These quirky phrases often have meanings that go beyond their literal words, adding color and depth to our conversations.
From “letting your hair down” to “a hair’s breadth away,” we’ll unravel the meanings behind these expressions and share how they’re used in everyday language.
Her hair was like a cascade of silk, flowing down her back with grace and elegance. For more comparisons to describe hair, you can check this link: Similes for hair. And for a variety of metaphors related to hair, you can explore this link: Metaphors for hair.
What is an idiom for hair?
An idiom for hair is a phrase or expression that uses words related to hair to convey a particular meaning or concept. These idioms draw upon the characteristics of hair – its texture, appearance, and behavior – to describe a wide range of situations and emotions.
Let’s explore each of these idioms, uncover their meanings, and see how they can add a twist to our conversations.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Let your hair down | To relax and be yourself, often in a carefree and uninhibited manner. | After a long week at work, Sarah couldn’t wait to let her hair down and enjoy the weekend with friends. |
| Hair-raising | Extremely frightening or alarming. | The horror movie was so hair-raising that I had trouble sleeping that night. |
| Pull your hair out | To be extremely frustrated or stressed. | Trying to fix the computer issue made him want to pull his hair out in frustration. |
| Split hairs | To argue or nitpick over trivial or insignificant details. | Instead of focusing on the bigger picture, they were splitting hairs about the font size on the presentation slides. |
| Bad hair day | A day when everything seems to go wrong or when you feel particularly unattractive. | It must be a bad hair day; nothing seems to be working as planned. |
| Get in someone’s hair | To annoy or bother someone by being in their way or constantly present. | I didn’t mean to get in your hair; I was just trying to help. |
| Make your hair stand on end | To cause extreme fear or shock. | The ghost story was so chilling that it made my hair stand on end. |
| Tear your hair out | To be extremely frustrated, upset, or worried. | She was tearing her hair out over the upcoming exam; she felt completely unprepared. |
| Hair of the dog | Consuming a small amount of alcohol to relieve a hangover. | Some people believe that having a Bloody Mary is the best hair of the dog after a night of drinking. |
| Hair-trigger | Easily triggered or set off, often referring to quick and impulsive reactions. | He had a hair-trigger temper and would get angry at the slightest provocation. |
| Hairpin turn | A sharp and sudden turn, often in a road or path. | The hairpin turn on the mountain road required careful driving to avoid accidents. |
| Hair’s breadth | A very small and narrow margin or distance. | He missed the target by a hair’s breadth; it was a close call. |
| Keep your hair on | An expression used to tell someone to remain calm or not to get angry. | When he heard the news, he shouted, “Keep your hair on! We can handle this.” |
| A close shave | A situation where someone narrowly avoids a dangerous or unpleasant outcome. | That car swerved past you; it was a close shave! |
| Hair-trigger temper | A tendency to become angry or irritable very quickly. | His hair-trigger temper often got him into arguments with his coworkers. |
| Get under someone’s hair | To annoy or irritate someone by constantly bothering them. | Her constant questions about my personal life were starting to get under my hair. |
| Long in the tooth | To be old or aging. | John may be long in the tooth, but he’s still an excellent athlete. |
| Hair-brained idea | A foolish or impractical idea. | Starting a lemonade stand in the middle of winter? That’s a hair-brained idea! |
| Hair of the cat | An informal term for a hangover cure, typically involving more alcohol. | Some people believe that a shot of whiskey is the best hair of the cat remedy. |
| In someone’s hair | To be constantly with or near someone, often in an annoying or intrusive way. | The babysitter was always in the children’s hair, making it hard for them to play independently. |
| Make your hair curl | To shock or frighten someone. | The horror movie was so terrifying it could make your hair curl. |
| Splitting hairs | To argue about small and unimportant details. | Instead of enjoying the meal, he spent the evening splitting hairs about the restaurant’s decor. |
| Not a hair out of place | To describe someone or something that is perfectly organized or in impeccable condition. | She always arrives at meetings with not a hair out of place, prepared for anything. |
| Make your hair bristle | To cause someone to become angry or irritated. | His rude comments could make anyone’s hair bristle with anger. |
| Hairy situation | A dangerous or difficult situation. | Climbing the steep mountain in a snowstorm was a truly hairy situation. |
| A hair’s breadth away | Extremely close or nearly identical. | They came to a hair’s breadth away from winning the championship; it was a tight competition. |
| Hairdo | A hairstyle, often referring to a specific way one’s hair is styled. | She spent hours at the salon to get the perfect hairdo for her wedding day. |
Idioms for Hair
1. Let your hair down
Meaning: To relax and be yourself, often in a carefree and uninhibited manner.
