Sometimes people hurt each other. It can happen on purpose or by accident. When that happens, saying “I forgive you” can help fix the problem. Forgiveness means letting go of anger or sadness when someone does something wrong. It helps people move forward and feel better. Forgiving doesn’t mean forgetting. It means choosing peace over staying upset.
In English, there are many idioms about forgiveness. Idioms are special phrases that don’t always mean exactly what the words say. These expressions make talking about feelings easier. In this article, we will look at idioms that people use when they want to forgive or be forgiven. You’ll see how these phrases are used in real life and what they mean. Let’s begin learning about these interesting sayings.
Idioms About Forgiveness
1. Bury the hatchet
Meaning: To forgive someone and stop fighting.
Example Sentence:
• Jake and Liam decided to bury the hatchet after their fight at recess.
• Mom and Aunt Lisa buried the hatchet and are friends again.
Other ways to say: Make peace, let it go
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom comes from Native American tribes who buried weapons to show peace.
Usage: Used when people choose to stop arguing and forgive each other.
2. Let bygones be bygones
Meaning: To forget past problems and forgive.
Example Sentence:
• They had a disagreement last year but let bygones be bygones.
• Even after the prank, Sam told Ben to let bygones be bygones.
Other ways to say: Move on, forget the past
Fun Fact/Origin: “Bygone” means something that happened before.
Usage: Used when people agree not to talk about old problems.
3. Wipe the slate clean
Meaning: To forgive and give someone a fresh start.
Example Sentence:
• Ms. Brown let Tim wipe the slate clean after he said sorry.
• They decided to wipe the slate clean and try again.
Other ways to say: Start over, give another chance
Fun Fact/Origin: This comes from chalkboards being cleaned for a new lesson.
Usage: Used when someone is forgiven and allowed a new beginning.
4. Turn the other cheek
Meaning: To not get angry or fight back, and forgive instead.
Example Sentence:
• Instead of yelling back, she turned the other cheek.
• He turned the other cheek after being called a name.
Other ways to say: Stay calm, don’t fight back
Fun Fact/Origin: This comes from a teaching in the Bible.
Usage: Used when someone chooses peace instead of revenge.
5. Mend fences
Meaning: To fix a broken relationship.
Example Sentence:
• They worked to mend fences after the argument.
• He called his friend to mend fences and say sorry.
Other ways to say: Fix things, make up
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from fixing real fences between farms or homes.
Usage: Used when someone wants to be friends again after a fight.
6. Make amends
Meaning: To do something good to show you’re sorry.
Example Sentence:
• She made amends by writing a nice letter.
• He made amends by helping clean up after the mess.
Other ways to say: Apologize, fix things
Fun Fact/Origin: “Amend” means to change or improve.
Usage: Used when someone tries to correct a mistake.
7. Extend an olive branch
Meaning: To offer peace and ask to stop the argument.
Example Sentence:
• He extended an olive branch by inviting her to lunch.
• She gave her brother his favorite snack to extend an olive branch.
Other ways to say: Offer peace, reach out
Fun Fact/Origin: An olive branch is a symbol of peace from ancient times.
Usage: Used when someone wants to make peace.
8. Kiss and make up
Meaning: To stop being upset and be friends again.
Example Sentence:
• After the game, they kissed and made up.
• The sisters kissed and made up before dinner.
Other ways to say: Make peace, be friends again
Fun Fact/Origin: This is a playful way of showing that people made peace.
Usage: Used when people stop being angry with each other.
9. Let it slide
Meaning: To not stay mad about something small.
Example Sentence:
• He forgot to text back, but I let it slide.
• I let it slide when my friend didn’t return my book right away.
Other ways to say: Ignore it, don’t worry about it
Fun Fact/Origin: “Slide” means to let something pass without stopping it.
Usage: Used when you decide something isn’t worth getting upset about.
10. No hard feelings
Meaning: To say you’re not angry anymore.
Example Sentence:
• She said no hard feelings after I apologized.
• We had a small fight, but it’s over—no hard feelings.
Other ways to say: It’s okay, I’m not mad
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase is used to show forgiveness and peace.
Usage: Used to let someone know you’re not upset anymore.
11. Let it go
Meaning: To stop being upset and move on.
Example Sentence:
• She made fun of me, but I decided to let it go.
• I let it go when he stepped on my shoes by accident.
Other ways to say: Forget about it, move on
Fun Fact/Origin: “Let” means to allow, and “go” means to release.
Usage: Used when someone chooses not to stay angry.
12. Eat humble pie
Meaning: To admit you were wrong and feel sorry.
Example Sentence:
• After he shouted, he ate humble pie and said sorry.
• She had to eat humble pie when her plan didn’t work.
