Idioms are a fun and creative part of the English language. They are phrases that mean something different from the words they use. Learning idioms can make your speaking and writing more colorful and interesting. Today, we will focus on idioms that help describe relaxing and taking a break. These phrases are helpful when you want to express how you unwind after a busy day.
Relaxing is important for everyone. Whether you’ve had a long day at school or finished your chores, knowing how to talk about rest can be useful. In this article, you’ll discover some popular idioms for relaxing and learn how to use them. By practicing these phrases, you can add more variety to your conversations and have fun while learning.
Idioms for Relax
1. Take it easy
Meaning: Relax and not stress about things.
In a Sentence: After a long week of school, I like to take it easy and watch cartoons. / Don’t worry about the test; just take it easy tonight.
Other Ways to Say: Chill out, Unwind
2. Kick back
Meaning: To sit or lie down and relax.
In a Sentence: After finishing my homework, I kicked back and listened to music. / Let’s kick back on the couch and watch a movie.
Other Ways to Say: Put your feet up, Take a load off
3. Blow off steam
Meaning: To do something to release stress.
In a Sentence: After soccer practice, I like to blow off steam by playing video games. / My dad goes for a jog to blow off steam after work.
Other Ways to Say: Let off steam, Cool down
4. Take a breather
Meaning: To pause and rest for a short time.
In a Sentence: During our hike, we stopped to take a breather and enjoy the view. / I take a breather during study breaks.
Other Ways to Say: Catch your breath, Rest for a moment
5. Put your feet up
Meaning: To relax, often after working hard.
In a Sentence: After cleaning the house, my mom likes to put her feet up with a good book. / You’ve worked all day; it’s time to put your feet up.
Other Ways to Say: Sit back, Take it easy
6. Take a load off
Meaning: To sit down and relax.
In a Sentence: Come inside and take a load off; you look tired. / After the game, the team took a load off in the locker room.
Other Ways to Say: Kick back, Relax
7. Hang loose
Meaning: Stay calm and relaxed.
In a Sentence: At the beach, we just hung loose and watched the waves. / Don’t rush; just hang loose and enjoy the weekend.
Other Ways to Say: Chill, Go with the flow
8. Keep your cool
Meaning: Stay calm in stressful situations.
In a Sentence: Even during the math quiz, I tried to keep my cool. / My mom kept her cool when the dog made a mess.
Other Ways to Say: Stay calm, Remain collected
9. Unwind
Meaning: Relax after being busy.
In a Sentence: I like to unwind by reading before bed. / My dad unwinds by watching his favorite sports channel.
Other Ways to Say: De-stress, Loosen up
10. Sit back and relax
Meaning: Rest and enjoy yourself.
In a Sentence: Sit back and relax; dinner will be ready soon. / We sat back and relaxed on the porch swing.
Other Ways to Say: Kick back, Take it easy
11. Catch some rays
Meaning: Spend time relaxing in the sun.
In a Sentence: We went to the park to catch some rays. / My sister loves catching rays on the beach.
Other Ways to Say: Soak up the sun, Get some sunshine
12. Blow away the cobwebs
Meaning: Do something to feel refreshed.
In a Sentence: A morning walk helps me blow away the cobwebs. / Playing outside blows away the cobwebs after sitting in class.
Other Ways to Say: Clear your head, Feel refreshed
13. Take five
Meaning: To take a short break.
In a Sentence: Let’s take five before starting the next project. / I took five after practicing my piano lesson.
Other Ways to Say: Pause, Rest for a moment
14. Have some downtime
Meaning: Time to rest and not be busy.
In a Sentence: I enjoy having some downtime on Sunday afternoons. / Downtime is perfect for playing with my dog.
Other Ways to Say: Relax, Free time
15. Wind down
Meaning: To relax, especially at the end of the day.
In a Sentence: I wind down with a warm bath after dinner. / My family winds down by watching a movie together.
Other Ways to Say: Unwind, Take it easy
16. Let your hair down
Meaning: To relax and enjoy yourself without worrying about rules.
In a Sentence: At the party, everyone let their hair down and had fun. / Summer break is a great time to let your hair down.
Other Ways to Say: Loosen up, Be carefree
17. Chill out
Meaning: To calm down and relax.
In a Sentence: After the argument, we all needed to chill out. / My friends and I chilled out at the park after school.
Other Ways to Say: Cool off, Take it easy
18. Catch some Z’s
Meaning: To sleep or take a nap.
In a Sentence: I need to catch some Z’s before my soccer game. / On weekends, I love catching some Z’s in the afternoon.
Other Ways to Say: Get some rest, Take a nap
19. Rest on your laurels
Meaning: To stop working and relax after achieving something.
In a Sentence: After finishing the project, I rested on my laurels for a day. / My teacher said not to rest on our laurels after winning the science fair.
Other Ways to Say: Take a break, Enjoy your success
20. Take time out
Meaning: To take a break from a busy schedule.
In a Sentence: We took time out to play board games as a family. / It’s important to take time out for yourself.