In a Sentence: After a long week at work, Sarah couldn’t wait to let her hair down and enjoy the weekend with friends.
2. Hair-raising
Meaning: Extremely frightening or alarming.
In a Sentence: The horror movie was so hair-raising that I had trouble sleeping that night.
3. Pull your hair out
Meaning: To be extremely frustrated or stressed.
In a Sentence: Trying to fix the computer issue made him want to pull his hair out in frustration.
4. Split hairs
Meaning: To argue or nitpick over trivial or insignificant details.
In a Sentence: Instead of focusing on the bigger picture, they were splitting hairs about the font size on the presentation slides.
5. Bad hair day
Meaning: A day when everything seems to go wrong or when you feel particularly unattractive.
In a Sentence: It must be a bad hair day; nothing seems to be working as planned.
6. Get in someone’s hair
Meaning: To annoy or bother someone by being in their way or constantly present.
In a Sentence: I didn’t mean to get in your hair; I was just trying to help.
7. Make your hair stand on end
Meaning: To cause extreme fear or shock.
In a Sentence: The ghost story was so chilling that it made my hair stand on end.
8. Tear your hair out
Meaning: To be extremely frustrated, upset, or worried.
In a Sentence: She was tearing her hair out over the upcoming exam; she felt completely unprepared.
9. Hair of the dog
Meaning: Consuming a small amount of alcohol to relieve a hangover.
In a Sentence: Some people believe that having a Bloody Mary is the best hair of the dog after a night of drinking.
10. Hair-trigger
Meaning: Easily triggered or set off, often referring to quick and impulsive reactions.
In a Sentence: He had a hair-trigger temper and would get angry at the slightest provocation.
11. Hairpin turn
Meaning: A sharp and sudden turn, often in a road or path.
In a Sentence: The hairpin turn on the mountain road required careful driving to avoid accidents.
12. Hair’s breadth
Meaning: A very small and narrow margin or distance.
In a Sentence: He missed the target by a hair’s breadth; it was a close call.
13. Keep your hair on
Meaning: An expression used to tell someone to remain calm or not to get angry.
In a Sentence: When he heard the news, he shouted, “Keep your hair on! We can handle this.”
14. A close shave
Meaning: A situation where someone narrowly avoids a dangerous or unpleasant outcome.
In a Sentence: That car swerved past you; it was a close shave!
15. Hair-trigger temper
Meaning: A tendency to become angry or irritable very quickly.
In a Sentence: His hair-trigger temper often got him into arguments with his coworkers.
16. Get under someone’s hair
Meaning: To annoy or irritate someone by constantly bothering them.
In a Sentence: Her constant questions about my personal life were starting to get under my hair.
17. Long in the tooth
Meaning: To be old or aging.
In a Sentence: John may be long in the tooth, but he’s still an excellent athlete.
18. Hair-brained idea
Meaning: A foolish or impractical idea.
In a Sentence: Starting a lemonade stand in the middle of winter? That’s a hair-brained idea!
19. Hair of the cat
Meaning: An informal term for a hangover cure, typically involving more alcohol.
In a Sentence: Some people believe that a shot of whiskey is the best hair of the cat remedy.
