Sometimes, people use fun phrases to explain when two things are very different. These phrases are called idioms. Idioms help us talk about things in an interesting way. When things are the opposite of each other, like hot and cold or day and night, there are special idioms to show that difference. These phrases make talking about opposites more colorful and easier to understand.
In this article, you will learn idioms that describe things that do not match or go in opposite directions. These idioms are used in everyday life. You may hear them at school, on TV, or at home. Each idiom comes with a simple meaning and examples you can relate to. Let’s explore how people describe opposites using clever and easy phrases.
Idioms About Opposites
1. Like night and day
Meaning: Two things that are very different.
Example Sentence:
• My room before and after cleaning is like night and day.
• Their opinions are like night and day.
Other ways to say: Totally different, nothing alike
Fun Fact/Origin: This comes from how different night and day are.
Usage: Used when two things are completely opposite.
2. A far cry from
Meaning: Very different from something else.
Example Sentence:
• This new game is a far cry from the old one.
• Her quiet mood is a far cry from yesterday’s excitement.
Other ways to say: Not the same, very different
Fun Fact/Origin: It means something is far in sound or feeling.
Usage: Used when comparing two very different things.
3. World of difference
Meaning: A big difference.
Example Sentence:
• There’s a world of difference between soft and loud music.
• Your drawing now shows a world of difference from last year.
Other ways to say: Big change, a lot different
Fun Fact/Origin: Suggests two things are as far apart as two worlds.
Usage: Used when one thing is much better or worse than another.
4. Opposites attract
Meaning: People who are very different may like each other.
Example Sentence:
• He’s super quiet, she’s very loud—opposites attract.
• My best friend and I are opposites, but we get along great.
Other ways to say: Different people can get along
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from magnets, where different poles pull together.
Usage: Used to explain friendships or relationships between very different people.
5. Black and white
Meaning: Very clear or opposite; no middle ground.
Example Sentence:
• Some people see things as black and white, but life is more complex.
• The rule is black and white—no running.
Other ways to say: Clear difference, very strict
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from printed words being in black and white.
Usage: Used when something is clearly different or strict.
6. Two sides of the same coin
Meaning: Two different things that are connected.
Example Sentence:
• Winning and losing are two sides of the same coin.
• Kindness and honesty are two sides of the same coin.
Other ways to say: Connected opposites, part of the same idea
Fun Fact/Origin: A coin has heads and tails, two sides but one thing.
Usage: Used to show that two opposite things are linked.
7. Like oil and water
Meaning: Things or people that don’t mix well.
Example Sentence:
• Tim and I are like oil and water—we always argue.
• Those colors are like oil and water.
Other ways to say: Don’t go together, don’t mix
Fun Fact/Origin: Oil and water don’t blend, no matter how you stir them.
Usage: Used when two people or things don’t work well together.
8. Turn the tables
Meaning: To change a situation to the opposite.
Example Sentence:
• He turned the tables and won the game at the last second.
• I was losing, but then I turned the tables!
Other ways to say: Reverse the situation, take control
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from board games, where turning the table changes the game.
Usage: Used when someone changes a bad situation into a good one.
9. Flip-flop
Meaning: To keep changing sides or opinions.
Example Sentence:
• He flip-flops between wanting pizza or burgers.
• The weather keeps flip-flopping—first hot, then cold.
Other ways to say: Switch back and forth, change often
Fun Fact/Origin: Also the name of a kind of sandal, which flips and flops.
Usage: Used for someone or something that can’t make up their mind.
10. The lesser of two evils
Meaning: Choosing the less bad option.
Example Sentence:
• I didn’t like either chore, but sweeping was the lesser of two evils.
• It was a hard choice, so I picked the lesser of two evils.
Other ways to say: Pick the not-so-bad choice
Fun Fact/Origin: Old saying for making tough decisions.
Usage: Used when picking between two bad things.
11. See eye to eye
Meaning: To agree
Example Sentence:
• My brother and I don’t see eye to eye about bedtime.
• They never see eye to eye on what game to play.
Other ways to say: Agree, think the same
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of looking at something the same way.
Usage: Used when people either agree or disagree.
12. Break ranks
Meaning: To go in a different direction from the group
Example Sentence:
• She broke ranks and shared her own opinion.
• One student broke ranks and voted “no.”
Other ways to say: Go against, stand apart
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the military, where soldiers line up in ranks.
