Understanding Health & Medical Idioms, Sayings, Phrases, & Expressions

Health and medical idioms have a way of weaving into our conversations, infusing our words with a sense of urgency and vitality that’s both impactful and full of meaning.

Here, you’re about to explore a collection of health and medical idioms, each packed with its own significance, fascinating origin, synonyms, and example sentences.

Whether you’re curious about phrases like “under the weather” or want to understand what it means to be “fit as a fiddle,” this guide is your prescription for a more vivid and expressive vocabulary.

Perfect for language lovers, writers, or anyone looking to add a touch of life to their conversations, our collection of health and medical idioms will bring your speech to life with vivid imagery and depth.

Get ready to delve into the vital world of health and medical idioms, and uncover the intriguing stories behind these expressions that keep our language healthy and full of vigor!

Common Health & Medical Idioms & Expressions – Meaning, Origin, and Example Sentence

A Clean Bill Of Health

Synonym: Declared healthy
Meaning: A medical report or statement that confirms someone is in good health
Origin: This phrase originally referred to a certificate given to a ship indicating that it was free of infectious disease.
Example Sentence: After all the tests, the doctor gave me a clean bill of health.

Break Out In A Cold Sweat

Synonym: Nervous reaction
Meaning: To suddenly start sweating due to fear, anxiety, or illness
Origin: This idiom comes from the physical reaction of sweating when someone is very anxious or scared, which feels cold to the touch.
Example Sentence: I broke out in a cold sweat when I realized I left my keys inside the locked car.

Kick The Bucket

Synonym: Die, pass away
Meaning: To die
Origin: This idiom is thought to come from the practice of kicking away a bucket when someone was hanged or committed suicide, though the exact origin is uncertain.
Example Sentence: The old man finally kicked the bucket after a long illness.

On Your Last Leg

Synonym: Near the end
Meaning: Close to exhaustion, failure, or death
Origin: This idiom comes from the idea of someone or something being so tired or worn out that they are barely able to stand.
Example Sentence: My old car is on its last legs; I’ll need to buy a new one soon.

Back On Your Feet

Synonym: Recovered, restored
Meaning: To recover from an illness, setback, or difficult situation
Origin: This idiom likely comes from the idea of someone physically standing up again after being down, either from illness or another challenge.
Example Sentence: After weeks of being sick, I’m finally back on my feet and ready to get back to work.

A Bitter Pill To Swallow

Synonym: Hard to accept
Meaning: Something unpleasant or difficult to accept
Origin: This idiom refers to the unpleasantness of taking bitter medicine, metaphorically representing something undesirable that must be endured.
Example Sentence: Losing the championship game was a bitter pill to swallow for the team.

Go Under The Knife

Synonym: Undergo surgery
Meaning: To have surgery
Origin: This idiom comes from the use of a knife in surgical procedures.
Example Sentence: He had to go under the knife to repair his injured knee.

Take A turn For The Worse

Synonym: Deteriorate
Meaning: To suddenly become worse, especially regarding health
Origin: This idiom likely comes from the idea of a situation or condition changing direction, often unexpectedly, for the worse.
Example Sentence: His condition took a turn for the worse last night, so the doctors are keeping a close eye on him.

Get A Second Wind

Synonym: Renewed energy
Meaning: To suddenly find the energy or strength to continue an activity after feeling tired
Origin: This idiom likely comes from athletics, where athletes might feel a burst of energy after an initial period of fatigue.
Example Sentence: I was exhausted after the first half of the hike, but after a quick rest, I got a second wind.

Feel It In Your Bones

Synonym: Strong intuition
Meaning: To have a strong feeling or sense about something, often related to weather or future events
Origin: This idiom may originate from the aches or sensations felt in the bones before weather changes, leading to a “feeling” about it.
Example Sentence: I feel it in my bones that something good is going to happen today.

Under The weather

Synonym: Feeling unwell
Meaning: To feel sick or not in good health
Origin: This idiom likely originates from maritime tradition, where sailors who were sick were sent below deck, away from bad weather, to recover.
Example Sentence: I’m feeling a bit under the weather today, so I might stay home from work.

