Are descriptions of home, comfort, or complex situations feeling unfurnished? Many struggle beyond basic vocabulary to capture the nuances of domestic life or personal security.
This article throws open the doors to idioms about house, equipping you with vibrant expressions for feeling settled or putting things in order. Discover how to articulate subtle emotional connections and practical implications, building vivid linguistic pictures and making your language truly feel at home.
Best Idioms about House
1. Safe as houses
Meaning: Very safe and secure.
In a Sentence: Don’t worry about your investments; they’re safe as houses with this bank. The new security system makes the building safe as houses.
Other Ways to Say: Secure, Protected, Impervious, Very safe
2. Eat out of the house and home
Meaning: To eat a lot of food, especially when staying as a guest, to the point of being a burden.
In a Sentence: My teenage sons are eating me out of house and home! The visiting team ate the host family out of house and home.
Other Ways to Say: Consume excessively, Be a burden (due to eating), Devour a lot of food
3. Get on like a house on fire
Meaning: To get along extremely well with someone very quickly.
In a Sentence: My sister and my new girlfriend got on like a house on fire. The two new colleagues got on like a house on fire from day one.
Other Ways to Say: Hit it off, Bond quickly, Instantly friendly, Get along famously
4. A house divided
Meaning: A group (family, organization, nation) that is deeply split by disagreement and unlikely to succeed.
In a Sentence: A house divided against itself cannot stand. (Famous quote) The political party became a house divided over the new policy.
Other Ways to Say: Disunited, Factionalized, Split, Fragmented
5. A house of cards
Meaning: A structure or plan that is very fragile, unstable, or easily collapse.
In a Sentence: The company’s financial plan was a house of cards, collapsing at the first sign of trouble. His alibi was a house of cards; it fell apart under questioning.
Other Ways to Say: Fragile, Unstable, Precarious, Weak structure
6. At home
Meaning: Comfortable and relaxed; also, in one’s own residence.
In a Sentence: She feels completely at home in front of a large audience. I’ll be at home all weekend if you want to visit.
Other Ways to Say: Comfortable, Relaxed, Familiar, In one’s element
7. Bring the house down
Meaning: To make an audience laugh or applaud very loudly and enthusiastically.
In a Sentence: The comedian’s final joke really brought the house down. Her performance was so powerful, it brought the house down.
Other Ways to Say: Get huge applause, Be a great success, Receive an ovation, Wow the audience
8. Home truth
Meaning: A painful or unpleasant fact about oneself that one needs to accept.
In a Sentence: My friend finally told me a few home truths about my laziness. Sometimes you need to hear a home truth to make a change.
Other Ways to Say: Harsh reality, Unpleasant fact, Blunt truth, Hard truth
9. A house is not a home
Meaning: A dwelling becomes a true home only when it is filled with love, family, and personal warmth.
In a Sentence: It’s a beautiful house, but without family, a house is not a home. They designed the interior to make sure their house truly felt like a home.
Other Ways to Say: Lacks warmth/comfort (without people/love), Just a building
10. Close to home
Meaning: Affecting one personally and strongly; relevant to one’s own situation.
In a Sentence: His comments about mental health hit very close to home for me. The story about losing a pet was a bit too close to home.
Other Ways to Say: Personal, Relevant, Sensitive, Affecting deeply
11. Make yourself at home
Meaning: To act as if one is in one’s own home; to relax and be comfortable.
In a Sentence: “Come in, make yourself at home,” she said to her guests. Don’t be shy; please make yourself at home.
Other Ways to Say: Relax, Be comfortable, Feel welcome, Act naturally
12. Make a house a home
Meaning: To make a dwelling comfortable and personal, reflecting one’s personality and interests.
In a Sentence: It took us a few years to really make this house a home. Adding personal touches is key to making a house a home.
Other Ways to Say: Personalize a dwelling, Create a comfortable living space, Infuse with warmth
13. On the house
Meaning: Provided free of charge by the establishment (e.g., a restaurant, bar).
In a Sentence: The dessert was on the house because it was our anniversary. “Don’t worry about that drink,” the bartender said, “it’s on the house.”
Other Ways to Say: Complimentary, Free of charge, Courtesy of the establishment
14. Home and dry
Meaning: To have successfully completed something difficult; to be safe from danger or failure.