Usage: Used when someone does something different from others.
13. Cut from a different cloth
Meaning: Very different in behavior or style
Example Sentence:
• He’s cut from a different cloth—he loves silence while we talk all the time.
• My cousin is cut from a different cloth—he likes bugs and snakes!
Other ways to say: Not the same, very unique
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from fabric being different in color or pattern.
Usage: Used when someone stands out for being different.
14. Break the mold
Meaning: To do something very different
Example Sentence:
• She broke the mold by writing a funny science report.
• He broke the mold and brought tacos instead of cake.
Other ways to say: Be different, do something new
Fun Fact/Origin: A mold is a shape used to make copies.
Usage: Used when someone does something in a new or unexpected way.
15. Head over heels
Meaning: Totally in love or excited
Example Sentence:
• She’s head over heels about the new puppy.
• He was head over heels after seeing the comic book store.
Other ways to say: Super excited, crazy about
Fun Fact/Origin: Means being flipped over, like falling hard.
Usage: Used when emotions are the opposite of calm.
16. Worlds apart
Meaning: Very different from each other
Example Sentence:
• Their ideas are worlds apart.
• She and I are worlds apart on favorite snacks.
Other ways to say: Very different, far away in thinking
Fun Fact/Origin: Suggests the two things are in different worlds.
Usage: Used when things have big differences.
17. Poles apart
Meaning: Totally opposite
Example Sentence:
• Their styles are poles apart—he wears jeans, she wears suits.
• Those books are poles apart in genre.
Other ways to say: Opposites, completely different
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to the North and South Poles.
Usage: Used when two things are extremely different.
18. Chalk and cheese
Meaning: Two things that are very different
Example Sentence:
• My twin and I are like chalk and cheese.
• Their taste in music is like chalk and cheese.
Other ways to say: Total opposites, don’t match
Fun Fact/Origin: This idiom is common in British English.
Usage: Used when comparing things that don’t go together at all.
19. To each their own
Meaning: Everyone likes different things
Example Sentence:
• I don’t like spicy food, but to each their own.
• He likes waking up at 5 AM—well, to each their own.
Other ways to say: Everyone’s different, it’s their choice
Fun Fact/Origin: A polite way to say someone has a different opinion.
Usage: Used to show respect for others’ preferences.
20. Fire and ice
Meaning: Two things or people who are very different
Example Sentence:
• Their relationship is like fire and ice.
• She’s fire and he’s ice—one is bold, the other calm.
Other ways to say: Hot and cold, very opposite
Fun Fact/Origin: From how fire is hot and ice is cold.
Usage: Used to describe people with opposite personalities.
21. Split down the middle
Meaning: Divided into two opposite sides
Example Sentence:
• The class was split down the middle about the field trip.
• The vote split down the middle.
Other ways to say: Divided, half and half
Fun Fact/Origin: From the idea of cutting something right in the center.
Usage: Used when people are evenly divided on a choice.
22. Go your separate ways
Meaning: To part or go in different directions
Example Sentence:
• After the show, we went our separate ways.
• We decided to go our separate ways after the group project.
Other ways to say: Split up, part ways
Fun Fact/Origin: From paths going in different directions.
Usage: Used when people no longer do something together.
23. Be at odds
Meaning: To disagree or be different
Example Sentence:
• They’re at odds about who should lead the group.
• We’re at odds over which game to play.
Other ways to say: Don’t agree, clash
Fun Fact/Origin: “Odds” means not matching, like odd numbers.
Usage: Used when people don’t agree.
24. Mixed signals
Meaning: Confusing or opposite messages
Example Sentence:
• He said yes, but shook his head—such mixed signals.
• The signs gave mixed signals about where to go.
Other ways to say: Confusing signs, unclear message
Fun Fact/Origin: Often used in sports or communication.
Usage: Used when messages don’t match.
25. Blow hot and cold
Meaning: To keep changing your mind
Example Sentence:
• She blows hot and cold about joining the club.
• He blows hot and cold about being team captain.
Other ways to say: Flip-flop, change often
Fun Fact/Origin: From how wind can feel hot or cold.
Usage: Used when someone can’t decide.
26. Have second thoughts
Meaning: To start feeling unsure
Example Sentence:
• I’m having second thoughts about eating that huge burger.
• She had second thoughts before jumping in the pool.
Other ways to say: Unsure, thinking twice
Fun Fact/Origin: Suggests a new idea is the opposite of the first.
