Idioms about summer can help us sound more fluent and impactful in English. Is the weather exceptionally warm? You can say “boiling hot”. Check them all out right now and boost your summer vocab and general English comprehension!
What about when there is a summer party? A social butterfly is a very friendly person who might be at the event. Now that the heat is increasing and we are thinking about vacations (at least in the northern hemisphere!), there’s no better time to learn more summer sayings. Feel that summer vibe and look at a list of summer expressions, a table explaining their meanings, and how to use them with example sentences.
Idioms about summer
Here is a list of common idioms about summer that will help you improve your English. Read them aloud several times. If it helps you to remember, why not write them down too? You can also make your own conversations or sentences with them. If you try to visualize how to use them it can help you to remember them.
- Boiling hot
- Make hay while the sun shines
- Come rain or shine
- An Indian summer
- Taking a shine to someone
- A drop in the ocean
- The dog days of summer
- A Fair-weather friend
- Head in the clouds
- Soak up some sun
- Have a green thumb
- Social butterfly
- Full of hot air
- Hot and bothered
- Touch of sun
- Everything under the sun
- A place in the sun
- Midsummer madness
- A ray of sunshine
- Sun-drenched
- To brighten somebody up
- To be a breeze
- Chase rainbows
- A moment in the sun
- I’m melting!
Related: 50 Sentences about summer
25 idioms about summer with meanings
Here is a list of all the idioms about summer we are looking at. Next time you have a party in the heat of summer, you will know what idiom to use! You will find each of the 25 idioms and their meanings. Use this as a reference guide if you can’t remember what the idiom meant.
- Boiling hot: This means that the weather or something else is scorching, like boiling water
- Make hay while the sun shines: This means we should maximize our potential while we have the chance (now)
- Come rain or shine: This means that we do an activity even in bad conditions because we love it or are determined.
- An Indian summer: This means the weather is unusually warm for the time of year. It happens in the autumn season.
- Taking a shine to someone: Just like the word “shine” has a positive connotation, taking a shine to someone means we feel affectionate toward someone or like them.
- A drop in the ocean: This means a very small amount. Just as if you put a single drop of water into the sea. It changes almost nothing.
- The dog days of summer: This phrase means that the weather is hot and sultry. They occur in July and August in the northern hemisphere.
- A Fair-weather friend: This is used to describe a person who is not truly your friend. They are only your friend when the time is convenient for them.
- Head in the clouds: This is used to describe somebody who is living in some kind of fantasy land. Their goals are not realistic.
- Soak up some sun: Like a sponge soaks up water (absorbs) we can also absorb sunshine. Usually, it is with the aim of feeling refreshed or getting a suntan.
- Have a green thumb: This idiom means we are skilled at gardening or growing things.
- Social butterfly: A social butterfly is someone who is socially comfortable and dynamic.
- Full of hot air: Used when someone talks a lot and doesn’t say much of value!
- Hot and bothered: We use this expression when irritated or flustered, usually accompanied by sweating!
- Touch of sun: After someone’s skin has become slightly pink, red, or tanned from the sun, we can use this. Usually accompanied with “got” or ” have gotten”.
- Everything under the sun: This is used to describe a place like a shop, which contains a huge variety of products. It seems almost endless. A certain online shopping mall would come under this category!
- A place in the sun: A sunny place. Think: Benidorm, Central Algarve, Crete, Hawaii…
- Midsummer madness: A temporary lapse into foolishness or carefree behavior
- A ray of sunshine: This is used to describe a person who is cheerful and impacts people in a positive manner.
- Sun-drenched: This is used to refer to a place where the sun shines a lot. Examples include the south of France, most of Spain, Italy, and most of the Mediterranean coast.
- To brighten somebody up: This means to make someone feel better, or more cheerful. A gift or good news usually brightens a person up.
- To be a breeze: We use this ubiquitous English expression when we want to describe something that is really, really easy! (like learning English…not!)
- Chase rainbows: To follow unrealistic goals. Just like chasing a real-life rainbow, we can never reach the source.
- A moment in the sun: This refers to the time when someone gets the literal spotlight. They have a few minutes of “fame” or attention.
- I’m melting! We hope this is not literal! It just means we have become extremely hot. Please switch on the air conditioner right away if you are melting!
Related: 27 Sayings About Fall: Natural English, Better Speaking!
Idioms about summer: examples for beginners or ESL learners
Is the sun shining? Are you feeling the heat of summer yet? Let’s see how idioms about summer are used in daily English conversation. Below is a list of examples for our 25 English idioms about summer. Read them out and try to focus as much as possible on intonation and pronunciation. Go slowly first and then once you’re comfortable speed up a little bit, but you don’t have to race through them. Make each phrase shine with excellent pronunciation!
