on the rocks
Idioms-
Ruined, spoiled, as in Six months after the wedding, their marriage was on the rocks . This expression, alluding to a ship running aground on rocks and breaking apart, has been used figuratively for other disasters since the late 1800s.
-
Served over ice only, as in He always drinks whiskey on the rocks . The “rocks” here are the ice cubes. [Mid-1900s]
-
Destitute, bankrupt, as in Can I borrow next month's rent? I'm on the rocks . This usage, from the late 1800s, is heard more often in Britain than America.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One had a festering cut on his shin that he said he got from a fall on the rocks near the beach.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Because their speed and strength depend on the rocks they pass through, they can reveal hidden layers, fractures, and other structures deep below the seafloor.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
I didn’t want to make a show about a marriage that was on the rocks because of infidelity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
"You've got this amazing coastal path and rugged landscape overlooking Pembrokeshire and then in the middle of that you've just got this 24-metre vessel stuck on the rocks."
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 2026
Three or four others were sitting quite motionless on the rocks themselves.
From "The BFG" by Roald Dahl
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
