Idioms with HEALTH and WELLNESS (21 Real Examples + Video)

I love idioms, you love idioms, we all love idioms! I collected 21 idioms that talk about Health and Wellness and put together this fun blog post to help you use these Expressions to sound just like a native speaker. Start using these idioms today!

Idioms With the Word HEALTH

  • Be The Picture Of Health
  • Clean Bill Of Health
  • Drink To Our Health
  • Health Is Better Than Wealth
  • Health Nut
  • Ill Health
  • In The Best Of Health
  • Nurse (Someone Or Something) Back To Health

Check out this list and learn some new idioms that native speakers really use. If you can think of some idioms that I left out, please tell me in the comments!

Idioms with HEALTH and WELLNESS
Idioms with HEALTH and WELLNESS

Idioms With The Word HEALTH 

Be The Picture Of Health
– To look and be very healthy

  • “Hi Dennis, good to see you again. Wow, you look great. You’re the picture of health.” 

Clean Bill Of Health
– A report from a doctor that someone is healthy

  • “The results of my physical came back and the doctor gave me a clean bill of health.” 

Drink To Somone’s Health
– A toast hoping for the good health of the people you are celebrating

  • “Raymond’s father is in the hospital now so let’s raise our glasses and drink to his health!”

Health Is Better Than Wealth
– Being healthy is more important than being rich. Don’t sacrifice your health to make more money

  • “Wendell has been making himself sick working two jobs and not taking time for himself. Someone needs to remind him that health is better than wealth.” 

Health Nut
– A person is a health nut if they are very serious about all things connected with good health. They focus on a healthy diet and regular exercise to a very strong degree that some may think is too much

  • “Every time I see Thomas he’s stretching and warming up for some activity. He’s always eating vegetables and some special granola snacks, that guy is a real health nut.”

Bananas can make you happy. LINK

Ill Health
– A state of not being well

  • “The cause of ill health is often a result of poor lifestyle choices. We all need to be responsible for  our own health and well-being.” 

In The Best Of Health
– Very healthy

  • “I’m always very happy to see you older people in the best of health living their lives and enjoying their retirement.” 

Nurse (Someone Or Something) Back To Health
– To give an ill person or animal care and attention to help them return to a healthy condition

  • “I found a robin with a broken wing in my backyard. I kept it safe in my garage and nursed it back to health for 8 days. What he was better he flew away and I felt very happy.”

Good or Improving HEALTH 

  • Alive And Kicking
  • An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away
  • Back On One’s Feet
  • Be On The Mend
  • Feel On Top Of The World
  • Fit As A Fiddle
  • In Good Shape
  • Just What The Doctor Ordered
  • Laughter Is The Best Medicine
  • On The Mend
  • Pull Through
  • Right As Rain

Alive And Kicking
– If someone is Alive And Kicking they are still healthy and active

  • “I just watched an interview with one of my favorite childhood TV stars. She is 94 years old and still alive and kicking. Amazing!” 

An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away
This proverb means if you eat an apple every day you will be healthy. (You won’t need to see a doctor)

  • “Would you like a piece of fruit? You know what they say an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” 

Back On One’s Feet
– returned to a healthy condition (This comes from someone falling down [becoming ill] and then standing again or back on their feet [becoming healthy again])

  • “It was great to see Jordan back on his feet after the accident. We’re all worried about him when it happened.” 

This idiom can also be used to talk about someone’s financial condition. From not having enough money back to having what they need.

  • “I lost a lot of money in the stock market, but with a little hard work I’ll be back on my feet in no time.” 

Be On The Mend
– to return to health after an illness or injury

  • “The fighter broke his arm in a motorcycle accident. He says he’s on the mend and looking forward to getting back in the ring.” 

Men are more forgetful than women. LINK

Be On Top Of The World
– feel great

  • “It’s a beautiful day, I’ve got great friends and a great family. I’m on top of the world.” 

Fit As A Fiddle
– in excellent health

  • “We had our company physical this morning and according to the tests I’m fit as a fiddle.” 

In Good Shape
– fit and healthy

  • “Daniel, you’re in good shape every time I see you. You never sick or chubby, what’s your secret?” 

Just What The Doctor Ordered
– exactly what one wants or needs

  • “Since they signed the Brazilian midfielder to the team they have won eight straight games. It seems like he was just what the doctor ordered.

Laughter Is The Best Medicine
– laughing is good for your health, it makes you feel better

  • “I know you’re not feeling well so we don’t need to go out tonight. Let’s stay in and watch a few comedies on Netflix, they say that laughter is the best medicine.”

Pull Through
– to recover from an illness

  • “Jordan was in a serious accident but the family knew he would pull through. He’s a fighter till the end.” 

Right As Rain
– to be in perfect health

  • “According to the doctor, it’s a simple sprain. She said I’ll be right as rain in a few days.”

Bad or Declining HEALTH 

  • Be At Death’s Door
  • Black-And-Blue
  • Catch One’s Death Of Cold
  • Get A Charley Horse
  • Have A Spare Tire
  • Have One Foot In The Grave
  • In Bad Shape
  • Out Of Sorts
  • Run Down
  • Sick As A Dog
  • Under The Weather

Be At Death’s Door
– to be close to death, not long left to live

  • “It’s time for the family starts making arrangements for my great uncle Wallace. He has been in the hospital for a few weeks and unfortunately, he is at death’s door now.” 

Black-And-Blue
– injured and sore (Black and blue are the colors of bruises. Bruises are signs of damage to your body)

  • “We won our rugby game on Friday, but on Saturday I was black and blue all over. It was a tough game.” 

Catch One’s Death Of Cold
– To catch a very bad cold

  • “Come inside, get out of those wet clothes, and dry off. Hurry up before you catch your death of cold.” 

Get A Charley Horse
– A charley horse is the common name for a muscle spasm or cramp. Muscle spasms can occur in any muscle in the body, but often happen in the leg. LINK

  • “As I was walking home on Friday after a rugby game I got a terrible charley horse in my left leg. It really hurt.” 

(Have) A Spare Tire
– have a round belly that sticks out

  • “I think I need to cut back on the beer and potato chips, I’m getting a spare tire.”

Have One Foot In The Grave
– to be close to death, not long left to live (This has the same meaning as Be At Death’s Door)

  • “No one thinks Dylan we’ll make it out of the hospital, he’s in bad shape and already has one foot in the grave.” 

In Bad Shape
– To be in a poor physical condition

  • “No one thinks Dylan we’ll make it out of the hospital, he’s in bad shape.”

Humans eat 600 more calories a day now than they did in the 1970s. LINK

Out Of Sorts
– Very informal, used to say that you don’t really feel like your usual self today. Something is just not quite right. 

  • A: “Victor would you like to join us after work for a drink?”
  • B: “ I think I’m going to head straight home today. I’m feeling a little bit out of sorts.” 

Run Down
– tired and not feeling well

  • “I understand Victor, you should head home and get some rest. You’re looking a little bit run down today.” 

Sick As A Dog
– very ill

  • “Janice has been absent the last 3 days. She must be sick as a dog to miss so much school.” 

Under The Weather
– not feeling well

  • “Can I leave early today boss, I’m feeling under the weather.”

Find more GREAT Idiom posts below!

Discover more from World English Blog

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Scroll to Top