Other ways to say: Say sorry, admit fault
Fun Fact/Origin: In the past, “humble pie” was food eaten by lower-class people.
Usage: Used when someone admits they made a mistake.
13. Patch things up
Meaning: To fix a problem in a relationship.
Example Sentence:
• We patched things up after the misunderstanding.
• They patched things up and played together again.
Other ways to say: Fix things, make peace
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from sewing, where you fix clothes by patching.
Usage: Used when friends or family stop being upset.
14. Swallow your pride
Meaning: To do something even if it feels embarrassing, usually to apologize.
Example Sentence:
• He swallowed his pride and said sorry first.
• She didn’t want to admit it, but she swallowed her pride.
Other ways to say: Be humble, accept fault
Fun Fact/Origin: This means you “eat” your pride, like swallowing food.
Usage: Used when someone apologizes even if it’s hard.
15. Water under the bridge
Meaning: Something bad that happened is in the past.
Example Sentence:
• We argued last year, but it’s water under the bridge now.
• It’s all water under the bridge—I’m not mad anymore.
Other ways to say: Forget the past, move on
Fun Fact/Origin: Water flows away and doesn’t come back, like time.
Usage: Used when old problems no longer matter.
16. Own up to it
Meaning: To admit that you did something wrong.
Example Sentence:
• He owned up to breaking the vase and said sorry.
• I owned up to my mistake and fixed it.
Other ways to say: Admit it, take the blame
Fun Fact/Origin: “Own up” means to take control of your actions.
Usage: Used when someone admits fault.
17. Clear the air
Meaning: To talk about a problem and fix it.
Example Sentence:
• We had a talk to clear the air.
• They cleared the air after the argument.
Other ways to say: Talk it out, fix the misunderstanding
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of removing bad feelings like bad smells.
Usage: Used when people try to fix a fight by talking.
18. Let someone off the hook
Meaning: To forgive someone and not punish them.
Example Sentence:
• Mom let me off the hook for not cleaning my room.
• He let her off the hook after she forgot his birthday.
Other ways to say: Forgive, give a break
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from fishing—when you free a fish from the hook.
Usage: Used when someone doesn’t get in trouble.
19. Shake hands and move on
Meaning: To forgive and forget.
Example Sentence:
• They shook hands and moved on after the game.
• We had a small fight, but we shook hands and moved on.
Other ways to say: Make peace, be friends again
Fun Fact/Origin: Shaking hands is a sign of peace or agreement.
Usage: Used to show that everything is okay now.
20. Bite your tongue
Meaning: To stay quiet instead of saying something mean.
Example Sentence:
• He wanted to yell but bit his tongue.
• I bit my tongue instead of saying something rude.
Other ways to say: Stay quiet, hold back
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of stopping yourself by pretending to bite your tongue.
Usage: Used when someone chooses peace instead of arguing.
21. Give someone a second chance
Meaning: To forgive and allow someone to try again.
Example Sentence:
• She gave him a second chance after he broke her toy.
• My teacher gave me a second chance to do my homework.
Other ways to say: Try again, forgive and restart
Fun Fact/Origin: The idea of trying again after a mistake.
Usage: Used when someone is allowed to fix their mistake.
22. Forgive and forget
Meaning: To forgive and stop thinking about the mistake.
Example Sentence:
• It’s better to forgive and forget than stay mad.
• He forgave and forgot the small lie.
Other ways to say: Let it go, move on
Fun Fact/Origin: This saying has been used for hundreds of years.
Usage: Used when someone decides not to stay upset.
23. Make peace
Meaning: To stop fighting and become friendly again.
Example Sentence:
• They made peace and started playing again.
• The brothers made peace after the fight.
Other ways to say: Be friends, stop arguing
Fun Fact/Origin: Peace means no fighting or anger.
Usage: Used when people stop being mad and get along.
24. Call a truce
Meaning: To agree to stop fighting.
Example Sentence:
• They called a truce after the game.
• The kids called a truce and shared the last cookie.
Other ways to say: Stop fighting, make peace
Fun Fact/Origin: “Truce” is a word from war meaning a pause in fighting.
Usage: Used when people agree to stop arguing.
25. Rise above it
Meaning: To stay calm and forgive instead of getting angry.
Example Sentence:
• She rose above it and didn’t respond to the teasing.
• He rose above it and forgave his classmate.
Other ways to say: Be the bigger person, stay calm
Fun Fact/Origin: Means lifting yourself up past the problem.
Usage: Used when someone chooses peace over anger.
26. Make it right
Meaning: To fix a mistake and show you’re sorry.
Example Sentence:
• He made it right by helping her clean the mess.
• She made it right with an apology.
