Sometimes, things happen that really hurt us inside. These might be big things, like losing someone we love or getting badly hurt. These tough times can leave us feeling sad, scared, or confused. This is what people mean when they talk about “trauma.” It’s when something so hard happens that it sticks with you for a long time.
To talk about these feelings, people often use special phrases called idioms. Idioms are expressions that don’t mean exactly what the words say. For example, someone might say, “He’s carrying a heavy load,” even if they’re not holding anything. It means the person has been through a lot. In this article, we’ll look at idioms people use when talking about trauma. These can help us understand others better and also share our own feelings in a clearer way.
Idioms for Trauma
1. Carry a heavy load
Meaning: To carry deep emotional pain.
Within a Sentence: He’s been carrying a heavy load since the accident. / She carries a heavy load in her heart.
In Other Words: Feels very sad inside. / Has a lot of pain that doesn’t show.
2. Battle scars
Meaning: Emotional or mental pain left after something hard.
Within a Sentence: You can’t see her battle scars, but they are there. / He hides his battle scars behind his smile.
In Other Words: Pain from past troubles. / Still hurting inside.
3. Haunted by the past
Meaning: Can’t stop thinking about something sad or scary that happened.
Within a Sentence: He’s haunted by the past and can’t sleep well. / She is haunted by what happened last year.
In Other Words: Still scared or sad from something that already happened.
4. Deep wounds
Meaning: Very strong emotional hurt.
Within a Sentence: Her words left deep wounds. / The event caused deep wounds in him.
In Other Words: It hurt really badly inside. / It affected the heart deeply.
5. Shadows in the heart
Meaning: Sad or painful memories.
Within a Sentence: He lives with shadows in his heart. / There are shadows in her heart from the loss.
In Other Words: Past pain that still feels real. / Deep sadness.
6. Broken inside
Meaning: Feeling hurt or sad deep down.
Within a Sentence: He acts happy, but he’s broken inside. / After the storm, she felt broken inside.
In Other Words: Hurting deep down. / Not feeling okay inside.
7. Pick up the pieces
Meaning: Trying to recover after something bad.
Within a Sentence: After the fire, we had to pick up the pieces. / She’s still picking up the pieces after the accident.
In Other Words: Try to move on. / Start again after something hard.
8. A crack in the soul
Meaning: A deep emotional pain.
Within a Sentence: That goodbye left a crack in her soul. / His soul cracked when he lost his pet.
In Other Words: A pain that won’t go away. / Deep sadness.
9. Heart left in ruins
Meaning: Feeling destroyed inside.
Within a Sentence: Her heart was left in ruins after the goodbye. / He felt like his heart was in ruins.
In Other Words: Felt torn apart. / Hurt very badly.
10. Silent scream
Meaning: Feeling pain but not showing it.
Within a Sentence: He sat there, a silent scream on his face. / Her silent scream was hard to miss.
In Other Words: Hurting quietly. / Not saying, but still hurting.
11. Tears you can’t see
Meaning: Hidden sadness.
Within a Sentence: She cries tears you can’t see. / His smile hides tears you can’t see.
In Other Words: Sad but not showing it. / Quiet sadness.
12. Stuck in the dark
Meaning: Feeling lost and sad.
Within a Sentence: After the loss, he felt stuck in the dark. / She was stuck in the dark for weeks.
In Other Words: Couldn’t find her way out of sadness.
13. Carrying old pain
Meaning: Still feeling hurt from the past.
Within a Sentence: He’s still carrying old pain from that day. / She carries old pain in her heart.
In Other Words: Still hurt from before. / Not healed yet.
14. Pain behind the eyes
Meaning: Hidden emotional pain.
Within a Sentence: His eyes showed the pain behind them. / You could see the pain behind her eyes.
In Other Words: Eyes show sadness. / Can tell someone is hurting.
15. Wearing sorrow
Meaning: Showing signs of deep sadness.
Within a Sentence: She wore sorrow like a heavy coat. / His face was wearing sorrow.
In Other Words: Looked really sad. / Could see they were upset.
16. A hole in the heart
Meaning: A missing part from a deep loss.
Within a Sentence: Losing her left a hole in my heart. / He feels a hole in his heart every day.
In Other Words: Feels empty. / Something important is gone.
17. Trapped in the moment
Meaning: Can’t stop thinking about a painful time.
Within a Sentence: He’s trapped in the moment of the accident. / She can’t stop being trapped in that memory.
In Other Words: Can’t move on. / Still stuck in the past.
18. Holding the pain
Meaning: Keeping sadness inside.
Within a Sentence: He’s holding the pain and not talking. / She holds the pain in her heart.
In Other Words: Not sharing sadness. / Keeping feelings in.
19. A storm inside
Meaning: Feeling mixed-up emotions.
Within a Sentence: After the fight, I felt a storm inside. / Her storm inside made her cry.
In Other Words: Confused and upset. / Too many emotions.
20. Wounds that don’t heal
Meaning: Emotional pain that stays.
Within a Sentence: That moment left wounds that don’t heal. / He carries wounds that don’t heal.
