like a cat on a hot tin roof
1
9.9
- idiom
:
como un gato en un tejado caliente
- I feel all the time like a cat on a hot tin roof.
Examples
-
During the meeting, he was like a cat on a hot tin roof, constantly shifting in his seat and glancing at the clock.
-
After hearing the unexpected news, she felt like a cat on a hot tin roof, unable to focus on anything.
-
I suggest we all stop tiptoeing around her like a cat on a hot tin roof, you know?
-
The dog was like a cat on a hot tin roof, running back and forth in excitement as it waited for its owner.
Synonyms
110
3.0
Not able to relax and stay still because of worry or boredom
93
3.9
Very worried and acting quickly in a wild, uncontrolled way
68
4.3
Feeling nervous and tense so you are easily upset or worried
54
4.3
Feeling nervous and easily startled by sudden sounds
49
4.1
Feeling nervous, upset, and not calm
25
7.0
Being nervous and unable to keep still
18
2.1
Feeling restless and wanting to move or act
9
4.6
Feeling nervous and unable to stay still
8
4.8
Unable to stay still because you feel nervous
7
5.3
Excited and hurried because of strong feelings
4
8.6
Feeling very nervous and confused about something
2
7.0
Feeling nervous and upset because of stress or embarrassment
1
9.6
Nervous and unable to stay still
1
9.9
Feeling nervous and restless before an important event
Feeling nervous and hurried after something sudden happens
Antonyms
How Restless
Surface Forms
Morphology
like + a + cat + on + a + hot + tin + roof
The simile's meaning is directly inferable from the literal image: a cat placed on a hot metal roof would be unable to stay still, so the phrase conveys extreme restlessness or agitation. This is a compositional, image-driven comparison that follows normal simile patterns in English, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can reasonably deduce the intended meaning.
Etymology
Like a cat on a hot tin roof may come from the picture of a scared cat on a hot tin roof that keeps jumping because it cannot stand still on the painful, hot surface. That's why it means 'extremely restless' or 'very nervous'.