67 Animal Idioms in English With Their Meanings & Examples
Learn 67 popular animal idioms with meanings and examples. Make your conversations more vivid with these fun expressions!

Idioms are phrases that have meanings different from their literal words. They help to illustrate points more clearly and can make communication more interesting and relatable.
Animals appear in many common idioms. Some idioms compare behavior to animals, while others express emotions or warnings.
For example, saying “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” describes someone who appears harmless but is actually dangerous, not an actual wolf wearing a fleece! While saying “hold your horses” instead of “wait” conveys patience more effectively. Similarly, “the elephant in the room” highlights an obvious issue that people avoid discussing.
Animal idioms bring language to life by comparing human actions to animal traits. Understanding them will help improve your communication and enable you to sound more natural in conversation. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most common animal idioms.
Animal Idioms List
Below, you’ll find popular animal idioms, their meanings, and examples of how to use them. These expressions can add color, humor, and deeper meaning to conversations.
1. A bee in your bonnet
Meaning: Obsessed with an idea.
Example: She has a bee in her bonnet about recycling.
2. A bull in a china shop
Meaning: A clumsy person in a delicate situation.
Example: He’s like a bull in a china shop when handling fragile items.
3. A dark horse
Meaning: Someone who unexpectedly succeeds.
Example: She was a dark horse in the race and won.
4. A fish out of water
Meaning: Feeling uncomfortable in a situation.
Example: I felt like a fish out of water at the gala.
5. A frog in your throat
Meaning: A hoarse voice or difficulty speaking.
Example: Sorry, I have a frog in my throat today.
6. A little bird told me
Meaning: Someone told me a secret, but I won’t reveal who.
Example: A little bird told me you’re getting a promotion.
7. A sitting duck
Meaning: An easy target.
Example: Without a defense, the team was a sitting duck.
8. A whale of a time
Meaning: Having a great time.
Example: We had a whale of a time at the party!
9. A wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning: Someone who appears harmless but is actually dangerous.
Example: Be careful of him; he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
10. Ants in your pants
Meaning: Unable to sit still.
Example: The kids had ants in their pants before the trip.
11. As blind as a bat
Meaning: Having very poor eyesight.
Example: Without her glasses, she’s as blind as a bat.
12. As busy as a bee
Meaning: Extremely busy and hardworking.
Example: She’s been as busy as a bee planning the wedding.
13. As free as a bird
Meaning: Completely free, without restrictions.
Example: Now that school is over, I feel as free as a bird.
14. As quiet as a mouse
Meaning: Extremely quiet.
Example: She was as quiet as a mouse during the meeting.
15. At a snail’s pace
Meaning: Very slow.
Example: Traffic is moving at a snail’s pace today.
16. Back the wrong horse
Meaning: To support the losing side.
Example: I backed the wrong horse in the election.
17. Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: Making a wrong assumption.
Example: You’re barking up the wrong tree if you think I stole your book.
18. Beat a dead horse
Meaning: To continue arguing about something already settled.
Example: Stop bringing up that topic; you’re beating a dead horse.
19. Bird’s-eye view
Meaning: A view from above.
Example: The drone gave us a bird’s-eye view of the city.
20. Busy as a beaver
Meaning: Very hardworking and active.
Example: He’s been as busy as a beaver finishing his project.
21. Cat got your tongue?
Meaning: Why are you so quiet?
Example: You were talking a lot earlier—what happened? Cat got your tongue?
22. Cry wolf
Meaning: To lie about danger when there is none.
Example: If you keep crying wolf, no one will believe you.
23. Curiosity killed the cat
Meaning: Being too curious can lead to trouble.
Example: Stop asking so many questions—curiosity killed the cat.
24. Dark horse
Meaning: Someone who is unexpectedly successful.
Example: She was a dark horse in the competition and won.
25. Dog-eat-dog world
Meaning: A competitive environment.
Example: The corporate world is a dog-eat-dog world.
26. Dog-tired
Meaning: Extremely tired.
Example: After working all day, I’m dog-tired.
27. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
Meaning: Don’t assume success before it happens.
Example: You haven’t won yet, so don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
28. Eager beaver
Meaning: A very enthusiastic person.
Example: He’s an eager beaver at work, always volunteering for extra tasks.
29. Eat like a horse
Meaning: Eat a lot.
Example: He eats like a horse after practice.