In a Sentence: After submitting the final report, we were home and dry. Once the plane landed, we knew we were home and dry.
Other Ways to Say: Successful, Safe, Accomplished, Out of danger
15. Home is where the heart is
Meaning: One’s true home is wherever one feels a sense of belonging and love, regardless of physical location.
In a Sentence: Even though they travel a lot, they always say home is where the heart is. For nomads, home is where the heart is, wherever their loved ones are.
Other Ways to Say: Belonging, Where one feels loved, Place of emotional connection
Related Post: 50 Idioms for Home Finding Your Sanctuary
16. No place like home
Meaning: One’s own home is the most comfortable and desirable place to be.
In a Sentence: After weeks of traveling, there’s truly no place like home. She loved her vacation, but felt there was no place like home.
Other Ways to Say: Best place, Most comfortable place, Unique comfort of home
17. An Englishman’s home is his castle
Meaning: A person’s home is their private and secure place where they can do as they please, free from outside interference.
In a Sentence: He takes great pride in his property; for him, an Englishman’s home is his castle. The saying “an Englishman’s home is his castle” emphasizes privacy.
Other Ways to Say: Private sanctuary, Personal domain, Secure retreat, Fortress
18. Go around the houses
Meaning: To take a long, indirect, and often unnecessary route or approach to something.
In a Sentence: Instead of telling me directly, he always goes around the houses. Just tell me what you mean, don’t go around the houses!
Other Ways to Say: Be indirect, Beat around the bush, Circuitous route, Prevaricate
19. Keep house
Meaning: To manage a household, including cleaning, cooking, and maintaining the home.
In a Sentence: She’s excellent at keeping house and maintaining a tidy home. They hired a housekeeper to help them keep house.
Other Ways to Say: Manage a household, Do housework, Maintain a home
20. A plague on both your houses
Meaning: Expressing anger and frustration towards two opposing parties, wishing misfortune on both. (From Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet).
In a Sentence: After listening to both sides argue, I felt a plague on both your houses. Their constant bickering made me wish a plague on both their houses.
Other Ways to Say: Curse both parties, Express frustration with both sides, Imprecation
21. Big house
Meaning: (Informal) prison.
In a Sentence: If you don’t stop breaking the law, you’ll end up in the big house. He spent ten years in the big house for his crimes.
Other Ways to Say: Prison, Jail, Penitentiary, Correctional facility
22. Bring home the bacon
Meaning: To earn money for one’s family; to succeed in earning a living.
In a Sentence: He works hard to bring home the bacon for his family. It’s tough, but someone has to bring home the bacon.
Other Ways to Say: Earn a living, Provide for family, Make money, Support the household
23. Bringing something home
Meaning: To make something clear or understandable; to emphasize a point.
In a Sentence: The tragic story really brought home the dangers of reckless driving. The statistics helped to bring home the urgency of the situation.
Other Ways to Say: Emphasize, Clarify, Make apparent, Drive home a point
24. Come home to roost
Meaning: For past actions or mistakes to have unpleasant consequences that one must now face.
In a Sentence: His past lies finally came home to roost when he lost his job. Their careless spending habits eventually came home to roost.
Other Ways to Say: Backfire, Have consequences, Repercussions, Catch up with you
25. Home away from home
Meaning: A place where one feels as comfortable and welcome as in one’s own home.
In a Sentence: The cozy coffee shop became her home away from home. The hotel aims to be a home away from home for business travelers.
Other Ways to Say: Comfortable place, Welcoming spot, Second home, Familiar environment
26. Set up house
Meaning: To establish one’s own home, especially after getting married or moving out of parents’ home.
In a Sentence: They plan to set up house together next year. After college, she decided to set up house in the city.
Other Ways to Say: Establish a home, Start a household, Settle down
27. Put your house in order
Meaning: To organize one’s affairs, finances, or personal life; to deal with problems or put things in proper working order.
In a Sentence: Before seeking a promotion, he needed to put his house in order. The company needs to put its financial house in order.
Other Ways to Say: Get organized, Sort things out, Tidy up affairs, Rectify problems
28. Keep the home fires burning
Meaning: To maintain a household and family life while someone is away; to maintain enthusiasm or activity.
In a Sentence: While he was at war, his wife kept the home fires burning. Despite the challenges, we must keep the home fires burning for our cause.
