Idioms are fun phrases that mean something different from the literal words you say. People use them every day to make talking and writing much more colorful and exciting. In this lesson, you will learn a wonderful collection of idioms related to suffering, enduring hardships, and facing difficult challenges.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms for suffering that mean facing hard times, enduring pain, and bearing heavy burdens. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Suffering
1. Through the mill
Meaning: This idiom describes someone who has experienced a great deal of hardship, stress, and suffering.
For Example: After studying for final exams all week, she felt like she had been put through the mill. / The old backpack looked like it had been through the mill after years of school use.
Other Ways to Say: Exhausted / Heavily tested
2. Bite the bullet
Meaning: This idiom means facing a painful or difficult situation with courage and pushing forward.
For Example: We had to bite the bullet and finish cleaning up the messy garage. / Facing hard homework requires you to bite the bullet.
Other Ways to Say: Face hardship / Persevere
3. Weather the storm
Meaning: This idiom means surviving a difficult period of crisis and suffering successfully.
For Example: Strong teamwork helped the family weather the storm of tough months. / Close friendships help people weather the storm of life challenges.
Other Ways to Say: Survive crisis / Endure trouble
4. Carry a heavy cross
Meaning: This idiom describes enduring a massive, sorrowful burden of hardship and suffering.
For Example: Caring for an ailing pet can feel like carrying a heavy cross. / Friends help you carry a heavy cross during tough times.
Other Ways to Say: Bear hardship / Endure sorrow
5. On the rack
Meaning: This idiom describes experiencing intense mental suffering, worry, or stress.
For Example: Waiting for the exam results kept him on the rack all morning. / Worrying about the game score left her on the rack.
Other Ways to Say: Stressed / Highly anxious
6. Under the thumb
Meaning: This idiom describes suffering under the strict control and pressure of someone else.
For Example: He felt like he was always under the thumb of his older brother’s rules. / Strict schedules can make employees feel under the thumb.
Other Ways to Say: Controlled / Dominated
7. In the trenches
Meaning: This idiom describes experiencing hard, hands-on work and suffering during a difficult project.
For Example: The manager worked right alongside the staff in the trenches to finish on time. / True teammates stay in the trenches during hard tasks.
Other Ways to Say: Working hard through hardship / In the thick of it
8. Hard knocks
Meaning: This idiom describes learning difficult life lessons through personal suffering and hardship.
For Example: Experiencing failures taught him valuable lessons through the school of hard knocks. / Life’s hard knocks make people resilient.
Other Ways to Say: Difficult experiences / Tough lessons
9. Bleeding heart
Meaning: This idiom describes feeling deep, overwhelming emotional suffering for the pain of others.
For Example: Seeing the injured stray animal gave her a bleeding heart of sympathy. / Caring deeply about community troubles shows a compassionate heart.
Other Ways to Say: Deeply compassionate / Extremely empathetic
10. Down on your luck
Meaning: This idiom describes experiencing an extended period of hardship, failure, and suffering.
For Example: Missing the bus and losing his lunch money made him feel down on your luck today. / Helping people who are down on your luck is important.
Other Ways to Say: Unfortunate / Facing hard times
11. Burdened with sorrow
Meaning: This idiom describes carrying heavy emotional pain and suffering inside.
For Example: Walking home alone, he felt burdened with sorrow over the lost game. / Sharing feelings unloads being burdened with sorrow.
Other Ways to Say: Heavy-hearted / Grieving
12. Sea of sorrow
Meaning: This idiom describes being overwhelmed by an enormous, deep amount of grief and suffering.
For Example: Experiencing a major loss can feel like swimming through a sea of sorrow. / Kindness helps people navigate a sea of sorrow.
Other Ways to Say: Ocean of grief / Deep suffering
13. Valley of tears
Meaning: This idiom metaphorically describes life during times filled with suffering and sadness.
For Example: Fables often describe harsh winters as a valley of tears for forest animals. / Brighter days follow moments in the valley of tears.
Other Ways to Say: Time of suffering / Period of grief
14. Pit of despair
Meaning: This idiom describes falling into an extremely deep, hopeless state of suffering.
For Example: Failing the exam made him feel like he fell into a pit of despair. / Encouragement helps pull friends out of the pit of despair.
Other Ways to Say: Hopeless suffering / Deep gloom
15. Sunk in grief
Meaning: This idiom means being completely overwhelmed and swallowed up by emotional suffering.
For Example: After the sad news, she remained sunk in grief for hours. / Gentle hugs help comfort those sunk in grief.
