| Metaphor class | Sub-theme | Idioms / phrases |
|---|---|---|
| Hurts (wounding / impact) | Betrayal / social injury | A stab in the back; Knifed in the back; Twisted the knife; Salt in the wound; Rubbed it in; Cut to the quick; That really cut me; A slap in the face; A punch to the gut; Thrown under the bus |
| Emotional pain | Heartbroken; Crushed; Torn apart; Ripped to shreds; Broken inside; Shattered; Devastated; Wounded pride; Bruised ego; Raw nerves | |
| Sudden shock | Hit me like a hammer; Knocked the wind out of me; Floored me; Blindsided; Struck dumb; It hit home | |
| Containers (enclosure / restriction) | Trapped / confined | Boxed in; Closed in; Walled in; Hemmed in; Backed into a corner; In a tight spot; Stuck in a rut; In a hole; Down a rabbit hole; In a cage |
| Internal containment | Bottled up; Keeping it inside; Locked away; Buried deep; Stuffed down; Sealed off; Shut down; Clammed up | |
| Isolation | In my own bubble; Cut off; On the outside looking in; Behind closed doors; Out in the cold | |
| Burdens (weight / pressure) | Weight / heaviness | A weight on my shoulders; Carrying the world on my shoulders; Weighed down; Heavy-hearted; A heavy load; Dragging it around; Dead weight; A millstone around my neck |
| Pressure | Under pressure; Piled on; Bearing the brunt; Crushed under the weight; The weight of expectation; Buckling under it | |
| Relief (release) | A weight lifted; Got it off my chest; Took the load off; Lightened the burden; Unburdened myself; Cleared my conscience | |
| Elevations (status / position) | High status / dominance | On top of the world; Top dog; Big shot; High and mighty; Sitting pretty; On a pedestal; At the top of the ladder; King of the hill; Calling the shots |
| Superiority / arrogance | Looking down on others; Stuck up; Full of themselves; Up on their high horse; Nose in the air; Above it all; Too big for their boots | |
| Low status / inferiority | Feeling small; Put in my place; Taken down a peg; Brought down to earth; Bottom of the pile; Low man on the totem pole; Beneath me; Under someone’s thumb | |
| Attachments (connection / bonding) | Connection / bond | Attached at the hip; Tied to; Bound to; Linked up; Connected; Close-knit; Joined at the hip; In sync |
| Dependence / clinging | Clinging on; Can’t let go; Hooked on; Latched onto; Hanging on by a thread; Strung along | |
| Disconnection | At a loose end; Cut loose; Untethered; Unmoored; Drifting apart; Detached; Let go; Severed ties; Broken bond |