Other Ways to Say: Maintain household, Keep things going, Sustain effort, Remain active
29. House of glass
Meaning: A situation where one’s actions or behavior are easily seen and scrutinized by others, implying vulnerability to criticism. (From “people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”).
In a Sentence: As a public figure, your life is like a house of glass. Their business practices were a house of glass, open to public inspection.
Other Ways to Say: Exposed, Vulnerable to scrutiny, Transparent, Easily criticized
30. Live under the same roof
Meaning: To live in the same house or dwelling.
In a Sentence: My grandparents have lived under the same roof for over 60 years. Even though they argued, they still lived under the same roof.
Other Ways to Say: Coexist, Share a home, Reside together
31. Hit the roof
Meaning: To become very angry.
In a Sentence: When he heard the news, he hit the roof. My mom will hit the roof if she sees this mess.
Other Ways to Say: Explode in anger, Lose temper, Fly into a rage, Go ballistic
32. Clean house
Meaning: To make extensive changes in an organization, often by dismissing undesirable or inefficient personnel; to put things in order.
In a Sentence: The new manager decided to clean house and replace several team members. It’s time for the government to clean house and address corruption.
Other Ways to Say: Reorganize, Restructure, Purge, Reform
33. Run a tight ship
Meaning: To manage an organization or household very strictly and efficiently.
In a Sentence: The captain runs a tight ship, ensuring everything is done perfectly. Our manager runs a tight ship, so deadlines are always met.
Other Ways to Say: Manage strictly, Be efficient, Well-organized, Disciplined management
34. Home sweet home
Meaning: An expression of pleasure or comfort at being in one’s own home.
In a Sentence: After a long journey, he sighed, “Ah, home sweet home!” There’s nothing quite like coming back to home sweet home.
Other Ways to Say: Comfort of home, Delight in one’s residence, Familiar comfort
35. Under one’s roof
Meaning: In one’s house; under one’s authority or protection.
In a Sentence: As long as you live under my roof, you’ll follow my rules. She offered shelter to the refugees under her roof.
Other Ways to Say: In one’s home, Under one’s care, In one’s household
Related Post: 50 Idioms for Cleaning with a Sparkling Touch
36. House of straw
Meaning: Something that is very weak, poorly constructed, and easily destroyed. (From “The Three Little Pigs”).
In a Sentence: Their arguments were a house of straw, easily blown away by logic. The company’s financial foundation was a house of straw.
Other Ways to Say: Weak, Fragile, Flawed, Unstable
37. Like a house on fire
Meaning: With great speed and intensity, or with great success. (Often used for relationships, same as “get on like a house on fire”).
In a Sentence: The project is progressing like a house on fire. They worked together like a house on fire, finishing quickly.
Other Ways to Say: Rapidly, Enthusiastically, Very well, Successfully
38. Burn the house down
Meaning: To cause great damage or destruction; to perform exceptionally well, causing a sensation (often in entertainment).
In a Sentence: The protesters threatened to burn the house down if their demands weren’t met. The band really burned the house down with their incredible performance.
Other Ways to Say: Destroy, Cause havoc, Perform sensationally, Create an uproar
39. Keep the wolf from the door
Meaning: To have just enough money to avoid hunger or poverty.
In a Sentence: His small salary was barely enough to keep the wolf from the door. They worked multiple jobs just to keep the wolf from the door.
Other Ways to Say: Avoid poverty, Stay out of debt, Survive financially, Make ends meet
40. A home run
Meaning: A great success; an outstanding achievement. (From baseball).
In a Sentence: Her presentation was a home run, impressing all the investors. The new product launch was a real home run for the company.
Other Ways to Say: Great success, Triumph, Victory, Masterpiece
41. Built on sand
Meaning: Based on weak or unreliable foundations; destined to fail.
In a Sentence: Their business plan was built on sand, lacking any real market research. A relationship built on lies is built on sand.
Other Ways to Say: Unstable, Flawed, Precarious, Unreliable foundation
42. Raise the roof
Meaning: To make a lot of noise, usually by cheering or celebrating loudly; to complain angrily.
In a Sentence: The fans raised the roof when their team scored the winning goal. If my grades drop, my parents will raise the roof.