Usage: Used when someone starts to change their mind.
27. Run hot and cold
Meaning: To be friendly one moment and distant the next
Example Sentence:
• He runs hot and cold with new friends.
• That cat runs hot and cold—sometimes cuddly, sometimes grumpy.
Other ways to say: Unpredictable, moody
Fun Fact/Origin: Based on changes in temperature.
Usage: Used when someone acts in opposite ways.
28. Push and pull
Meaning: Two opposite forces acting together
Example Sentence:
• Their friendship is full of push and pull.
• The decision felt like a push and pull.
Other ways to say: Back and forth, give and take
Fun Fact/Origin: Push and pull forces are science terms too.
Usage: Used when there’s tension or back-and-forth.
29. Go from zero to one hundred
Meaning: To change from calm to extreme very fast
Example Sentence:
• He went from zero to one hundred when he got the bad news.
• That argument went from zero to one hundred real quick.
Other ways to say: Get upset fast, change quickly
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to speeding up a car very fast.
Usage: Used when someone or something changes fast.
30. Sink or swim
Meaning: Either fail or succeed
Example Sentence:
• On your first job, it’s sink or swim.
• I had to sink or swim when I joined the new team.
Other ways to say: Win or lose, do or don’t
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from water safety—either you swim or sink.
Usage: Used when someone has to figure it out on their own.
31. The other side of the coin
Meaning: The opposite point of view
Example Sentence:
• She’s kind, but the other side of the coin is she can be too quiet.
• Every choice has another side of the coin.
Other ways to say: Another view, flip side
Fun Fact/Origin: A coin has two sides—heads and tails.
Usage: Used to show another or opposite way of seeing something.
32. Like day and night
Meaning: Very different
Example Sentence:
• Their old and new uniforms are like day and night.
• His energy before and after lunch is like day and night.
Other ways to say: Totally different, nothing alike
Fun Fact/Origin: Similar to “like night and day,” reversed wording.
Usage: Used when two things are completely opposite.
33. Come full circle
Meaning: To return to the beginning
Example Sentence:
• We came full circle and picked the first movie again.
• The team came full circle when their old coach returned.
Other ways to say: Back to the start, complete the loop
Fun Fact/Origin: A circle ends where it starts.
Usage: Used when a situation ends up back where it began.
Quiz: Idioms About Opposites
Instructions: Read each question and the answer choices carefully. Pick the letter that best matches the meaning of the phrase or expression.
Question Key
1. What does “like oil and water” mean?
A) Two things that go well together
B) Two things that don’t mix well
C) Two things that taste the same
2. If someone “turns the tables,” what are they doing?
A) Changing a bad situation into a better one
B) Cleaning up after dinner
C) Making things worse
3. What does “cut from a different cloth” mean?
A) Made of the same fabric
B) Very similar
C) Very different from others
4. If someone “flip-flops,” what are they doing?
A) Taking a nap
B) Changing their mind back and forth
C) Going for a swim
5. What does “chalk and cheese” mean?
A) Two things that look alike
B) Two things that are completely different
C) Two things that taste good together
6. What does “sink or swim” mean?
A) Either succeed or fail
B) Go to the beach
C) Take a boat ride
7. If someone says “to each their own,” what do they mean?
A) Everyone should have the same opinion
B) Everyone can like different things
C) Everyone eats the same lunch
8. What does “black and white” mean in an idiom?
A) Two colors
B) A simple choice with no in-between
C) A drawing on paper
9. If two people are “worlds apart,” what does it mean?
A) They live in different countries
B) They are very different from each other
C) They like the same music
10. What does “mixed signals” mean?
A) Clear messages
B) Confusing or opposite messages
C) A strong radio signal
Answer Key
- B) Two things that don’t mix well
- A) Changing a bad situation into a better one
- C) Very different from others
- B) Changing their mind back and forth
- B) Two things that are completely different
- A) Either succeed or fail
- B) Everyone can like different things
- B) A simple choice with no in-between
- B) They are very different from each other
- B) Confusing or opposite messages
Wrapping Up
Idioms about opposites help us describe things that are very different in a fun way. They are useful when we talk about people, places, or ideas that do not match. You might hear these idioms at school, at home, or in stories.
Learning these idioms can make your speaking and writing more colorful. The next time you see things that are not the same, try using one of these phrases. It will help others understand you better—and it’s fun to use them too.
