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30 Useful Medical and Health Idioms in English

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Learn a useful list of 30 common medical and health idioms in English.

Medical and Health Idioms in English

There are many idioms in English that native speakers use to describe health and illness …

1. As fit as a fiddle – Be healthy and physically fit

2. Black and blue – Bruised, showing signs of having been physically harmed

3. Clean bill of health – A report or certificate that a person or animal is healthy

4. Flare-up – Begin again suddenly (an illness or a disease)

5. Go under the knife – Have an operation in surgery, often a cosmetic surgery

6. Splitting headache – A severe headache

7. Alive and kicking – Be well and healthy

8. As pale as a ghost – Extremely pale

9. At death’s door – Very near death

10. A bitter pill to swallow – An unpleasant fact that one must accept

11. Break out in a cold sweat – Perspire from fever or anxiety

12. Breathe one’s last – Die

13. Bundle of nerves – A very nervous or anxious person

14. Catch one’s death of cold – Become very ill

15. A dose of one’s own medicine – The same treatment that one gives to others

16. Feel on top of the world – Feel very healthy

17. Fill a prescription – Get some medicine from a pharmacy with the orders from the doctor

18. Get a black eye – Get a bruise or darkened eye after being hit or after bumping into something

19. Get sick – Become ill

20. Green around the gills – Look sick

21. Gave a physical (examination) – Get a medical check-up

22. Gave foot-in-mouth disease – Embarrass oneself through a silly mistake

23. In the best of health – Very healthy

24. Nothing but skin and bones – Be very thin or emaciated

25. Nurse (someone) back to health – Give someone care to restore him or her to good health

26. On medication – Taking medicine for a current medical problem

27. On the mend – Becoming better, becoming well, healing

28. Out of condition/ out of shape – Not in a good physical condition

29. Picture of health – A perfect example of health

30. Refill a prescription – Sell the second set of medicine on a doctor’s orders

Medical and Health Idioms | Image

30 Useful Medical and Health Idioms in English

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