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Here are some of the best idioms for IELTS Speaking to describe your feelings.
In Part 2 of IELTS Speaking, the task card (or cue card) asks you to describe a person, place, event, activity or thing and then often asks you to
‘explain how you felt about it’.
Many candidates find it difficult to say more than, ‘I was happy, angry, sad…’ and so on.
Beef up (build up) your vocabulary with these natural spoken idiomatic expressions that will impress the examiner and help you move towards a band 7 or above!
Idioms you will Learn
Be Careful with Idioms!
A word of warning.
Only use these idioms in the test, when you are sure you can use them well.
This article and video will help you, as I will use them all in context, so you can see how to use them.
However, you need to practice lots.
In addition, you would not use idioms in every answer.
I use several in one answer to show as many idioms as possible.
In the test, you would not use so many!
Top Tip 1
Use Youglish.com to find video samples of all of these best idioms for IELTS Speaking to discuss feelings. The more times you see them being used, the more confident you will be to use them.
List of Feelings
- Excited
- Impressed
- Angry
- Frustrated
- Impatient
- Bored
- Happy
- Happy with something
- Thankful
- Nervous
- Relaxed
- Sad
Excited
I was raring to go
I was on the edge of my seat
I was bouncing off the walls
I could hardly wait
I couldn’t wait to…
Impressed
It blew my mind
It blew me away
I was bowled over by
Describe a performance you watched recently.
…and explain how you felt about it.
I recently saw my favourite pop band in concert. For days before, I was bouncing off the walls, and I just couldn’t wait to see them. On the day of the concert, they just blew me away. I was bowled over by their energy and enthusiasm. I couldn’t wait to tell my friends about it.
Describe an exciting event you have been to.
…and explain why it was exciting.
I recently attended the release of a new film in my local cinema. For weeks before I was raring to go, I was so excited I could hardly wait. On the actual day, I finally got to see the film and it totally blew my mind. The acting was great and the plot had me on the edge of my seat all the way through.
Angry
Be beside myself (with anger/grief/ worry)
Fly off the handle
Go spare
Go through the roof
Make my blood boil
Lose my cool
Go ballistic
My patience was pushed to the limit
Describe a time someone apologised to you.
…and explain how you felt about it.
Last week my friend borrowed my favourite book and then lost it. Initially, I was beside myself with anger. I mean I’m not one to fly off the handle but that book had sentimental value for me. I calmed down later and accepted his apology.
Describe a time someone didn’t tell you the truth about something.
…and explain how you felt about it
When I bought this software, the salesman said it could be used with any computer. When I realised this was not the case, I went spare. Seriously, I nearly went through the roof. It makes my blood boil when salespeople blatantly lie.
Describe an important journey that was delayed.
…and explain how you felt about it.
Last month my flight to Rome was delayed for 10 hours. I was so annoyed, and when they refused to give us any free food, I lost my cool. When I spoke to the representative, she was so unhelpful, I just went ballistic, and started shouting at her. I’m normally a calm person, but at that time, my patience was really pushed to the limit. I just wanted to get to Rome.
Frustrated
It got on my nerves
It drove me up the wall
It drove me round the bend
Give someone a piece of your mind
That was the last straw
I was banging my head against the wall
Impatient
It tried my patience
I was running out of patience
I was at my wit’s end
I was at the end of my tether
Describe a time when you could not use your mobile phone.
…and explain how you felt about it.
When I was at the bank last week, they told me I couldn’t use my mobile phone there. These silly rules really get on my nerves. I asked why, and they just said that was the rule. It drove me up the wall, because I needed to make a call but I didn’t want to lose my place in the queue. These kind of rules really try my patience. If I had had more time, I would’ve complained to the manager and given him a piece of my mind.
Describe a time when an activity you did was delayed due to the bad weather.
…and explain how you felt about it.
Some friends and I had organised a picnic in the countryside. We had been looking forward to it for weeks. Then on the day, as we were about to leave, it started to rain. A short shower, we thought. So we decided to wait for it to stop. Two hours later it was still raining and we were running out of patience. Then suddenly a storm broke out. That was the last straw. In the end, we had to postpone to another weekend.
Describe a crowded place you have been to.
and explain how you felt about the place.
To be honest, I don’t like crowds, so I was a little nervous when my brother invited me to watch a football match with him. The stadium was packed full. People behind us were pushing and it was getting on my nerves. After 30 minutes of pushing I was at my wit’s end. Seriously, I was banging my head against the wall. I was about to go ballistic. But my brother told me to calm down, and we decided to leave the game early.
Bored
To be fed up to the back teeth
To be cheesed off with…
To have had it up to here
To be bored to tears
To be bored to death
Describe a time you got bored when you were with others.
…and explain how you felt about it
A few weeks ago I went to a party with a friend of mine. I was a bit cheesed off with him actually, because he knew I didn’t want to go, but he wouldn’t go alone. Anyway, we went to the party and I was bored to death. There was no music, no food, and I didn’t know anybody. I was fed up to the back teeth and told my friend I had had it up to here and was going home.
