Sometimes, we meet people who don’t treat others kindly. They might lie, blame others, or make us feel bad on purpose. These people are often called “toxic” because they spread hurtful behavior, like poison spreads sickness. We may not see it right away, but spending time with toxic people can make us feel sad or confused.
To help explain these kinds of people, English has many idioms. Idioms are special phrases that don’t mean exactly what the words say. They use fun or clever ways to describe something. In this article, you will learn idioms people use to talk about toxic behavior. These will help you understand and talk about tricky situations in a smart way.
Idioms About Toxic People
1. A Bad Apple
Meaning: A person who causes trouble or influences others in a bad way.
Example Sentence:
• One bad apple in class made others break the rules.
• He’s the bad apple who started the fight on the playground.
Other ways to say: Troublemaker, bad influence
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea that one rotten apple can spoil a whole bunch.
Usage: Used to warn about someone who causes problems.
2. Snake in the Grass
Meaning: Someone who seems friendly but secretly causes harm.
Example Sentence:
• I thought she was kind, but she was a snake in the grass.
• He acted nice, but turned out to be a snake in the grass.
Other ways to say: Sneaky person, not trustworthy
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to hidden danger—snakes often hide in grass before they strike.
Usage: Used when someone hides their bad behavior.
3. Two-Faced
Meaning: Someone who acts nice but says mean things behind your back.
Example Sentence:
• She’s two-faced—smiles at me, then talks bad behind me.
• Don’t trust him, he’s two-faced.
Other ways to say: Fake, backstabber
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of having two different faces—one real and one fake.
Usage: Used when someone acts differently depending on who is around.
4. Stir the Pot
Meaning: To cause trouble or make people argue.
Example Sentence:
• He likes to stir the pot by spreading rumors.
• Don’t stir the pot—let things calm down.
Other ways to say: Cause drama, make trouble
Fun Fact/Origin: Like stirring food, which can make things boil or spill.
Usage: Used when someone enjoys upsetting others.
5. Throw Someone Under the Bus
Meaning: To blame someone else to save yourself.
Example Sentence:
• She threw me under the bus when the teacher asked who was late.
• He threw his friend under the bus to avoid punishment.
Other ways to say: Blame unfairly, betray
Fun Fact/Origin: Suggests harming someone else just to stay safe.
Usage: Used when a person blames someone to avoid getting in trouble.
6. Full of Hot Air
Meaning: Someone who talks a lot but doesn’t follow through.
Example Sentence:
• He promised to help but didn’t—he’s full of hot air.
• She brags all the time but never acts.
Other ways to say: All talk, empty words
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from how hot air balloons rise but don’t stay grounded—just like empty promises.
Usage: Used for people who talk big but don’t mean it.
7. Backstabber
Meaning: A person who secretly betrays others.
Example Sentence:
• I thought she was my friend, but she’s a backstabber.
• He smiled at me, then told lies behind my back.
Other ways to say: Betrayer, fake friend
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to hurting someone from behind when they’re not looking.
Usage: Used when someone pretends to be nice but harms others in secret.
8. Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Meaning: Someone who looks friendly but is dangerous or mean.
Example Sentence:
• Be careful—he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
• She acts sweet but causes trouble.
Other ways to say: Pretender, fake
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from a story where a wolf wears a sheep’s coat to trick others.
Usage: Used for people who hide their true bad side.
9. Add Fuel to the Fire
Meaning: To make a bad situation worse.
Example Sentence:
• Don’t yell—it’ll just add fuel to the fire.
• She joined the fight and made things worse.
Other ways to say: Make things worse, stir up trouble
Fun Fact/Origin: Fires grow bigger when you add fuel—just like problems.
Usage: Used when someone increases anger or conflict.
10. Bad News
Meaning: Someone who always brings problems or trouble.
Example Sentence:
• That kid is bad news—he always starts fights.
• Don’t hang out with her—she’s just bad news.
Other ways to say: Troublemaker, risky person
Fun Fact/Origin: Means the same as hearing bad or upsetting news.
Usage: Used to warn others about people who cause harm.
11. Bad Egg
Meaning: A person who behaves badly and can’t be trusted.
Example Sentence:
• He cheated again—what a bad egg.