Other Ways to Say: Overwhelmed by suffering / Deeply grieved
16. Pain and suffering
Meaning: This idiom describes enduring physical or emotional hurt over a period.
For Example: Spraining his ankle caused days of pain and suffering during soccer season. / Healing takes time after enduring pain and suffering.
Other Ways to Say: Hurt and hardship / Agony
17. Thorn in your side
Meaning: This idiom describes a constant, nagging source of annoyance and minor suffering.
For Example: That broken zipper became a constant thorn in your side all winter. / Dealing with noisy traffic was a thorn in our side.
Other Ways to Say: Constant annoyance / Persistent trouble
18. Cross to bear
Meaning: This idiom describes a difficult personal hardship or suffering you must endure.
For Example: Having a broken arm was his temporary cross to bear during baseball season. / Everyone has their own cross to bear in life.
Other Ways to Say: Personal burden / Hardship
19. Trials and tribulations
Meaning: This idiom describes the various difficult challenges and periods of suffering people face.
For Example: Pioneers faced many trials and tribulations while traveling west. / Overcoming trials and tribulations builds strong character.
Other Ways to Say: Hardships / Difficulties
20. Pains and penalties
Meaning: This idiom describes facing strict consequences, discipline, or suffering for mistakes.
For Example: Breaking major school rules brings pains and penalties. / Learning to follow instructions avoids unnecessary pains and penalties.
Other Ways to Say: Consequences / Strict punishment
21. Suffer in silence
Meaning: This idiom means keeping your pain, hardship, and emotional suffering hidden without complaining.
For Example: Don’t suffer in silence when you need help with your homework. / Sharing worries is better than suffering in silence.
Other Ways to Say: Keep pain hidden / Endure quietly
22. Meet your match
Meaning: This idiom can describe facing an opponent or challenge that causes difficult struggle.
For Example: In the chess tournament, the champion finally met his match against the clever player. / Tackling advanced calculus felt like meeting your match.
Other Ways to Say: Face tough challenge / Struggle
23. Run the gauntlet
Meaning: This idiom means facing a difficult series of criticisms, tests, or hardships.
For Example: Presenting her project to the entire school felt like running the gauntlet. / New recruits had to run the gauntlet of training exercises.
Other Ways to Say: Face hardships / Endure tests
24. Walk through fire
Meaning: This idiom means enduring extreme suffering, danger, or difficulty for something important.
For Example: Loyal friends are willing to walk through fire to support one another. / The hero had to walk through fire to save the kingdom.
Other Ways to Say: Endure extreme hardship / Face danger
25. Face the music
Meaning: This idiom means accepting the unpleasant consequences and suffering for your mistakes.
For Example: After breaking the window, he had to face the music and tell the owner. / Taking responsibility means facing the music bravely.
Other Ways to Say: Accept consequences / Face reality
26. Take your lumps
Meaning: This idiom means accepting criticism, defeat, or suffering without complaining.
For Example: Losing the game meant the team had to take their lumps gracefully. / When plans fail, take your lumps and try again.
Other Ways to Say: Accept punishment / Endure setbacks
27. Grin and bear it
Meaning: This idiom means enduring an unpleasant situation or suffering without showing unhappiness.
For Example: Getting a shot at the doctor is scary, so you just have to grin and bear it. / Chores aren’t always fun, but sometimes you grin and bear it.
Other Ways to Say: Endure patiently / Accept quietly
28. Ride out the storm
Meaning: This idiom means surviving a dangerous or difficult period of suffering until it passes.
For Example: Closing the shutters helped the cabin ride out the storm safely. / Staying calm helps you ride out the storm of stress.
Other Ways to Say: Survive hardship / Wait out trouble
29. Hang in there
Meaning: This idiom is an encouraging phrase telling someone not to give up during suffering.
For Example: When math problems got tough, the teacher told us to hang in there. / Hang in there because the weekend is almost here.
Other Ways to Say: Stay strong / Keep going
30. Keep your chin up
Meaning: This idiom means staying hopeful and positive during periods of hardship and suffering.
For Example: Even when soccer practice was exhausting, keeping your chin up helped. / Stay positive and keep your chin up.
Other Ways to Say: Stay hopeful / Remain positive
31. Put your shoulder to the wheel
Meaning: This idiom means pushing through hard work and suffering to finish a tough task.
For Example: Finishing the garden before sunset meant everyone had to put their shoulder to the wheel. / Hard projects require putting your shoulder to the wheel.
Other Ways to Say: Work hard / Push through
32. Push through
Meaning: This idiom means continuing to work or move forward despite pain or hardship.
For Example: Feeling tired during the last mile of the race made him want to quit, but he decided to push through. / Push through difficult chapters to finish the book.
