IELTS Idioms for Health, Illness, and Death

ielts-idioms-for-health-illness-and-death
1) alive and kicking
Meaning- If someone or something is alive and kicking they are still active or still exist.
Example- Romance is still alive and kicking for a couple who will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this week. The twins want to let everyone know who has written to them that they are alive and kicking.

2) at death's door
Meaning- If someone is at death's door they are seriously ill and likely to die.
Example- He has won five golf competitions in three months, a year after being at death's door.

3) a clean bill of health
Meaning- If someone is given or gets a clean bill of health they are told that they are completely fit and healthy.
Example- He had a full medical examination late last year and was given a clean bill of health.

4) be dropping like flies
Meaning- If people are dropping like flies,   large numbers of them are falling ill or dying within a short period of time.
Example- Actors his age - many of them friends - were dropping like flies.

5) end it all
Meaning- If someone ends it all they kill themselves.
Example- Boring, grey stage lighting can be ideal if your heroine is just about to end it all.

6) be fighting for your life
Meaning- If someone is fighting for their life they are seriously ill or injured and are in danger of dying.
Example- A boy aged 15 was fighting for his life last night but two younger children were said to be out of danger.

7) kick the bucket
Meaning- If someone kicks the bucket they die.   [INFORMAL]
Example- Our neighbor is about to kick the bucket - he has some sort of kidney infection.

8) knock someone  for six
Meaning- If something knocks you for six it shocks or upsets you so much that you have difficulty recovering. [BRITISH, INFORMAL]
Example- The emotional shock of losing a parent can knock you for six.
Example- I picked up a virus that knocked me for six.  I lost a stone in weight in two weeks.

9) a shadow of your former self
Meaning- If someone is a shadow of their former self they are very much thinner than they used to be.
Example- I couldn't believe how much weight she'd lost - she's a shadow of her former self.

10) under the weather
Meaning- If you are under the weather you are feeling ill.
Example- I'd been feeling a bit under the weather for a couple of weeks.

11) a wake-up call
Meaning- A wake-up call is something which shocks people, making them understand how serious a problem is and causing them to take action in order to solve that problem.
Example- The report should be a wake-up call for governments around the world to take action to improve healthcare resources for young people.

12) the worse for wear
Meaning- If someone is the worse for wear they are tired or injured.
Example- In the fourth round both fighters suffered cuts over the eyes, and the champion was beginning to look the worse for wear.


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