my car broke down. When it rains, it pours.”
– “She got sick, then her laptop broke—when it rains, it pours.”
Other Ways to Say: Troubles come in waves / Bad luck strikes all at once
2. The straw that broke the camel’s back
Meaning: The final, small problem or annoyance that causes a much bigger issue or collapse
In a Sentence:
– “He was already stressed, and when he spilled his coffee, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
– “After months of delays, the final setback was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
Other Ways to Say: Last straw / Breaking point
3. Fall through the cracks
Meaning: To be overlooked or neglected, often in a way that causes a problem later
In a Sentence:
– “The request fell through the cracks, and we missed the deadline.”
– “Her concerns fell through the cracks in the busy office.”
Other Ways to Say: Overlooked / Forgotten
4. Hit a bump in the road
Meaning: To encounter a small, temporary problem or obstacle
In a Sentence:
– “The project was going smoothly until we hit a bump in the road with the budget.”
– “They were doing fine until they hit a bump in the road with the paperwork.”
Other Ways to Say: Face a setback / Hit an obstacle
5. Add fuel to the fire
Meaning: To make a bad situation worse by adding to it
In a Sentence:
– “His rude comments only added fuel to the fire during the argument.”
– “Trying to fix it with more changes just added fuel to the fire.”
Other Ways to Say: Make it worse / Escalate the problem
6. A storm is brewing
Meaning: A trouble or conflict is about to happen, but it hasn’t yet come to light
In a Sentence:
– “I can tell a storm is brewing between them—there’s tension in the air.”
– “The disagreement over the project is just the start; a storm is brewing.”
Other Ways to Say: Trouble is coming / Something bad is about to happen
7. Throw a wrench in the works
Meaning: To cause a disruption or problem that stops things from running smoothly
In a Sentence:
– “The new policy really threw a wrench in the works for our team.”
– “That last-minute change threw a wrench in the works of the event schedule.”
Other Ways to Say: Disrupt / Hinder progress
8. Spill the beans
Meaning: To reveal a secret or disclose something that was meant to be kept private
In a Sentence:
– “I accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise party.”
– “She spilled the beans on their plans for a new business venture.”
Other Ways to Say: Let the cat out of the bag / Reveal the secret
9. Go down in flames
Meaning: To fail or end in disaster, often after a lot of effort or expectation
In a Sentence:
– “The presentation was a disaster—it went down in flames.”
– “The plan seemed promising, but it went down in flames after the first attempt.”
Other Ways to Say: End in failure / Fail spectacularly
10. A ticking time bomb
Meaning: A situation or problem that is about to explode or cause serious trouble if not dealt with soon
In a Sentence:
– “The unresolved issues are a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.”
– “He was a ticking time bomb, and eventually, his anger got the best of him.”
Other Ways to Say: Waiting to happen / Imminent disaster
11. Like a bull in a china shop
Meaning: Someone who is clumsy or behaves in a way that causes chaos or disruption
In a Sentence:
– “He was like a bull in a china shop, breaking everything he touched.”
– “She was a bull in a china shop at the party, spilling drinks and bumping into people.”
Other Ways to Say: Clumsy / Disruptive
12. Jump from the frying pan into the fire
Meaning: To move from a bad situation to an even worse one
In a Sentence:
– “Leaving one toxic job for another? You’re just jumping from the frying pan into the fire.”
– “She thought moving would improve things, but it was just jumping from the frying pan into the fire.”
Other Ways to Say: Go from bad to worse / Make things worse
13. A stitch in time saves nine
Meaning: Fixing a small problem right away can prevent it from becoming much worse later
In a Sentence:
– “You should address the issue now—it’s true that a stitch in time saves nine.”
– “If we’d fixed the leak earlier, it wouldn’t have caused so much damage—remember, a stitch in time saves nine.”
Other Ways to Say: Handle problems early / Solve problems before they get bigger
14. In hot water
Meaning: To be in trouble or facing a difficult situation
In a Sentence:
– “He’s in hot water after failing to meet the project deadline.”
– “She found herself in hot water after speaking out of turn.”
Other Ways to Say: In trouble / In a bad situation
15. A chain reaction
Meaning: A series of events triggered by a single action, often leading to negative consequences
In a Sentence:
– “One mistake set off a chain reaction that led to the company’s collapse.”
– “His actions caused a chain reaction, affecting everyone around him.”
Other Ways to Say: Domino effect / Ripple effect
16. The last straw
Meaning: The final, small problem or annoyance that causes someone to lose patience or tolerance
In a Sentence:
– “When he canceled their plans last minute, that was the last straw.”
