Idioms and Useful Expressions for Talking about a Holiday

These idioms can help you describe a holiday in a more natural and expressive way. Some of them are useful for describing positive emotions, while others help talk about problems, disappointments, or mixed impressions.

1. Positive Emotions and Enjoyable Experiences

Idiom / Expression Meaning Example
to have the time of one’s life to enjoy something enormously We had the time of our lives in Greece.
to be on cloud nine to be extremely happy She was on cloud nine when she saw the ocean.
to be over the moon to be delighted I was over the moon about our hotel room.
to live it up to enjoy oneself in an exciting or luxurious way We decided to live it up and book a sea-view room.
to get away from it all to escape routine, stress, or everyday problems I needed a holiday to get away from it all.
to recharge one’s batteries to rest and regain energy A week in the mountains helped me recharge my batteries.
to be a breath of fresh air to feel refreshing, pleasant, and different The countryside was a real breath of fresh air after the city.
to soak up the sun / atmosphere to enjoy the sunshine or the mood of a place We spent the afternoon soaking up the sun on the beach.
to let one’s hair down to relax and enjoy oneself freely On holiday, people finally have a chance to let their hair down.
to be worth every penny to be expensive but fully worth the money The guided tour was worth every penny.
Model sentence: Although the trip got off to a bad start, we eventually had the time of our lives, soaking up the atmosphere and getting away from it all.

2. Negative Emotions and Serious Holiday Problems

Idiom / Expression Meaning Example
to be a nightmare from start to finish to be a completely terrible experience The trip was a nightmare from start to finish.
to get off to a bad start to begin badly Our holiday got off to a bad start when our flight was delayed.
to go downhill to become worse After the first day, everything went downhill.
to be a let-down to be disappointing The resort looked amazing online, but it was a complete let-down.
to leave a bad taste in one’s mouth to create an unpleasant impression The rude staff left a bad taste in our mouths.
to be stuck in the middle of nowhere to be far from everything useful or interesting Our hotel was stuck in the middle of nowhere.
to be packed like sardines to be in an extremely crowded place We were packed like sardines on the tourist bus.
to cost an arm and a leg to be very expensive Eating out near the beach cost an arm and a leg.
to be not one’s cup of tea to be something someone does not enjoy Camping in the rain is not my cup of tea.
to need a holiday after the holiday to feel exhausted after travelling After all those delayed flights, I needed a holiday after the holiday.

3. Occasional Disappointments and Mixed Feelings

These expressions are useful when the holiday was generally pleasant, but some details were disappointing, inconvenient, or less impressive than expected.

Idiom / Expression Meaning Example
a bit of a let-down slightly disappointing The hotel pool was a bit of a let-down because it looked much bigger in the photos.
not quite live up to expectations to be less impressive than expected The beach did not quite live up to our expectations.
to fall short of someone’s expectations to be less good, impressive, comfortable, or enjoyable than expected The hotel looked luxurious in the photos, but in reality it fell short of our expectations.
not all it was cracked up to be not as good as people said The famous restaurant was not all it was cracked up to be.
to be a damp squib to be disappointing after people expected something exciting The evening show was a damp squib.
to take the shine off something to make a good experience slightly less enjoyable The noisy construction work near the hotel took the shine off the holiday.
to put a damper on something to spoil the mood a little The rainy weather put a damper on our beach plans.
a fly in the ointment one small problem in an otherwise good situation The only fly in the ointment was the long queue at the airport.
to leave a lot to be desired to be not as good as it should be The service at the hotel left a lot to be desired.
to be hit and miss sometimes good, sometimes bad The local restaurants were a bit hit and miss.
to have mixed feelings about something to see both positive and negative sides I had mixed feelings about the resort: the location was perfect, but the food was poor.
to have its ups and downs to include both good and bad moments The trip had its ups and downs, but overall we enjoyed it.
Model sentence: Although the holiday had its ups and downs and the hotel service left a lot to be desired, the stunning scenery more than made up for it.
Another model sentence: Despite the destination’s undeniable charm, some aspects of the trip fell short of our expectations, particularly the accommodation and the quality of service.

4. Practice: Complete the Sentences

4. Practice: Matching Drag-and-Drop Exercise

Complete the sentences with suitable holiday idioms and expressions.

1. The beach was beautiful, but the hotel room was small and dark, so it  .

2. After months of hard work, I really needed to  .

3. The resort was advertised as luxurious, but it did not  .

4. The city was crowded, expensive, and noisy. To be honest, it was not  .

5. The long flight delay   our first day of the holiday.

6. We spent the whole week swimming, sightseeing, and eating local food. We really  .

7. The food was excellent, but the service  .

8. The weather was not perfect, but the trip still had many unforgettable moments. It  .

had the time of our lives
my cup of tea
put a damper on
live up to expectations
left a lot to be desired
recharge my batteries
had its ups and downs
fell short of our expectations

 

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