If I tell you that I'm 'snowed under', what do you think I mean?
- I'm having problems with the winter weather.
- I'm very confused.
- I've got too much work to do.
What do you think? If you said c, that's exactly right!
'To be snowed under' is an idiom – a group of words with a special meaning that is different from the meaning of each word on its own.
There are lots of idioms in English related to weather. In this step you'll find six useful ones that you hear and read quite often.
Can you guess what the idioms in bold mean in each example? Then check the definitions below to see if you're right.
He was on cloud nine when they offered him the job.
She gets up at 6 a.m., come rain or shine, and goes for her morning walk.
I threw caution to the wind and followed them into the water.
The return trip was a breeze after the hard climb up the mountain.
They're so positive and enthusiastic – it's like a breath of fresh air working with them.
I'm totally snowed under at work this week.
Definitions
You can use these idioms in informal communication to make your speaking and writing more interesting.
We want to hear from you
- Did you know any of these expressions already? Which is your favourite?
- Do you know any more weather idioms in English?
- Can you translate an idiom from your language into English and tell us what it means?
Did you know you can improve your English by responding to other people's comments? Communicating with others is an effective way of improving your English and learning about the world.
My favourite it's snowed under because it's the only completely different from Italian. For example for to be on cloud nine we have a similar expression essere al settimo cielo that literally means to be at the seven sky but the meaning is the same: essere molto felici
No, I’ve never heard these expressions before, but some are similar in Italian: for example a breath of fresh air. In Italy we say the same thing.
My favourite is to be snowed under because it's the only one completely different from the Italian. For example, for to be on nine clouds we have an expression very similar essere al settimo cielo which literally is to be on seven heavens but the meaning is the same: to be very happy
I have only heard the idiom that says to be on cloud nine. My favourite is to be a breeze.
I know it rains dogs and cats, people say when it is a very heavy rain.
Hello,
my name is Uta and I didn't know these expressions at all. My favourite is "to be on cloud nine" - there is an idiom in German that means exactly the same: "to be in the 7th heaven" - that's my fun fact here!
I actually don't know many English weather idioms, but what I was learning long time ago at school and never forgot is this: "It's raining cats and dogs." I loved this idea and saw little cats and dog raining down from the sky in my mind...
Have a nice day and be blessed!
In Italy we say the same thing "to be in the 7th heaven" :)
I'm from Czech republic and we have a saying "under a dog" which means it's such a bad weather that you wouldn't kick a bad dog outside.
I'm Thin Zar Myint from Burma. To collect rain drops in rain is Burmese idioms related to the weather. The meaning is to do your best immediately when you get opportunity to do for your life goal. It is my favorite Burmese idiom because we need to do immediately when we get fortunately a chance or an opportunity to be success in our life.
I'm on cloud nine when I get my dreams come true about English Language.
I am Czech. We have idiom: I'm in seventh heaven. It is some like English idiom: I am on cloud nine.
I don't use idioms because I don't speak English very well.
Hi,
that's funny because we have the same idiom in German! :-)
I'm familiar with some of them but most of the time I never get to use them in real conversation.
I knew some of them, like "cloud nine". I loved "come rain or Shine". It can be used in many contexts!
I also know "to feel under the weather" (to feel sick) and "it's raining cats and dogs" (I'ts raining heavily).
In Spanish, we have "estar en las nubes" which literally means to be on the clouds. It means "to be distracted".
Also, "ser un sol" can be translated as "to be a sun". This means being a nice and lovely person.
Another one is "a los cuatro vientos", which is translated as "to the four winds" which means "in every direction".
In my language, Spanish, there are idioms similar to English,like "rain or thunder" , in Spanish "Llueva o truene". It means I will do it yes or yes.
Patricia
I have never been the idioms like that thanks to teach me
i didn't know those all idioms, but i'm glad i know it now. and i'm gonna use those idioms in my daily life.
"As if I was looking into the water" means that a person foresaw future events in our language.
I didn't know about 'snowed under' I'm glad I now know it and the meaning.
Hi Janet Muhanji,
It's quite a useful idiom! Especially for talking about times when you're really busy with work or study.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
Hello everyone!
I didn't know no-one from this idioms.( But now i do. I suppose my favorite will be "come rain or shine" and I go for a walk. In Russian is such idiom "To be blacker than clouds" it means that you're very upset with something.
Hello everyone,
"To be snowed under" an awesome idiom to add in my vocabulary. very useful in projects and weekly tasks.
ahmed
My favorite idiom is "come rain or shine" i appreciate and i think I 'm going to use a lot " to throw caution to the wind", the first one express kind of courage of wilfulness to do something and the second one makes me feel like freedom. I can feel easily like in cage especially within social interactions so that sometimes, I want to throw caution to the wind and do whatever i would like to do like being rude and sarcastic to disappoint others. I've the feeling to be a bit mean, aren't I? But I swear to be a good girl. Hahaha I need to visit a psy. Anyway ai didn't know any english idiom before i got on this site, amazing site Though in my native language, French, we usually use the expression: Etre dans le brouillard which literally mens To be in the fog, to be disappointed in a situation, not to catch anything about a given situation.
As for me, I often use the idiom "to be under the weather" because I feel changing the weather very sharp
Hello Natalia10,
Oh, good job -- 'under the weather' is an idiom we use a lot in English! We usually use it to express the idea of not feeling well or being ill.
For example, if my friend invited me to go hiking, I could say 'Sorry, I can't. I'm feeling a bit under the weather' if I wasn't feeling well enough to go.
All the best,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team
I've heard on cloud nine ,it's familiar idiom for me i like it
My favorite expression is "To be on cloud nine". I heard it so many times in movies, songs but i never knew the meaning of it until I looked at this amazing activity.
Russians have this expression in language: «The weather whisper: borrow and you have to drink» This phrase you can say when the weather is awful. It sounds funny)
Here is a non-weather-related idiom from Brazilian Portuguese: enfiar o pé na jaca. Literally, it means to stick your foot in jackfruit. What it actually means is to eat or drink too much on a given occasion.
About my English learning:
Come rain or shine, I try to practice English since the more I work out, the more I become familiar with it.
Does that make sense?
Although it is not easy to accept mistakes along the way.
Please, could I get feedback from the team?
Thanks
Hi User_1,
I think it would be better if you can put it this way.
"I'll keep practicing english everyday, come rain or shine, because I believe, the more I practice, the more I'll get familiar with english."
Best 👍
Hello,
I sincerely would like the feedback from the team
Could I have it? Thanks
Hi User_1,
I've just replied to your question on the Comparatives and superlatives page :)
The comments section on this page is for discussion of the questions above. For a more focused discussion, if anyone has questions about grammar or vocabulary, we welcome you to post them in our other sections devoted to them. Thank you!
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team