– “After weeks of delays, the final setback was the last straw.”
Other Ways to Say: Breaking point / Final straw
17. A bitter pill to swallow
Meaning: An unpleasant or difficult situation that must be accepted
In a Sentence:
– “Losing the match was a bitter pill to swallow for the team.”
– “It was a bitter pill to swallow, but I had to accept the failure.”
Other Ways to Say: Hard to accept / Tough to deal with
18. Caught between a rock and a hard place
Meaning: To be faced with two difficult or undesirable choices
In a Sentence:
– “I was caught between a rock and a hard place, having to choose between two equally bad options.”
– “She’s caught between a rock and a hard place, trying to please both parties.”
Other Ways to Say: Stuck in a dilemma / In a tough situation
19. Shooting yourself in the foot
Meaning: To accidentally cause trouble for yourself, often due to a mistake or poor decision
In a Sentence:
– “He shot himself in the foot by quitting his job without another offer lined up.”
– “Her comment about the boss was like shooting herself in the foot.”
Other Ways to Say: Sabotage yourself / Make things worse for yourself
20. The writing on the wall
Meaning: A clear sign that something bad is going to happen
In a Sentence:
– “The company’s financial struggles were the writing on the wall for its eventual closure.”
– “When they started arguing in public, it was the writing on the wall for their relationship.”
Other Ways to Say: Inevitable disaster / Clear sign
21. In the doghouse
Meaning: To be in trouble or disfavor, usually with someone you care about
In a Sentence:
– “He’s in the doghouse after forgetting their anniversary.”
– “She’s been in the doghouse ever since that argument.”
Other Ways to Say: In trouble / Out of favor
22. Throw a spanner in the works
Meaning: To cause a problem or disruption in a plan or process
In a Sentence:
– “The new policy really threw a spanner in the works for our team.”
– “That last-minute change threw a spanner in the works of the event schedule.”
Other Ways to Say: Disrupt / Hinder progress
23. Go from bad to worse
Meaning: To start with a bad situation and get even worse
In a Sentence:
– “The storm went from bad to worse, with power outages and flooding.”
– “The project went from bad to worse after the second setback.”
Other Ways to Say: Escalate / Spiral downward
24. A cloud on the horizon
Meaning: A potential problem or trouble that may happen in the future
In a Sentence:
– “Everything seemed fine, but there was a cloud on the horizon with the new regulations.”
– “They were excited about their plans, but there was a cloud on the horizon with the budget cuts.”
Other Ways to Say: Potential issue / Impending problem
25. Dig yourself into a hole
Meaning: To get into a difficult or problematic situation, usually because of your own actions
In a Sentence:
– “By lying about the situation, he dug himself into a hole that was hard to get out of.”
– “She kept making excuses and dug herself into a hole with her boss.”
Other Ways to Say: Get into trouble / Create problems for yourself
26. A fall from grace
Meaning: A loss of respect or reputation, usually due to a mistake or wrongdoing
In a Sentence:
– “His scandal was a complete fall from grace after years of being admired.”
– “The celebrity’s fall from grace shocked her fans and the media.”
Other Ways to Say: Loss of status / Reputation damage
Practice Exercise
Fill in the blanks using the correct idiom from the list:
- Things were going smoothly until we ______ with the sudden delay.
- His attempt to fix the issue only ______, making everything worse.
- The project seemed perfect at first, but it soon ______ after unexpected issues arose.
- She was so overwhelmed that she felt like she was ______.
- The situation was already tough, and then it just ______ with more problems.
- After the argument, he found himself ______ with his friends.
- She was doing fine until she ______ and lost her composure in the meeting.
- They thought everything was going well, but a ______ showed up, hinting at future trouble.
- He made a rash decision, and it was like ______ with his career.
- The plan went perfectly until we ______ at the last minute.
Answer Key
- hit a bump in the road
- added fuel to the fire
- went from bad to worse
- caught between a rock and a hard place
- fell through the cracks
- in the doghouse
- shot himself in the foot
- cloud on the horizon
- jumped from the frying pan into the fire
- threw a spanner in the works
Conclusion
Life is full of challenges, and sometimes things don’t go as planned. However, these 26 idioms for bad things happening capture the ups and downs of navigating tough situations. Whether it’s dealing with an unexpected setback, facing a tough decision, or trying to overcome obstacles, these expressions give color to the frustrations and challenges we all face.
By incorporating these idioms into conversations or writing, you can describe problems and setbacks with both humor and depth. They also serve as reminders that no matter how hard things get, there’s always a way to move forward.
