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.
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Served over ice only, as in He always drinks whiskey on the rocks . The “rocks” here are the ice cubes. [Mid-1900s]
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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.
JD and Usha Vance can’t escape rumors that their marriage is on the rocks.
From Salon
Roz stood there, perfectly still, one foot on the rocks, the other in the poison tide.
From Literature
She sat on the rocks and said in a sweet voice, “Tell me, goslings, what are your names?”
From Literature
Seabirds and otters and crabs had gathered on the rocks, and lying in the middle of the gathering was a seal.
From Literature
Standing on the rocks above the robot was a wild ram.
From Literature
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.