Example of boiling hot in a sentence
Jack, you should wear a hat and sunscreen too. It’s boiling hot outside!
Example of making hay while the sun shines in a sentence
The football player is at his peak right now. He needs to make hay while the sun shines and make sure he fulfills his potential.
Example of come rain or shine
Come rain or shine, Janet always comes along to English class. She is such a great student.
Idioms about summer: An Indian summer in a sentence
We are experiencing a little bit of an Indian summer this year. There is still so much heat and the sun shines for a long time every, but it is already October!
Related: 25 Idioms About Music: Awesome English Speaking Practice!
Example of taking a shine to someone in a sentence
Our new dog has really “taken a shine to” our daughter. He follows her wherever she goes!
How do you make a sentence with a drop in the ocean?
Unfortunately, this homework you have just completed is just a drop in the ocean. You still need to complete five English essays this term!
The dog days of summer in a sentence: a super addition to our idioms about summer!
We are well and truly in the dog days of summer right now. It has been 30C°/ 86F° every day for the past week!
Example of a fairweather friend in a sentence
Is she just a fairweather friend, or a true one?
Diane is such a fairweather friend. Last year when Johnny got sick, she was nowhere to be seen it was almost like she didn’t care at all.
Example sentence for “head in the clouds”, another great addition to our idioms about summer
Jimmy has his head in the clouds. He is expecting to get into a great university without doing any kind of coursework or revision for exams. No way!
Idioms about summer: Soak up some sun example
They decided to go to Spain this summer to soak up some sun. They have got two weeks on the beach. Lucky them!
Green thumbs in a sentence: Gardening sentences about summer!
My Nana definitely has Green thumbs. Everything she grows seems to do well. This summer she has grown tomatoes, cucumbers, gooseberries, and blackberries. Amazing!
How to use a social butterfly in a sentence?
Yukie is a social butterfly. She has no problems socializing with any kind of person and doesn’t suffer from shyness.
Full of hot air: Example sentence
Our CEO is full of hot air! He keeps on promising raises and we never get them!
Hot and bothered example sentence
To avoid becoming hot and bothered while doing your English coursework, why don’t you switch on the air-conditioning? It’s a bit too hot for just a fan.
A touch of the sun in a sentence
Mike has gotten a touch of the sun today. His forehead is pink!
Everything under the sun example sentence: Another welcome addition to idioms about summer
The electronics district of Akihabara in Tokyo sells everything under the sun. From retro game consoles to TVs, to hi-fi systems. You can find it all.
A place in the sun example sentence
For my retirement, I’d like to find a place in the sun. Somewhere like Spain or the south of France would be fantastic to live in.
What is an example of “midsummer madness” in a sentence?
It was Midsummer madness on the beach today. It was so crowded, you wouldn’t believe it!
What is an example sentence using the phrase “a ray of sunshine”?
Our pet toy poodle is a ray of sunshine. He brings happiness to the family!
What is an example sentence for sun-drenched?
The Costa del Sol in Spain is very popular with British tourists because it is a sundrenched paradise!
How do you use “brighten up” in a sentence?
I have some news to brighten you up. We are going on holiday to Disneyland next month!
An example of a breeze in a sentence: a cooler addition to our idioms about summer
The IELTS test was most certainly not a breeze for me!
An example sentence for chasing a rainbow
Chaz is always chasing rainbows. This is the second time he has invested all his money and lost it. He should be much more careful in the future.
An example sentence for the phrase a “moment in the sun”
You should enjoy your moment in the sun while it lasts. Fame is often short-lived!
Here is an example sentence for the phrase “I am melting”
It’s so hot today! I’m melting. I think I need ice cream right now.
Idioms about summer can be used in any season, fall, winter or spring!
The idioms about summer that we have learned today can be used in any situation if it fits. Just because where you are living has cold weather, don’t hesitate to use these!
Everybody likes watching sunsets, don’t they? I sure do. It might come as a surprise, but there is an idiom for this. It goes as follows:
The sun has set on something
It means that someone’s time of success has finished. Just like when the sun sets and drops below the ocean. It doesn’t shine anymore. Here is an example of this idiom:
The sun has finally set on the electronics maker. They went bankrupt last month.
It’s a little bit of a depressing phrase but it is in fitting with the discussion of summer-related vocabulary. I hope these expressions have been useful to you on your journey toward mastering English!
Idioms About Summer to level up your English
I hope you have enjoyed today’s idioms about summer! When did you last get a touch of sun? Have you ever experienced an Indian summer? When was the weather last boiling hot where you are? Thanks for reading these summer idioms, and don’t forget, if you’d like to check out more natural English examples, our English idioms page is only a click away!