Happy
Over the moon
Tickled pink
On cloud nine
Thrilled to bits
Happy with something
It made my day
It was music to my ears
It was just what the doctor ordered
It was just what I needed
Describe an occasion when you celebrated your achievement.
…and explain how you felt about it.
A few years ago I finished my Masters degree. I was over the moon. It had taken me four years because I had to work at the same time. When I finally got the certificate, I was tickled pink. As you can imagine – it made my day!
Describe an interesting conversation you had with someone.
…and explain how you felt about it.
I recently had an interesting conversation with the lady who works in my local bookshop. She told me that as a loyal customer, I had won a prize. I was surprised, but it was music to my ears. It turned out I had won 100 Euros of book vouchers. I was on cloud nine. I needed to buy some new books for my daughter, so it was just what the doctor ordered. Later when I gave my daughter some new story books, she was thrilled to bits.
Thankful
To be appreciative
To be eternally grateful
To be at a loss for words
I couldn’t thank him/her enough
Describe a time you lost something and finally got it back.
…and explain how you felt about it.
When I recently lost my wallet on the way to work, I was so surprised to get it back. A man had found it, seen my address and brought it to my home. I was so appreciative and to be honest, at a loss for words. I invited him in for some tea and gave him a reward to show I was eternally grateful. My wallet had all my ID cards, photos and credit cards. I was tickled pink I had got it back and I couldn’t thank him enough.
Nervous
To be worried sick about it
To have butterflies
To get worked up
To be tongue-tied
To tear your hair out
To be on edge
Describe a time you met someone for the first time.
…and explain how you felt about it.
I will never forget when I got my first real job, and I met my new boss. To be honest, I was worried sick about it because first impressions are so important, right? I spent ages in the morning thinking about what to say. I had butterflies and I was getting a bit worked up, to tell you the truth. Initially when I met him, I was a bit tongue-tied, but then I chilled out a little and everything went smoothly.
Describe a challenge you faced recently
….and explain how you felt about it.
A real challenge I faced last year was giving a presentation to about three hundred students. I wouldn’t say I was tearing my hair out, but I was certainly on edge. I always get nervous when I speak in front of large crowds. In the end it went very well, despite the fact I had butterflies at the beginning.
Relaxed
To chill out
To kick back
To put your feet up
To let your hair down
To unwind
Describe a leisure activity that you do with your family
….and explain how you feel about it.
One of my favourite pastimes that I do with my family is to play cards together. It’s a great way to chill out and kick back. We can just chat about what we have been doing lately, at the same time as we play. That’s why I really do enjoy putting my feet up and playing cards with my family.
Describe a place where you read and write (not your home).
…and explain how you feel about this place.
I often go to my local library to read a book or catch up on my blog writing. I find the silence and peaceful atmosphere just helps me chill out and unwind.
Describe a singer or a band that you like
and explain how you feel about their music
I love listening to my old jazz CD collection. After a hard day’s work, I just find it an ideal way to relax and let my hair down. The music is so calming, I can just put my feet up and chill.
Sad
To be / feel down in the dumps
To be down in the mouth
To feel blue
Describe an important journey that was delayed.
…and explain how you felt about it.
I was due to catch a flight home to attend my friend’s wedding. Unfortunately the flight was delayed. As I was waiting in the airport, I began to feel more and more down in the dumps. When I realised I was going to miss the whole ceremony, I was totally down in the mouth. It was such a shame. I have never felt so blue!
Top Tip 2
If you want to express an opposite emotion, but you are not sure how, just use a negative sentence.
For example, you want to say
‘I felt sad’
but you can’t think of an idiom. Then just use the negative of a happy idiom –
‘I wasn’t at all over the moon’
Or
‘I wasn’t on cloud nine at all’
Easy, right?
So, how do you feel about these idioms?
Remember to get confident with idioms, you must practice lots.
Why not start practicing on italki today?
Click the button below to start.
29 thoughts on “Best Idioms for IELTS Speaking to Describe Feelings”
It’s very Indy tips. Most things that I’ve learned. thank you so much Keith
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All my courses are based on recorded videos that you can study in your own time, and at your own pace. There are no one-on-one sessions with me.
I want to take your pronunciation course
Dear Keith,
I can’t find enough words to show my gratitude and appreciation to your work. Your website is full of all the treasure aspirants are searching for. Thanks a ton.
You are very welcome and I am pleased it can al help!
Mr Keith, I’m so appreciative, and I’ll be eternally grateful for your work. I really can’t thank you enough. This lesson on feelings is truly a piece of art, so I was on cloud nine while studying it. 🙂
Pleased to hear that and thank so much for your kind words.
Thank you Keith, you are the best teacher who I have ever seen, thank you…
Hello sir,
Do you have a PDF for this lessons?
Not at the moment, sorry! I will see if I can do that.
Thank you sir. I am eternally grateful and this all idioms are important for me.
Glad you like them and find them useful!
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My pleasure!
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Glad you find them useful!
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Thanks, glad you liked it!
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Thanks, I am glad it is useful!
Thanks
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Glad you like it!
Thanks!