IDIOMS ABOUT FEAR

TO BE AFRAID OF ONE’S OWN SHADOW – to be so timid or nervous that almost everything or everyone can easily scare you

Sitting among the boys of my age I suddenly questioned myself: "What is a coward like me doing here? I'm afraid of my own shadow but somehow I decided to listen to scary campfire stories. Such a nonsense"

TO MAKE ONE’S BLOOD RUN COLD – to frighten someone very much

I hugged my knees and tried to calm down. A boy nearby, who seemed to know lots of spine-tinglers, volunteered to be the first one to make our blood run cold.

TO GIVE SOMEONE THE HEEBIE-JEEBIES (THE CREEPS) – to make someone feel extremely frightened

"I'm gonna tell you about a place... the Lost village..."

He made a pause enjoying our reaction. That village had ill fame. So, just thinking about that place gave me the creeps.

TO GET COLD FEET – to become nervous or scared about something you planned or promised to do because you think you'll fail

“People living in the Lost village hear strange howling every night. They believe that the dark forests surrounding their hometown are inhabited by werewolves. Everyone who dared to enter that forest vanished without a trace. Once my brother and I bet we could spend at least 15 minutes in the forest. But when we came closer to the trees he got cold feet and refused to go there.

TO SHAKE LIKE A LEAF – to shake because of fear or nervousness

He shook like a leaf. After a short while, I decided to go alone, even though he asked me to stay.

TO BE A BUNDLE OF NERVES – to be extremely sensitive because of fear or nervousness

I felt that all my senses heightened. I was a bundle of nerves ready to scream and run away at any moment. I carefully walked between the trees, illuminating my path with a flashlight. But even with a flashlight, I basically saw nothing in this darkness.

TO SCARE SOMEONE OUT OF THEIR WITS – to cause someone to feel extremely frightened so that it seems they can go insane because of that fear

That darkness could easily scare anyone out of their wits. As my dad says, when you're frightened and can't see anything, your brain starts to create terrifying images and sounds.

HEART MISSED A BEAT – to feel the flutter in the chest or stomach because of extreme fear or nervousness

I don't know if this is exactly what happened to me but suddenly I heard a strange sound. My heart missed a beat and I forgot how to breathe.

TO SCARE THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF SOMEONE – to cause someone to feel so frightened that they feel like they could die because of that fear

I pricked up my ears and froze. The sound I heard was... a howl...”

As he said it, the silence was suddenly broken by a loud howl. It scared the living daylights out of all boys and they run away screaming.

TO JUMP OUT OF ONE’S SKIN – to flinch because something or someone scared or surprised you

I was ready to jump out of my skin too but I froze to the ground. Fear paralyzed me. I sat there motionless till I felt something wet and warm touching my cheek. That was my dog. My Dog! I almost cried with relief.

After that day I, the timidest boy in school, was considered the bravest one since I didn't leave and "wasn't scared at all".

Test your knowledge of idioms about fear here:

Test 1

Test 2