30. Elephant in the room
Meaning: An obvious problem people avoid discussing.
Example: Nobody mentioned his job loss—it was the elephant in the room.
31. Fish out of water
Meaning: Someone who feels uncomfortable in a situation.
Example: I felt like a fish out of water at the fancy party.
32. Fishy
Meaning: Suspicious or questionable.
Example: Something seems fishy about this deal.
33. Fly on the wall
Meaning: A silent observer.
Example: I’d love to be a fly on the wall during that meeting.
34. Get someone’s goat
Meaning: To annoy someone.
Example: His constant interruptions really get my goat.
35. Go cold turkey
Meaning: To quit something suddenly.
Example: He went cold turkey on smoking last year.
36. Go to the dogs
Meaning: To deteriorate or worsen.
Example: The neighborhood has really gone to the dogs.
37. Have a cow
Meaning: To overreact.
Example: Don’t have a cow—it’s just a small mistake.
38. Hold your horses
Meaning: Be patient.
Example: Hold your horses, we’ll leave in a minute.
39. Holy cow!
Meaning: An expression of surprise.
Example: Holy cow! That’s an amazing view!
40. Horse around
Meaning: To play roughly.
Example: Stop horsing around and do your homework.
41. In the doghouse
Meaning: In trouble.
Example: He’s in the doghouse after forgetting their anniversary.
42. Kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: Solve two problems at once.
Example: By biking to work, I kill two birds with one stone—exercise and transport.
43. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: Reveal a secret.
Example: He let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
44. Lion’s share
Meaning: The biggest portion.
Example: He took the lion’s share of the credit for the project.
45. Monkey business
Meaning: Misbehavior.
Example: Stop the monkey business and pay attention.
46. Open a can of worms
Meaning: Create more problems.
Example: Bringing up politics will open a can of worms.
47. Play cat and mouse
Meaning: Engage in a strategic chase.
Example: The police played cat and mouse with the suspect.
48. Rain cats and dogs
Meaning: Rain very heavily.
Example: It’s raining cats and dogs outside.
49. Rat race
Meaning: A competitive, exhausting lifestyle.
Example: I left the corporate rat race for a simpler life.
50. Red herring
Meaning: A distraction.
Example: His excuse was a red herring to avoid the real issue.
51. Sacred cow
Meaning: Something untouchable or beyond criticism.
Example: In this company, the CEO is a sacred cow.
52. Smell a rat
Meaning: Suspect something wrong.
Example: I smell a rat—this deal seems too good to be true.
53. Snake in the grass
Meaning: A hidden enemy.
Example: Watch out for him—he’s a snake in the grass.
54. Straight from the horse’s mouth
Meaning: Directly from the source.
Example: I heard the news straight from the horse’s mouth.
55. The bee’s knees
Meaning: Something outstanding or excellent.
Example: This new smartphone is the bee’s knees!
56. The cat’s meow
Meaning: Something outstanding.
Example: His new car is the cat’s meow.
57. The early bird catches the worm
Meaning: The first to act gets the reward.
Example: I woke up early because the early bird catches the worm.
58. Till the cows come home
Meaning: For a long time.
Example: He can argue till the cows come home.
59. To be a chicken
Meaning: To be scared.
Example: Don’t be a chicken—just try it!
60. To go the whole hog
Meaning: To do something completely or thoroughly.
Example: If we’re redecorating, let’s go the whole hog and change everything.
61. To have bigger fish to fry
Meaning: To have more important things to do.
Example: I can’t stay for the meeting—I have bigger fish to fry.
62. Top dog
Meaning: The most important person.
Example: He’s the top dog in the office.
63. Watch like a hawk
Meaning: Observe very closely.
Example: She watches her kids like a hawk.
64. Wild goose chase
Meaning: A pointless search.
Example: Looking for that old book was a wild goose chase.
65. Wolf down
Meaning: Eat quickly.
Example: He wolfed down his lunch before the meeting.
66. Work like a dog
Meaning: Work very hard.
Example: She worked like a dog to finish her project.
67. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks
Meaning: Old habits are hard to change.
Example: He refuses to use email—you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
What Next?
Enjoy learning about these animal idioms? You might also like to check out:
- Business idioms
- Christmas idioms
- Common English idioms
- Food idioms
- Happiness idioms
- Sports idioms
- Time idioms
And, if you want to stick to animals take a look at:
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