Other ways to say: Fix it, take action
Fun Fact/Origin: Means doing something to fix a wrong.
Usage: Used when someone tries to correct their actions.
27. Own your mistake
Meaning: To admit you were wrong and take responsibility.
Example Sentence:
• I owned my mistake and said sorry.
• She owned her mistake and helped fix it.
Other ways to say: Admit fault, take the blame
Fun Fact/Origin: “Own” means to take responsibility for something.
Usage: Used when someone shows they know they were wrong.
28. Say sorry and mean it
Meaning: To give a real and honest apology.
Example Sentence:
• He said sorry and meant it, so I forgave him.
• She said sorry and meant it, not just to be polite.
Other ways to say: Honest apology, real sorry
Fun Fact/Origin: Saying “sorry” is easy, meaning it is harder.
Usage: Used when someone gives a true apology.
29. Drop the grudge
Meaning: To stop being angry about something from the past.
Example Sentence:
• He dropped the grudge and played with his friend.
• She dropped the grudge after they talked it out.
Other ways to say: Let go of anger, forgive
Fun Fact/Origin: “Grudge” means staying angry over time.
Usage: Used when someone stops holding bad feelings.
30. Let peace win
Meaning: To choose forgiveness over fighting.
Example Sentence:
• He let peace win and forgave his teammate.
• She let peace win instead of staying angry.
Other ways to say: Choose peace, be kind
Fun Fact/Origin: This means making peace more important than being right.
Usage: Used when someone chooses calm over conflict.
31. Say it’s okay
Meaning: To tell someone they are forgiven.
Example Sentence:
• He said, “It’s okay,” and smiled.
• She said, “It’s okay,” after her friend bumped into her.
Other ways to say: Don’t worry, it’s fine
Fun Fact/Origin: Saying this makes others feel better.
Usage: Used when someone wants to forgive in a simple way.
32. Start fresh
Meaning: To begin again after a mistake.
Example Sentence:
• They started fresh after the argument.
• She said, “Let’s start fresh” after the fight.
Other ways to say: Begin again, reset
Fun Fact/Origin: Fresh means new and clean.
Usage: Used when someone wants to leave the past behind.
33. Say “no problem”
Meaning: To forgive someone in a friendly way.
Example Sentence:
• When he stepped on her foot, she said, “No problem!”
• I said, “No problem” when he forgot to bring my book.
Other ways to say: It’s fine, don’t worry about it
Fun Fact/Origin: This is a casual way to show forgiveness.
Usage: Used in everyday talk when someone wants to show it’s okay.
Quiz: Idioms About Forgiveness
Instructions: Choose the correct meaning for each idiom. Each question has one correct answer. Use what you’ve learned from the idioms to find the best choice.
Question Key
1. What does “bury the hatchet” mean?
A) Hide something dangerous
B) Forgive and stop fighting
C) Start a new argument
2. If someone says, “Let bygones be bygones,” what do they mean?
A) Remember everything
B) Stay angry
C) Forget past problems and forgive
3. What does “wipe the slate clean” mean?
A) Erase a chalkboard
B) Give someone a fresh start
C) Avoid doing work
4. What happens when you “extend an olive branch”?
A) Offer peace and ask to stop fighting
B) Give someone a gift
C) Grow a tree
5. What does “make amends” mean?
A) Fix a mistake by doing something good
B) Avoid the person you hurt
C) Forget everything
6. When someone says, “no hard feelings,” what are they trying to say?
A) They are still angry
B) They don’t want to talk
C) They are not upset anymore
7. What does it mean to “let someone off the hook”?
A) Punish them
B) Forgive them and not give trouble
C) Catch them doing something wrong
8. What happens when people “patch things up”?
A) They argue more
B) They make a craft
C) They fix their relationship
9. What does “own your mistake” mean?
A) Hide the problem
B) Say someone else did it
C) Admit you were wrong
10. What does “start fresh” mean?
A) Go outside
B) Begin again after a mistake
C) Clean the kitchen
Answer Key
- B) Forgive and stop fighting
- C) Forget past problems and forgive
- B) Give someone a fresh start
- A) Offer peace and ask to stop fighting
- A) Fix a mistake by doing something good
- C) They are not upset anymore
- B) Forgive them and not give trouble
- C) They fix their relationship
- C) Admit you were wrong
- B) Begin again after a mistake
Wrapping Up
Forgiveness is important in life. It helps people feel better and stay close to others. When someone says sorry, it can help fix hurt feelings. Idioms like “bury the hatchet” or “make peace” are simple ways to talk about forgiving.
Learning these phrases helps us understand others and show kindness. When we forgive, we don’t hold on to anger. We move forward. That’s a strong and kind choice.