Other Ways to Say: Pause, Step away
21. Have a lazy day
Meaning: A day when you do very little and relax.
In a Sentence: I had a lazy day watching TV and eating snacks. / Sundays are perfect for having a lazy day.
Other Ways to Say: Take it slow, Relax completely
22. Recharge your batteries
Meaning: To rest and regain energy.
In a Sentence: After the long hike, we needed to recharge our batteries. / I recharge my batteries by sleeping in on weekends.
Other Ways to Say: Recover, Rest
23. Zone out
Meaning: To stop paying attention and relax your mind.
In a Sentence: I zoned out while listening to music after school. / Sometimes, I zone out and daydream during long car rides.
Other Ways to Say: Space out, Tune out
24. Cool as a cucumber
Meaning: To stay calm and relaxed in a stressful situation.
In a Sentence: She stayed cool as a cucumber during the spelling bee. / My dad is always cool as a cucumber when things go wrong.
Other Ways to Say: Stay calm, Keep your cool
25. Float on cloud nine
Meaning: To feel very happy and relaxed.
In a Sentence: After getting an A on my test, I floated on cloud nine all day. / My little brother was on cloud nine when he got his favorite toy.
Other Ways to Say: Feel great, Be overjoyed
26. Kick the can down the road
Meaning: To delay work or decisions and take it easy for a while.
In a Sentence: I kicked the can down the road and played video games instead of doing my homework. / Sometimes, I just need to kick the can down the road and rest.
Other Ways to Say: Procrastinate, Put it off
27. Live it up
Meaning: To fully enjoy and relax in the moment.
In a Sentence: We lived it up at the amusement park all day. / On vacation, my family lives it up by trying new foods and activities.
Other Ways to Say: Enjoy life, Have fun
28. Find your zen
Meaning: To feel peaceful and relaxed.
In a Sentence: Coloring helps me find my zen after a busy day. / Yoga is a great way to find your zen.
Other Ways to Say: Be calm, Feel peaceful
29. Roll with the punches
Meaning: To stay relaxed and adapt to difficult situations.
In a Sentence: When the power went out, we rolled with the punches and played card games. / My teacher says to roll with the punches when things don’t go as planned.
Other Ways to Say: Stay flexible, Go with the flow
30. Make yourself at home
Meaning: To relax and feel comfortable like you’re at home.
In a Sentence: When my friend came over, I told her to make herself at home. / The host said, “Make yourself at home,” and offered us snacks.
Other Ways to Say: Feel comfortable, Settle in
31. Take the edge off
Meaning: To relax and feel less stressed.
In a Sentence: A cup of tea always takes the edge off after a long day. / Playing outside takes the edge off when I’m feeling overwhelmed.
Other Ways to Say: Calm down, Ease stress
32. Sit tight
Meaning: To stay calm and wait patiently.
In a Sentence: Sit tight while I grab some snacks from the kitchen. / The teacher asked us to sit tight while she graded the tests.
Other Ways to Say: Hold on, Be patient
33. Be in your element
Meaning: To feel relaxed and comfortable doing something you enjoy.
In a Sentence: I’m in my element when I’m painting. / My brother is in his element when he’s playing basketball.
Other Ways to Say: Feel at ease, Be comfortable
34. Lay low
Meaning: To stay quiet and relaxed without drawing attention.
In a Sentence: After the big party, I decided to lay low and stay home. / My dog lays low in his bed after a long walk.
Other Ways to Say: Stay quiet, Keep to yourself
35. Call it a day
Meaning: To stop working and relax after finishing your tasks.
In a Sentence: After cleaning my room, I called it a day and watched TV. / We called it a day after baking cookies for hours.
Other Ways to Say: Wrap it up, Finish for now
Exercise to practice
- After mowing the lawn all afternoon, Dad told me to ________ and grab some lemonade.
- On our beach trip, we brought chairs to ________ in the sun.
- Mom likes to ________ her batteries by reading a mystery book after dinner.
- After cleaning the garage, we decided to ________ it a day and watch a movie.
- During the long car ride, I zoned out and ________ some Z’s.
- At the cookout, Grandpa said to ________ and enjoy the burgers.
- Playing basketball helps me blow off ________ after a tough math test.
- The teacher asked the class to sit tight and ________ for the assembly to start.
- After finishing my chores, I put my feet ________ and watched a cartoon.
- On our family trip, we decided to live it ________ and try the biggest roller coaster.
- My sister enjoys finding her ________ by painting on the weekends.
- On the first day of school, the teacher told us to make ourselves at ________.
Answers
- Relax
- Catch
- Recharge
- Call
- Catch
- Kick back
- Steam
- Wait
- Up
- Up
- Zen
- Home
Conclusion
Idioms make language more interesting and fun to use. Learning idioms about relaxing helps you creatively talk about rest. By practicing these phrases, you can sound more natural in conversations and share your feelings.
Keep using these idioms in your daily life. Over time, they will become a regular part of how you speak. Relaxing is important, and now you know great ways to talk about it!