20. In someone’s hair
Meaning: To be constantly with or near someone, often in an annoying or intrusive way.
In a Sentence: The babysitter was always in the children’s hair, making it hard for them to play independently.
21. Make your hair curl
Meaning: To shock or frighten someone.
In a Sentence: The horror movie was so terrifying it could make your hair curl.
22. Splitting hairs
Meaning: To argue about small and unimportant details.
In a Sentence: Instead of enjoying the meal, he spent the evening splitting hairs about the restaurant’s decor.
23. Not a hair out of place
Meaning: To describe someone or something that is perfectly organized or in impeccable condition.
In a Sentence: She always arrives at meetings with not a hair out of place, prepared for anything.
24. Make your hair bristle
Meaning: To cause someone to become angry or irritated.
In a Sentence: His rude comments could make anyone’s hair bristle with anger.
25. Hairy situation
Meaning: A dangerous or difficult situation.
In a Sentence: Climbing the steep mountain in a snowstorm was a truly hairy situation.
26. A hair’s breadth away
Meaning: Extremely close or nearly identical.
In a Sentence: They came to a hair’s breadth away from winning the championship; it was a tight competition.
27. Hairdo
Meaning: A hairstyle, often referring to a specific way one’s hair is styled.
In a Sentence: She spent hours at the salon to get the perfect hairdo for her wedding day.
Quizzes About The Idioms in The Article
Here are 10 quiz questions about the idioms related to hair from the article:
Quiz 1:
- What does the idiom “Let your hair down” mean?
- a) Cutting your hair
- b) Relaxing and being yourself in a carefree manner
- c) Getting a new hairstyle
Quiz 2:
- What is the meaning of “Hair-raising”?
- a) A hairstyle that raises hair
- b) Extremely frightening or alarming
- c) A type of hair product
Quiz 3:
- Which idiom describes being extremely frustrated or stressed?
- a) Split hairs
- b) Pull your hair out
- c) Get in someone’s hair
Quiz 4:
- What does “Bad hair day” refer to?
- a) A day when your hair looks exceptionally good
- b) A day when everything seems to go wrong or you feel unattractive
- c) A day when you get a new haircut
Quiz 5:
- What does “Tear your hair out” mean?
- a) Grooming your hair excessively
- b) Being extremely frustrated, upset, or worried
- c) A hairdressing technique
Quiz 6:
- What is the definition of “Hair of the dog”?
- a) A remedy for hair loss
- b) Consuming a small amount of alcohol to relieve a hangover
- c) Styling your hair differently
Quiz 7:
- Which idiom describes someone who is easily triggered or has quick and impulsive reactions?
- a) Hair-trigger
- b) Hairpin turn
- c) Hair’s breadth
Quiz 8:
- What does “A close shave” mean?
- a) A situation where someone narrowly avoids a dangerous or unpleasant outcome
- b) A close friendship
- c) A successful haircut
Quiz 9:
- Which idiom refers to being old or aging?
- a) Hair of the cat
- b) Long in the tooth
- c) Hair-trigger temper
Quiz 10:
- What does the expression “In someone’s hair” signify?
- a) Being a hairstylist
- b) Annoying or bothering someone by constantly being present
- c) Combing someone’s hair
Answers:
- b) Relaxing and being yourself in a carefree manner
- b) Extremely frightening or alarming
- b) Pull your hair out
- b) A day when everything seems to go wrong or you feel unattractive
- b) Being extremely frustrated, upset, or worried
- b) Consuming a small amount of alcohol to relieve a hangover
- a) Hair-trigger
- a) A situation where someone narrowly avoids a dangerous or unpleasant outcome
- b) Long in the tooth
- b) Annoying or bothering someone by constantly being present
Conclusion
Idioms related to hair provide a unique and colorful way to describe a wide range of situations and emotions. From “letting your hair down” when you relax to facing a “hair-raising” experience, these expressions add depth and nuance to our language.