• Don’t trust her—she’s been a bad egg for years.
Other ways to say: Dishonest person, wrongdoer
Fun Fact/Origin: Even if an egg looks fine, it can be rotten inside.
Usage: Used when someone often causes harm or breaks rules.
12. Mean Streak
Meaning: Someone who shows unkindness or meanness often.
Example Sentence:
• He has a mean streak—he likes hurting others.
• She acts nice until she shows her mean streak.
Other ways to say: Bully side, rude behavior
Fun Fact/Origin: “Streak” means a part of a person’s character.
Usage: Used when someone acts mean regularly.
13. Rotten to the Core
Meaning: A person who is bad deep inside.
Example Sentence:
• He lies and cheats—he’s rotten to the core.
• She bullied others just for fun.
Other ways to say: Very bad, evil-hearted
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from fruit that’s spoiled all the way through.
Usage: Used for people who behave badly all the time.
14. Push Someone’s Buttons
Meaning: To bother someone on purpose.
Example Sentence:
• He kept pushing my buttons until I got mad.
• Don’t push her buttons—she’s already upset.
Other ways to say: Annoy, tease
Fun Fact/Origin: Like a machine reacting when buttons are pressed.
Usage: Used when someone knows how to irritate others.
15. Bad-Mouth Someone
Meaning: To talk badly about someone behind their back.
Example Sentence:
• She bad-mouthed her friend to the whole class.
• He bad-mouths others instead of solving problems.
Other ways to say: Gossip, insult
Fun Fact/Origin: “Mouth” here means using words to hurt someone.
Usage: Used when someone spreads mean comments.
16. Chip on Their Shoulder
Meaning: Always angry or ready to argue.
Example Sentence:
• He has a chip on his shoulder and fights with everyone.
• She gets upset quickly—always with a chip on her shoulder.
Other ways to say: Grudge holder, quick to anger
Fun Fact/Origin: Old challenge where kids dared others to knock off a chip of wood from their shoulder.
Usage: Used for people who act angry for no clear reason.
17. Talk Behind Someone’s Back
Meaning: To say bad things when the person isn’t there.
Example Sentence:
• They smiled at her, then talked behind her back.
• He always talks behind people’s backs.
Other ways to say: Gossip, speak badly
Fun Fact/Origin: Behind-the-back talking means you’re hiding your words.
Usage: Used when someone secretly says unkind things.
18. Like Poison
Meaning: Something or someone very harmful.
Example Sentence:
• His words were like poison—they hurt everyone.
• She spreads lies like poison.
Other ways to say: Harmful, toxic
Fun Fact/Origin: Poison harms the body—this idiom means harming with words or actions.
Usage: Used for deeply hurtful people or speech.
19. Cut Someone Down
Meaning: To make someone feel small or less important.
Example Sentence:
• She cut him down with her rude comments.
• He cut others down to feel better about himself.
Other ways to say: Insult, put down
Fun Fact/Origin: Cutting something down lowers it—like hurting confidence.
Usage: Used when someone lowers others with mean words.
20. Sour Grapes
Meaning: Pretending not to care after losing or being jealous.
Example Sentence:
• He said he didn’t want to win anyway—just sour grapes.
• Her mean words were just sour grapes.
Other ways to say: Jealous talk, fake attitude
Fun Fact/Origin: From an old story where a fox says grapes he can’t reach must be sour.
Usage: Used when someone acts rude because they didn’t get what they wanted.
21. Drag Someone Down
Meaning: To make someone feel worse or act badly.
Example Sentence:
• Hanging out with him drags me down.
• Her bad mood dragged everyone down.
Other ways to say: Pull down, bring down
Fun Fact/Origin: Like pulling something down to a lower level.
Usage: Used when someone brings others down emotionally.
22. Spread Like Wildfire
Meaning: When harmful gossip or lies spread quickly.
Example Sentence:
• The rumor she told spread like wildfire.
• Lies from toxic people spread like wildfire.
Other ways to say: Spread fast, move quickly
Fun Fact/Origin: Wildfires move quickly and are hard to stop.
Usage: Used when bad talk or news spreads fast.
23. Always Play the Victim
Meaning: To act like they are always the one being hurt.
