English Idioms and Expressions for the Summer [Updated]

When you think of the summertime, you may imagine vacations, travel and afternoons at the beach. On the other hand, you may also think of super hot days that make you want to stay inside all day long.

In this article, we'll introduce English idioms and vocabulary native speakers often use during the summer season. Some refer to fun outdoor activities, while others are related to heat — and trying to avoid it!

Finally, we've included some idioms that reference things like the sun and beaches that you can use any time of the year.

English Idioms for the Summertime

Catch some rays

You can't count sunlight, but we refer to sun rays, or beams of light, in plural.

"Catching some rays" is a casual way of saying "sunbathing," or relaxing in the sun. People catching rays are usually trying to get a tan.

We're going to the beach to catch some rays.

I'm working on my tan, so I want to catch some rays while the sun's out.

Scorcher

"Scorch" is a verb meaning "to burn," but it includes the nuance of damage or harm caused by heat. Summertime usually has many hot days, but a "scorcher" is a day that's especially hot. 

Tomorrow's going to be a scorcher, so you should cut the grass today.

Yesterday was a scorcher, so we tried to stay inside as much as possible.

Related article: How to Talk About Hot Weather in English

Beach read

"Beach reads" are books read while relaxing on the beach. They're usually short and feature stories that aren't too serious. That means big novels and complicated textbooks don't qualify!

I recommend this book; it's a great beach read.

Dip

"Dipping" something means quickly putting it into water or another liquid. For example, you may dip your French fries into ketchup or your foot into the bath to check the temperature. 

In the summertime, it's often used as a noun to talk about swimming. Both "take a dip" and "go for a dip" mean "go swimming," usually for a short amount of time.

Let's go for a dip in the pool.

We took a dip in the lake near our house.

Summer blockbuster

Summer is often when Hollywood movie studios release big, expensive movies with lots of action and famous actors. Successful movies of this type are called "summer blockbusters."

It seems like there's a new summer blockbuster being released every week this month!

Related article: How to Talk About Movies in English

Beat the heat

This common expression refers to avoiding the summer heat by going somewhere away from the sun's rays or by doing activities that keep you cool.

We like to beat the heat by going to the movie theater and watching summer blockbusters.

Ice cream is a tasty way to beat the heat.

Beach bum

A "beach bum" is someone who spends a lot time on the beach — perhaps too much! This term is mostly used as a joke or with a negative nuance, depending on the context.

I'm not doing any sightseeing on my vacation; I'm just going to be a beach bum for a whole week.

Stop being a beach bum and start doing something productive with your time!

Summer fling

As a noun, a "fling" is a short period of fun or wild behavior. A "summer fling," in particular, is a romance that lasts only for the summer.

Hearing that song reminds me of a summer fling I had when I was a teenager.

Sun’s out, guns out

"Guns" is a slang term for muscular arms. When the weather's hot, some people like to show off their muscles — and they may use this phrase to announce it, usually in a light, joking way.

I don't need a shirt; sun's out, guns out!

Related article: 16 Words for Describing Different Body Types

The dog days of summer

This phrase refers to the hottest period of the summer; it comes from the Dog Star, which can be seen from the Northern Hemisphere (the northern half of the world) from July to August.

Indian summer

"Indian summers" are periods of warm weather in the fall, after summer has officially ended. This comes from the very warm weather in much of the area where Native Americans (sometimes called "American Indians") lived in the 18th century.

We've been experiencing an Indian summer this year with all the warm days we've had in November.

Summer-Related Idioms You Can Use All Year

Bring sand to the beach

One thing the beach has plenty of is sand, so there's no point in bringing more! Similarly, this idiom refers to bringing or adding more of something unnecessarily.

Don't cook anything; we have enough food for everyone, so there's no need to bring sand to the beach!

Make hay while the sun shines

This expression means "take advantage of an opportunity" or "enjoy something while you can."

Prices are very low right now, so let's make hay while the sun shines and buy now.

One swallow doesn’t make a summer

This idiom means that even if one good thing happens, it doesn't guarantee that good things will continue to happen. The "swallow" here refers to a kind of bird.

My soccer team won our first game of the season, but one swallow doesn't make a summer.

Bury one’s head in the sand

Someone who "buries their head in the sand" is trying to hide from a difficult situation by pretending that it doesn't exist. 

Burying our heads in the sand won't help us avoid this problem, so let's think of a solution instead.

Everything under the sun

This means "everything" — or at least the feeling of everything!

This store is so huge, it feels like it sells everything under the sun!

A moment in the sun

A "moment in the sun" is a temporary but special time when someone or something gets a lot of positive attention or praise.

Although he'd been painting without success for years, the artist finally had his moment in the sun late in his career.

Wrap-up

Looking for more summertime English? Check out our list of 10 great summer songs for English learners, then have a chat with an Engoo tutor about your favorite ways to keep cool when it's hot outside. ☀️🏖️🕶️

• summer
• Vocabulary