Other Ways to Say: Persevere / Keep going
33. Pull through
Meaning: This idiom means successfully surviving a severe illness, injury, or major hardship.
For Example: With great medical care, the sick puppy managed to pull through. / Hard work helps students pull through difficult classes.
Other Ways to Say: Survive / Recover
34. Bounce back
Meaning: This idiom means recovering your health, energy, or success after suffering a setback.
For Example: Kids are amazing at bouncing back quickly after catching a cold. / Resilience helps people bounce back from failures.
Other Ways to Say: Recover / Rebound
35. Weather any storm
Meaning: This idiom means having the strength to survive any future hardship or suffering.
For Example: Strong family support gives children the confidence to weather any storm. / Good preparation helps ships weather any storm.
Other Ways to Say: Endure anything / Survive challenges
36. Stand your ground
Meaning: This idiom means refusing to yield or give up during a difficult conflict or challenge.
For Example: Even when outnumbered in the debate, she managed to stand her ground. / Standing your ground takes courage during arguments.
Other Ways to Say: Remain firm / Hold fast
37. Stick it out
Meaning: This idiom means enduring a difficult or unpleasant situation until the very end.
For Example: Camping in the rain wasn’t easy, but we decided to stick it out. / Finishing tough school years requires you to stick it out.
Other Ways to Say: Persevere / Endure
38. Tough it out
Meaning: This idiom means enduring hardship and discomfort without complaining.
For Example: Playing soccer in the chilly wind meant players had to tough it out. / When homework gets hard, you just have to tough it out.
Other Ways to Say: Endure / Persevere
39. Bear the brunt
Meaning: This idiom means receiving the main force or worst part of a hardship or suffering.
For Example: The front windows bore the brunt of the heavy hail storm. / Older siblings often bear the brunt of chores.
Other Ways to Say: Take main force / Endure worst
40. Stand the test of time
Meaning: This idiom means enduring through years of challenges and remaining strong.
For Example: Classic stone bridges stand the test of time against weather. / True friendships stand the test of time.
Other Ways to Say: Endure / Last long
41. Go through fire and water
Meaning: This idiom means enduring extreme dangers and suffering to help someone.
For Example: Best friends are willing to go through fire and water for each other. / Explorers went through fire and water crossing the mountains.
Other Ways to Say: Endure everything / Face extreme hardship
42. Walk a mile in someone’s shoes
Meaning: This idiom means understanding someone else’s personal suffering and life experiences.
For Example: Before judging a classmate, try to walk a mile in their shoes. / Empathy means walking a mile in someone’s shoes.
Other Ways to Say: Understand others / Share perspective
43. Feel the pinch
Meaning: This idiom means experiencing financial hardship, suffering, or resource shortages.
For Example: Rising grocery prices meant families started to feel the pinch. / Saving allowance helps when you feel the pinch.
Other Ways to Say: Experience shortage / Face hardship
44. Fall on hard times
Meaning: This idiom means entering a period of poverty, difficulty, and suffering.
For Example: When the business closed, the family fell on hard times for a while. / Saving money protects you if you fall on hard times.
Other Ways to Say: Experience poverty / Face hardship
45. Hard road ahead
Meaning: This idiom describes anticipating a difficult, suffering-filled journey to reach a goal.
For Example: Studying advanced calculus meant there was a hard road ahead for students. / Preparing for championships meant a hard road ahead.
Other Ways to Say: Difficult journey / Tough path
46. Up hill battle
Meaning: This idiom describes facing a constant, exhausting struggle against difficult obstacles.
For Example: Trying to finish the poster with broken markers felt like an uphill battle. / Learning a new musical instrument can be an uphill battle at first.
Other Ways to Say: Difficult struggle / Hard challenge
47. Grindstone
Meaning: This idiom refers to keeping your nose to the grindstone, meaning working hard through suffering.
For Example: Keeping your nose to the grindstone helps you pass final exams. / Daily practice at the grindstone builds skill.
Other Ways to Say: Hard work / Constant labor
48. Bleed for it
Meaning: This idiom means putting immense physical or emotional suffering into achieving a goal.
For Example: Winning the gymnastics trophy meant she had to bleed for it through practice. / Great achievements require you to work hard and bleed for it.
Other Ways to Say: Work extremely hard / Suffer for success
49. Put through the wringer
Meaning: This idiom describes subjecting someone to intense stress, questioning, or suffering.
For Example: The strict interview put the candidate through the wringer. / Intensive training puts athletes through the wringer.