In Other Words: Still hurting. / The pain never left.
21. Buried memories
Meaning: Sad memories hidden deep down.
Within a Sentence: He has buried memories from that night. / She keeps her buried memories to herself.
In Other Words: Pushed-down feelings. / Doesn’t talk about the past.
22. A quiet hurt
Meaning: Pain that is not loud or seen.
Within a Sentence: He walks with a quiet hurt. / She holds a quiet hurt in her smile.
In Other Words: Sad without showing it. / Hurt on the inside.
23. Frozen in fear
Meaning: So scared that you can’t move.
Within a Sentence: I was frozen in fear during the storm. / She stood frozen in fear after the crash.
In Other Words: Too scared to act. / Couldn’t move.
24. Mind replaying
Meaning: Thinking again and again about a hard time.
Within a Sentence: His mind keeps replaying the accident. / She can’t stop replaying that sad day.
In Other Words: Can’t forget. / Keeps thinking about it.
25. Bruised soul
Meaning: Feeling hurt deep inside.
Within a Sentence: His bruised soul made him quiet. / You could see her bruised soul in her eyes.
In Other Words: Emotionally hurt. / Soft sadness inside.
26. A heart that won’t forget
Meaning: Holding on to painful memories.
Within a Sentence: Her heart won’t forget what happened. / His heart won’t forget the loss.
In Other Words: Still remembers the pain. / Can’t move on.
27. Drowning in feelings
Meaning: Overwhelmed by emotions.
Within a Sentence: I was drowning in feelings after hearing the news. / She felt like she was drowning in sadness.
In Other Words: Too many emotions. / Felt too much.
28. Tears locked away
Meaning: Hiding emotions and sadness.
Within a Sentence: His tears are locked away. / She keeps her tears locked away from others.
In Other Words: Not crying but sad. / Holding back feelings.
29. Eyes that saw too much
Meaning: Someone who has been through a lot.
Within a Sentence: He had eyes that saw too much for his age. / Her eyes looked like they saw too much.
In Other Words: Been through hard times. / Looks older in the eyes.
30. Heart in hiding
Meaning: Not ready to show feelings or trust.
Within a Sentence: Her heart is in hiding after the breakup. / He keeps his heart in hiding.
In Other Words: Afraid to share feelings. / Still healing.
31. Bury the hurt
Meaning: To push down pain and not deal with it.
Within a Sentence: He tried to bury the hurt and move on. / She buried the hurt deep inside.
In Other Words: Pretending it’s not there. / Not showing pain.
32. Touched by darkness
Meaning: Affected by a hard or sad experience.
Within a Sentence: After the fire, they were touched by darkness. / She was touched by darkness after the loss.
In Other Words: Changed by sadness. / Not the same.
33. A silent storm
Meaning: Big feelings kept inside.
Within a Sentence: He’s a silent storm during the day. / Her silent storm shows in her art.
In Other Words: Strong emotions not shown. / Quiet pain.
34. Always on edge
Meaning: Nervous or jumpy from past pain.
Within a Sentence: He’s always on edge after what happened. / She’s on edge and flinches a lot.
In Other Words: Still scared. / Not calm.
35. Broken but breathing
Meaning: Hurt but still going.
Within a Sentence: She’s broken but breathing after everything. / He’s broken but breathing each day.
In Other Words: Still hurt, but trying. / Not fully okay.
36. Pain behind the smile
Meaning: Pretending to be happy while feeling sad.
Within a Sentence: Her smile hides a lot of pain. / You can see the pain behind his smile.
In Other Words: Acting okay. / Hiding true feelings.
37. Cracked but standing
Meaning: Damaged but still strong.
Within a Sentence: She’s cracked but standing tall. / He’s cracked but still goes to school.
In Other Words: Not broken fully. / Still trying.
38. Can’t shake it
Meaning: Not able to forget a bad experience.
Within a Sentence: He can’t shake what happened. / She can’t shake that moment.
In Other Words: Still stuck in it. / Always thinking about it.
39. No words for the pain
Meaning: So hurt that it’s hard to talk about.
Within a Sentence: She had no words for the pain. / He stayed quiet no words for it.
In Other Words: Hurt deeply. / Can’t explain it.
40. Like a glass heart
Meaning: Feeling fragile or breakable.
Within a Sentence: After the loss, he felt like a glass heart. / Her glass heart can’t take much more.
In Other Words: Very delicate. / Easily hurt.
41. Fear lives here
Meaning: Still scared after something bad.
Within a Sentence: In his mind, fear lives here. / She walks like fear lives here.
In Other Words: Still afraid. / Not feeling safe.
42. Holding it all in
Meaning: Not talking about pain.
Within a Sentence: He’s holding it all in again. / She never shares always holding it all in.
In Other Words: Bottled up. / Keeping feelings private.
43. A scar on the heart
Meaning: Pain that changed someone.
Within a Sentence: That day left a scar on his heart. / The goodbye left a heart scar.
In Other Words: Can’t forget. / Hurt left a mark.
44. Lost in thought
Meaning: Thinking a lot about sad things.
