10 Weather Idioms to Brighten Your English

People in Britain love talking about the weather. So it’s no surprise that English is full of weather idioms! An idiom is a group of words with a special meaning. You can’t always guess the meaning from the single words. If your friend says it’s raining cats and dogs, don’t look for animals in the sky. It just means it’s raining very hard!

Today you’ll learn 10 weather idioms that native speakers use every day. Each one has a simple meaning and an example sentence. At the end, there’s a short quiz to help you remember them.

Weather idioms about how you feel

1. Under the weather

Meaning: a little bit ill, not feeling well.

“I’m feeling a bit under the weather today, so I’ll stay at home.”

This is a soft, polite way to say you’re ill. We usually use it for small problems, like a cold, not for serious illness.

2. Have your head in the clouds

Meaning: to be dreaming and not paying attention to what is happening around you.

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you. I had my head in the clouds.”

3. A face like thunder

Meaning: a very angry face. This one is very British!

“When he saw his broken phone, he had a face like thunder.”

Weather idioms for busy everyday life

4. It’s raining cats and dogs

Meaning: it’s raining very, very hard.

“Take an umbrella. It’s raining cats and dogs out there!”

Nobody knows for sure where this funny idiom comes from.

5. Come rain or shine

Meaning: whatever happens; always.

“My grandad walks his dog every morning, come rain or shine.”

This is a great idiom for good habits. You can study English for ten minutes every day, come rain or shine!

6. Snowed under

Meaning: to have too much work to do. Imagine so much snow that you can’t move!

“I can’t come to the cinema tonight. I’m snowed under with homework.”

7. Save for a rainy day

Meaning: to keep money (or something else) for a time in the future when you might need it.

“She doesn’t spend all her pocket money. She saves some for a rainy day.”

Weather idioms about people and hard times

8. Break the ice

Meaning: to say or do something that helps people feel relaxed when they meet for the first time.

“Our teacher played a fun game to break the ice on the first day of class.”

Long ago, ships broke the ice on frozen rivers and seas so that other boats could pass. In the same way, a friendly question or a smile can “open the way” for a good conversation. If you feel shy, a simple question like “Where are you from?” is a perfect icebreaker.

9. Steal someone’s thunder

Meaning: to take attention or praise that should go to someone else.

“I was going to tell everyone my good news, but my brother stole my thunder with his news first!”

This idiom has a true story behind it. In 1709, an English writer called John Dennis invented a new way to make the sound of thunder for his play in London. The play was not a success. But soon after, Dennis went to see a different play, Macbeth, and heard his own thunder sound! He was angry. People say he complained that they wouldn’t let his play run, but they stole his thunder.

10. Weather the storm

Meaning: to get through a very difficult time and come out safely.

“It was a hard year for our family, but we weathered the storm together.”

Here, weather is a verb! It means “to come through something difficult”. A wonderful example is the explorer Ernest Shackleton. His ship was crushed by ice in Antarctica, but he and his team weathered the storm and every man came home. You can hear his amazing story in our free video lesson Ernest Shackleton: His Ship Was Crushed by Ice… Then He Brought Every Man Home.

Quick quiz: test your weather idioms

Choose the best idiom for each sentence. The answers are below.

1. I’ve got so many emails today. I’m completely ______.
2. Let’s play a game to ______ before the meeting starts.
3. He’s got a cold, so he’s feeling a bit ______.
4. I go running every Saturday, ______.

Answers: 1. snowed under · 2. break the ice · 3. under the weather · 4. come rain or shine

How to remember these idioms

• Learn them in small groups. Try three idioms this week, not all ten at once.
• Make them personal. Write one true sentence about your life for each idiom.
• Look at the weather. Every morning, look out of the window and say an idiom out loud. Is it raining cats and dogs? Do you feel under the weather?
• Hear them in stories. Idioms are easier to remember when you hear them in real conversations and stories.

If you enjoyed these, you’ll love our 12 happy English idioms to brighten your day. Some of them, like on cloud nine and every cloud has a silver lining, are about the weather too! For more ideas on learning new words, see our page on how to study.

Learn more English with true stories

At Bright Lives English, you learn English through true stories of brave and inspiring people. Every short video teaches you useful words, with clear speaking and a full transcript, from A1 to B2. Rain or shine, there’s a story waiting for you. Start today with our free video lessons! Which weather idiom will you use first?