Have A Frog In Your Throat

Synonym: Hoarse voice
Meaning: To have a temporary hoarseness or difficulty speaking, often due to a dry throat
Origin: This idiom comes from the idea of a frog being stuck in the throat, metaphorically causing a croaking sound or hoarseness.
Example Sentence: I must have a frog in my throat; I can barely speak.

A Picture Of Health

Synonym: Very healthy
Meaning: To look extremely healthy and well
Origin: This idiom comes from the idea of a perfect, ideal image representing good health.
Example Sentence: After months of recovery, he’s now the picture of health.

Fit As A Fiddle

Synonym: In good health
Meaning: To be in excellent physical condition
Origin: This idiom dates back to the 1600s, where “fiddle” refers to the violin, an instrument that needs to be in top condition to sound good.
Example Sentence: Despite being in his seventies, he’s as fit as a fiddle.

In Bad Shape

Synonym: Unhealthy, in poor condition
Meaning: To be in poor health or physical condition
Origin: This idiom likely comes from the idea of someone’s physical “shape” or condition being negative.
Example Sentence: After neglecting his exercise routine for months, he’s really in bad shape.

Pull Through

Synonym: Survive
Meaning: To recover from a serious illness or difficult situation
Origin: This idiom comes from the idea of enduring or overcoming a challenge, as if pulling oneself through it.
Example Sentence: The doctors weren’t sure if he’d make it, but he pulled through and is now recovering.

As Pale As A Ghost

Synonym: Extremely pale
Meaning: To look very pale, often due to illness, shock, or fear
Origin: This idiom compares someone’s complexion to that of a ghost, which is often depicted as being very white or pale.
Example Sentence: She looked as pale as a ghost after hearing the shocking news.

Cough Up

Synonym: Pay, surrender
Meaning: To give something reluctantly, often money
Origin: This idiom uses “cough” metaphorically to describe the difficulty of giving up something, as coughing is often involuntary and uncomfortable.
Example Sentence: After much negotiation, he finally coughed up the money he owed.

Out Of Your Mind

Synonym: Crazy, insane
Meaning: To be acting irrationally or to be extremely upset or worried
Origin: This idiom likely comes from the idea that someone who is “out of their mind” has lost control of their thoughts or sanity, metaphorically being outside of their own mental state.
Example Sentence: If you think you can finish this project by tomorrow, you must be out of your mind!

Clean Bill Of Health

Synonym: Declare healthy
Meaning: To officially state that someone is healthy
Origin: This idiom originates from the practice of giving sailors a certificate to confirm they were free of disease before they could enter a port.
Example Sentence: After the check-up, the doctor gave her a clean bill of health.

Just What The Doctor Ordered

Synonym: Perfect, exactly what was needed
Meaning: Something that is exactly what you need or want at a particular time
Origin: This idiom likens something beneficial to a prescription given by a doctor, which is intended to improve health.
Example Sentence: A day off is just what the doctor ordered after such a hectic week.

Death Warmed Over

Synonym: Feel very ill or unwell
Meaning: To feel extremely sick or exhausted
Origin: This idiom suggests a person feels as bad as something dead, but slightly better—like it has been warmed over.
Example Sentence: After staying up all night, I feel like death warmed over today.

Have Nerves Of Steel

Synonym: Very calm and brave

Meaning: To be very calm and unshaken in stressful or dangerous situations
Origin: This idiom compares a person’s emotional strength to steel, a metal known for its toughness and resilience.
Example Sentence: You need nerves of steel to work in emergency medicine.

Have A Weak Stomach

Synonym: Easily nauseated
Meaning: To be easily upset or nauseated by unpleasant sights, smells, or thoughts
Origin: This idiom refers to someone whose stomach is metaphorically weak, making them more susceptible to nausea.
Example Sentence: Don’t show him those gory pictures; he has a weak stomach.

Drop Like Flies

Synonym: Fall ill or die quickly
Meaning: To fall ill or die rapidly in large numbers
Origin: This idiom likely comes from the observation of flies dying quickly in large numbers, often due to sudden changes in conditions.
Example Sentence: During flu season, people in the office were dropping like flies.