Within a Sentence: He was lost in thought all day. / She often gets lost in thought.
In Other Words: Daydreaming about pain. / Thinking too hard.
45. Always looking back
Meaning: Stuck in the past.
Within a Sentence: He’s always looking back to that day. / She keeps looking back instead of forward.
In Other Words: Can’t let go. / Thinking about the past too much.
46. Crushed inside
Meaning: Feeling broken emotionally.
Within a Sentence: He looked fine, but felt crushed inside. / Her voice sounded crushed inside.
In Other Words: Felt destroyed. / Very upset.
47. Numb to it all
Meaning: Not feeling anything because of too much pain.
Within a Sentence: She was numb to it all after the news. / He stopped reacting numb to it all.
In Other Words: Can’t feel anymore. / Too tired to cry.
48. Hurt in waves
Meaning: Pain that comes and goes.
Within a Sentence: The memories hurt in waves. / Her grief hurt in waves.
In Other Words: Some days okay, some not. / Ups and downs.
49. Not the same anymore
Meaning: Changed by trauma.
Within a Sentence: After that day, he was not the same anymore. / She’s not the same anymore since the loss.
In Other Words: Changed forever. / Different now.
50. Carrying the weight
Meaning: Holding on to a heavy feeling.
Within a Sentence: She’s carrying the weight of that day. / He carries the weight everywhere he goes.
In Other Words: Feels pressure. / Emotionally heavy.
51. Covered in silence
Meaning: Choosing not to talk about pain.
Within a Sentence: His past is covered in silence. / She sat there covered in silence.
In Other Words: Quiet sadness. / Doesn’t speak about it.
52. Ghosts of the past
Meaning: Bad memories that stay.
Within a Sentence: She sees ghosts of the past. / His ghosts of the past won’t leave him.
In Other Words: Hard to forget. / Old pain stays.
53. A locked heart
Meaning: Afraid to love or trust.
Within a Sentence: His heart is locked. / She locked her heart after being hurt.
In Other Words: Won’t open up. / Scared to feel again.
54. Not ready to talk
Meaning: Still too hurt to share.
Within a Sentence: He’s not ready to talk. / She isn’t ready to tell her story.
In Other Words: Still healing. / Needs more time.
55. Walls around the heart
Meaning: Protecting feelings from more pain.
Within a Sentence: She built walls around her heart. / His heart has big walls now.
In Other Words: Won’t let people in. / Being careful.
56. Still shaken
Meaning: Still scared or upset.
Within a Sentence: He’s still shaken by the crash. / She felt shaken weeks later.
In Other Words: Not calm. / Still scared.
57. Feeling far away
Meaning: Not feeling connected to people.
Within a Sentence: She feels far away from everyone. / He’s here, but feels far away.
In Other Words: Feeling alone. / Distant.
58. Chained to the past
Meaning: Unable to let go of a bad memory.
Within a Sentence: He’s chained to the past. / She’s still chained to that night.
In Other Words: Can’t move forward. / Stuck in old pain.
59. Tired from the inside
Meaning: Feeling worn out emotionally.
Within a Sentence: He’s tired from the inside. / She looked tired deep inside.
In Other Words: Emotionally drained. / Worn down.
60. Quiet battles
Meaning: Private struggles that others don’t see.
Within a Sentence: He fights quiet battles every day. / Her quiet battles are hard to spot.
In Other Words: Secret struggles. / Hidden pain.
Idioms for Trauma – True/False Quiz
- “Carrying a heavy load” means someone is happy and free.
True / False - If a person has “battle scars,” they might have been through something hard.
True / False - “Tears you can’t see” means someone is hiding their sadness.
True / False - “Heart in hiding” shows someone is open and trusting.
True / False - “A storm inside” means a person is calm and relaxed.
True / False - “Frozen in fear” means someone is too scared to move.
True / False - “Broken but breathing” means someone is hurt but still going.
True / False - “Walls around the heart” means someone is ready to share feelings.
True / False - “Ghosts of the past” can mean memories that are still painful.
True / False - “Mind replaying” means a person keeps thinking about something sad.
True / False - “Cracked but standing” means someone is broken and not trying.
True / False - “Not the same anymore” means the person has changed after a hard time.
True / False - “Quiet battles” are big fights that happen out loud.
True / False - “Still shaken” means someone is still scared or upset.
True / False - “Chained to the past” means someone has forgotten everything that hurt them.
True / False
Answers
- False
- True
- True
- False
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
Scoring Guide
- 15 Correct Answers: Idioms Master!
- 10–14 Correct Answers: You really get Idioms, nice work!
- 6–9 Correct Answers: You’re learning, keep going!
- 0–5 Correct Answers: Let’s learn about Idioms together!
Conclusion
Talking about trauma can be hard. Idioms give us a way to share deep feelings using simple words. These phrases help describe pain, fear, and healing in ways that feel real and honest.
Now that you’ve seen these idioms, try to notice them in stories or conversations. You can also use them when you want to talk about feelings. Words can help us understand each other better, and sometimes, just the right phrase can make someone feel less alone.