Other Ways to Say: Test severely / Stress greatly
50. In the hot seat
Meaning: This idiom describes being in a stressful position where you face tough questions or pressure.
For Example: Sitting before the committee put him right in the hot seat. / Answering tricky math questions at the board puts you in the hot seat.
Other Ways to Say: Under pressure / Stressed position
51. Fire test
Meaning: This idiom describes facing a severe test that proves your strength through suffering.
For Example: The championship game served as a fire test for the rookie team. / Difficult exams act as a fire test for knowledge.
Other Ways to Say: Severe test / Hard trial
52. Baptism of fire
Meaning: This idiom describes a very difficult, stressful introduction to a new activity or job.
For Example: Working the cash register during the holiday rush was a baptism of fire for her. / His first day on the soccer team was a baptism of fire.
Other Ways to Say: Tough start / Hard introduction
53. Trial by fire
Meaning: This idiom describes enduring a harsh, suffering-filled test of ability.
For Example: Building the bridge model alone felt like a trial by fire. / Testing the software under heavy traffic was a trial by fire.
Other Ways to Say: Harsh test / Difficult trial
54. Crucible
Meaning: This idiom describes a severe situation or place of trial that forces personal growth through suffering.
For Example: The demanding training camp acted as a crucible for building athletic strength. / Difficult times serve as a crucible for character.
Other Ways to Say: Severe trial / Test of strength
55. Hard school of life
Meaning: This idiom describes gaining wisdom through enduring harsh life experiences and suffering.
For Example: Experiencing setbacks taught him valuable lessons in the hard school of life. / Resilience comes from graduating the hard school of life.
Other Ways to Say: Life experience / Tough lessons
56. Bitter pill to swallow
Meaning: This idiom describes accepting an unpleasant truth, failure, or hardship.
For Example: Losing the game in the final seconds was a bitter pill to swallow. / Accepting blame for the mistake was a bitter pill to swallow.
Other Ways to Say: Unpleasant reality / Hard truth
57. Cross to carry
Meaning: This idiom describes enduring a continuous personal hardship or sorrow.
For Example: Having allergies every spring is just an annoying cross to carry. / Everyone has a unique cross to carry in life.
Other Ways to Say: Personal burden / Hardship
58. Burden of proof
Meaning: This idiom describes the stressful responsibility of proving something is true.
For Example: During the science debate, our team carried the burden of proof for our model. / Showing your work carries the burden of proof in math.
Other Ways to Say: Responsibility / Proof duty
59. Weight of the world
Meaning: This idiom describes feeling overwhelmed by an enormous amount of stress, worry, and suffering.
For Example: Studying for three tests at once made her feel like she carried the weight of the world. / Don’t let worries make you feel like you carry the weight of the world.
Other Ways to Say: Overwhelmed / Deeply stressed
60. Final test
Meaning: This idiom describes the ultimate difficult challenge that tests your endurance.
For Example: Climbing to the mountain peak was the final test of their hiking journey. / Final exams act as the final test of school knowledge.
Other Ways to Say: Ultimate challenge / Final exam
Exercise to Practice
- After studying for final exams all week, she felt like she had been put ________.
- We had to ________ and finish cleaning up the messy garage.
- Strong teamwork helped the family ________ of tough months.
- Caring for an ailing pet can feel like ________.
- Waiting for the exam results kept him ________ all morning.
- He felt like he was always ________ of his older brother’s rules.
- The manager worked right alongside the staff ________ to finish on time.
- Experiencing failures taught him valuable lessons through the school of ________.
- Seeing the injured stray animal gave her a ________ of sympathy.
- Missing the bus and losing his lunch money made him feel ________ today.
- Walking home alone, he felt ________ over the lost game.
- Experiencing a major loss can feel like swimming through ________.
- Fables often describe harsh winters as ________ for forest animals.
- Failing the exam made him feel like he fell into ________.
- After the sad news, she remained ________ for hours.
Answer Key
- through the mill
- bite the bullet
- weather the storm
- carrying a heavy cross
- on the rack
- under the thumb
- in the trenches
- hard knocks
- bleeding heart
- down on your luck
- burdened with sorrow
- a sea of sorrow
- a valley of tears
- a pit of despair
- sunk in grief
Conclusion
Learning idioms for suffering makes expressing hardships and difficult challenges more descriptive and engaging. These expressions help you talk about facing struggles, overcoming tough moments, and staying strong in a relatable way. They can also make stories about challenging experiences more vivid and meaningful. Try using these phrases when discussing characters in stories or sharing how you handle difficult days. With practice, these idioms can make your everyday conversations more natural and expressive. They also add color and emotion when describing life’s challenges.