Other Ways to Say: Be very loud, Cheer enthusiastically, Complain loudly, Make a commotion
43. The lights are on, but nobody’s home
Meaning: (Informal, often derogatory) Said of someone who appears to be awake or present but is not paying attention or is not very intelligent.
In a Sentence: I tried explaining it to him, but the lights were on, but nobody was home. He just stared blankly; the lights were on, but nobody was home.
Other Ways to Say: Vacant expression, Unresponsive, Unintelligent, Spaced out
44. In your own backyard
Meaning: In one’s local area or immediate vicinity; close to home.
In a Sentence: You don’t need to travel far to find adventure; it’s right in your own backyard. They discovered a rare bird species right in their own backyard.
Other Ways to Say: Locally, Nearby, Close to home, In one’s neighborhood
45. House and home
Meaning: All one’s possessions and property, especially one’s dwelling. (Often used in expressions like “lose house and home”).
In a Sentence: The fire destroyed their entire house and home. They invested everything they had into their house and home.
Other Ways to Say: Property, Dwelling, All belongings, Residence
46. Hold the fort
Meaning: To take care of a place or situation while others are away.
In a Sentence: I’m just running to the store; can you hold the fort for a few minutes? She had to hold the fort at work while her boss was on vacation.
Other Ways to Say: Manage in someone’s absence, Take charge temporarily, Mind the place
47. Family ties
Meaning: The strong connections, relationships, and bonds within a family.
In a Sentence: Despite living far apart, their family ties remained strong. Family ties are very important in his culture.
Other Ways to Say: Family bonds, Kinship, Relational connections, Affiliation
48. Sweep the house clean
Meaning: To remove all undesirable elements or people from an organization or situation. (Similar to ‘clean house’).
In a Sentence: The new government promised to sweep the house clean of corruption. It’s time to sweep the house clean of old, inefficient practices.
Other Ways to Say: Purge, Reform, Eliminate undesirable elements, Thoroughly reorganize
49. Lay down roots
Meaning: To establish oneself and a stable life in a particular place.
In a Sentence: After years of traveling, they decided to lay down roots in the countryside. It’s hard to lay down roots when you’re constantly moving for work.
Other Ways to Say: Settle down, Establish a home, Become a resident, Build a stable life
50. A roof over your head
Meaning: A place to live; basic shelter.
In a Sentence: Many people are struggling just to put a roof over their heads. He was grateful to have a roof over his head after being homeless.
Other Ways to Say: Shelter, Housing, Accommodation, Place to live
Exercise to Practice – Idioms about House
- My teenage son can eat an entire pizza by himself; he’s really starting to _________________________.
- After months of searching, they finally decided to _________________________ in this quiet neighborhood.
- The politician’s argument against the new law was a _________________________; it quickly crumbled under scrutiny.
- When he found out his employees were spreading rumors, the manager really _________________________.
- Despite being thousands of miles apart, their _________________________ kept them close.
- The cozy little inn quickly became our _________________________ during our travels.
- “Don’t worry, your secrets are _________________________ with me,” she assured her friend.
- It’s a beautiful apartment, but without personal touches, it’s just a dwelling, not a _________________________.
- He’s a very meticulous person; he always _________________________ in every aspect of his life.
- After finishing the marathon, she felt completely _________________________, knowing she had achieved her goal.
Answer Key
- eat out of house and home
- lay down roots (or set up house)
- house of cards (or house of straw, or built on sand)
- hit the roof
- family ties
- home away from home
- safe as houses
- house is not a home
- runs a tight ship (or puts his house in order)
- home and dry
Conclusion
This journey through idioms about house has illuminated how these phrases transcend mere architecture, revealing layers of meaning related to belonging, stability, and control. They transform simple descriptions into profound insights about life’s domestic and personal landscapes. Now, make these expressions your own. Integrate these idioms about house into your conversations to build richer narratives, clarify complex situations, and truly make your language feel like home.
Danny Weber is a language enthusiast and freelance writer with a passion for unpacking the beauty of idioms and metaphors. Through years of research and creative exploration, Danny helps readers understand the deeper meanings behind familiar phrases—making figurative language feel accessible, engaging, and alive. Whether he’s decoding classic sayings or crafting new twists on old expressions, Danny’s work invites you to see language with fresh eyes.
