IdiomBody & Senses

English

throw up one's hands

Meaning: To show that one gives up, in despair or frustration.

Example: “The teacher threw up her hands when the projector broke again.”

Origin: The gesture of raising both hands in surrender or exasperation. The phrase is common from the 19th century.

Equivalents in other languages

Polish: rozłożyć ręce Literally: To spread one's hands

More English idioms

make someone's life hell To make someone very unhappy for a long time.
sweep something under the rug To hide a problem instead of dealing with it.
push up daisies To be dead and buried.
manna from heaven Something good that arrives unexpectedly just when it is needed.
play for time To delay deliberately in the hope of improving one's position.
gild the lily To spoil something already perfect by adding to it.

Explore another collection: Untranslatable Words

Words that capture a feeling or idea English needs a whole sentence for.

Prozvonit To call someone's phone and hang up after one ring, so they call you back and you save th…
Boketto Staring off into the distance with your mind pleasantly empty, thinking of nothing at all.
Pålegg Anything you might put on a slice of bread — cheese, ham, jam, egg, whatever — gathered u…

Browse all untranslatable words →

Keep exploring

Explore all idioms →