Weather Idioms

Weather Idioms in English (with Meanings & Examples)

English is full of weather — and not just in forecasts. We use weather idioms all the time to talk about emotions, problems, luck, success, work, and life in general.

If you’re preparing for B2 First (FCE), C1 Advanced (CAE), or you simply want to sound more natural and expressive, these idioms will help you colour your English and avoid boring, basic language.

Let’s explore some of the most useful weather idioms in everyday English, with clear meanings and natural example sentences.

Bolt from the blue

Meaning: something that happens completely unexpectedly.

• Getting that job offer was a real bolt from the blue.
• The news about the earthquake came like a bolt from the blue.

A breeze

Meaning: something very easy to do.

• The exam was a breeze compared to the practice tests.
• After months of training, the marathon felt like a breeze.

The calm before the storm

Meaning: a quiet or peaceful period before problems or intense activity begin.

• The office was strangely quiet — the calm before the storm before the deadline.

Chase rainbows

Meaning: to try to achieve something unrealistic or impossible.

• He keeps talking about becoming famous overnight. I think he’s chasing rainbows.

Come rain or shine

Meaning: no matter what happens or what the conditions are.

• I’ll be there at 8 a.m., come rain or shine.
• We’re going on holiday this weekend, rain or shine.

Every cloud has a silver lining

Meaning: every bad situation has something positive in it.

• Losing that job helped her find something better. Every cloud has a silver lining

A fair-weather friend

Meaning: someone who is only your friend when everything is going well.

• He disappeared as soon as I had problems. Turns out he’s a fair-weather friend.

Get wind of something

Meaning: to hear a rumour or discover something, usually a secret.

• The press got wind of the actor’s divorce.
• Our competitors got wind of our plans.

Have your head in the clouds

Meaning: to be unrealistic, dreamy, or not focused on reality.

• He’s a nice guy, but he always has his head in the clouds.
• You wouldn’t have made that mistake if you hadn’t had your head in the clouds.

In the wind

Meaning: likely to happen or being talked about (but not confirmed).

• Changes in management are in the wind.
• There are rumours in the wind about a new tax law.

On cloud nine

Meaning: extremely happy.

• She’s been on cloud nine since she passed her exams.
• He was on cloud nine after hearing the good news.

Find your place in the sun

Meaning: to find a good position in life or a job that suits you well.

• After years of struggle, he finally found his place in the sun.

Rain cats and dogs

Meaning: to rain very heavily.

• We had to cancel the picnic — it was raining cats and dogs.
• I’m staying in. It’s raining cats and dogs outside.

Save for a rainy day

Meaning: to save money for future problems or emergencies.

• It’s always wise to save a little for a rainy day.

Snowed under

Meaning: extremely busy, with too much work.

• I’m completely snowed under at work this week.
• We’re always snowed under before Christmas.

Steal someone’s thunder

Meaning: to take the attention or praise that someone else deserves.

• He stole my thunder by announcing the news before I could.

A storm in a teacup

Meaning: a lot of unnecessary anger or worry about something very small.

• Everyone’s panicking, but it’s just a storm in a teacup.

Take something/someone by storm

Meaning: to become successful very quickly.

• The young singer took the music world by storm.
• The new app took the market by storm.

Under the weather

Meaning: feeling slightly ill.

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

Weather the storm

Meaning: to survive a difficult period.

• The company managed to weather the storm and avoid bankruptcy.

Weather idioms are excellent for writing tasks (essays, reviews, articles), speaking exams and making your English sound natural, confident, and idiomatic.

If you learn and use just 5–6 of these idioms well, your English will already sound much more fluent and expressive.

And remember: even when learning feels difficult… every cloud has a silver lining. 😉

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Weather idioms