Example Sentence:
• She caused the fight but played the victim.
• He always plays the victim when he’s caught.
Other ways to say: Act innocent, blame others
Fun Fact/Origin: Victims are people who are hurt—but here, it’s fake.
Usage: Used when someone avoids blame by pretending to be innocent.
24. Rub It In
Meaning: To keep reminding someone of their mistake.
Example Sentence:
• He rubbed it in when I lost the game.
• Don’t rub it in—she already feels bad.
Other ways to say: Tease more, keep bothering
Fun Fact/Origin: Like rubbing salt into a cut—it hurts more.
Usage: Used when someone makes things worse by reminding others of pain.
25. Misery Loves Company
Meaning: People who are upset want others to feel the same.
Example Sentence:
• She was sad and wanted everyone else to be too—misery loves company.
• He made fun of us just because he was unhappy.
Other ways to say: Share the sadness, pull others in
Fun Fact/Origin: Shows how unhappy people often want others to feel bad too.
Usage: Used when someone tries to drag others into their bad mood.
26. Blow Things Out of Proportion
Meaning: To make small things seem much worse.
Example Sentence:
• He blew the joke out of proportion and got angry.
• She makes every little thing a big deal.
Other ways to say: Overreact, exaggerate
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of stretching a small thing to look huge.
Usage: Used when someone overreacts on purpose.
27. Walk All Over Someone
Meaning: To treat others badly without caring.
Example Sentence:
• He walked all over his teammates and took credit.
• She walks all over people who are too nice.
Other ways to say: Take advantage, bully
Fun Fact/Origin: Like stepping on someone with no care.
Usage: Used for people who use others unfairly.
28. Cold Shoulder
Meaning: To ignore someone on purpose.
Example Sentence:
• He gave me the cold shoulder after the game.
• She gave her friend the cold shoulder all day.
Other ways to say: Ignore, leave out
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from giving someone the cold side of food instead of a warm welcome.
Usage: Used when someone acts like they don’t care about you.
Quiz: Idioms About Toxic People
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 it mean if someone is “two-faced”?
A) They are funny and silly
B) They treat everyone the same
C) They act nice but say mean things behind your back
2. If someone “throws you under the bus,” what are they doing?
A) Blaming you to protect themselves
B) Taking you on a trip
C) Giving you a surprise gift
3. What does it mean if someone is “a bad egg”?
A) They are very healthy
B) They behave badly and can’t be trusted
C) They love to cook
4. When a person “adds fuel to the fire,” what are they doing?
A) Making things worse during a fight
B) Starting a campfire
C) Cleaning up a mess
5. If someone is called a “snake in the grass,” they are:
A) Honest and kind
B) Sneaky and secretly harmful
C) Afraid of animals
6. What does “rub it in” mean?
A) To say sorry
B) To help someone
C) To remind someone of a mistake and make it worse
7. When someone “walks all over others,” what are they doing?
A) Helping others
B) Treating people badly and using them
C) Dancing with friends
8. What does it mean to give someone “the cold shoulder”?
A) Invite them to play
B) Ignore them on purpose
C) Offer them a blanket
9. If someone is “full of hot air,” they:
A) Talk a lot but don’t mean what they say
B) Exercise every day
C) Always tell the truth
10. What does “misery loves company” mean?
A) Happy people stay alone
B) Sad people like making others feel bad too
C) People love having parties
Answer Key
- C – They act nice but say mean things behind your back
- A – Blaming you to protect themselves
- B – They behave badly and can’t be trusted
- A – Making things worse during a fight
- B – Sneaky and secretly harmful
- C – To remind someone of a mistake and make it worse
- B – Treating people badly and using them
- B – Ignore them on purpose
- A – Talk a lot but don’t mean what they say
- B – Sad people like making others feel bad too
Wrapping Up
Some people don’t treat others fairly. They may lie, gossip, or be mean. These are often called toxic people. Idioms help us talk about them in clear ways. You’ve now learned phrases like “snake in the grass” and “two-faced.” These sayings help you spot bad behavior and understand how to respond.
Use these idioms to explain how someone acts or to warn others. Learning these can help you avoid trouble and choose better friends. Keep being kind and wise with your words.
