on the rocks

Idioms  

1. 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.

2. Served over ice only, as in He always drinks whiskey on the rocks . The “rocks” here are the ice cubes. [Mid-1900s]

3. 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.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

on the rocks

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

Sales had been sliding for years, the automaker’s relationship with dealers was on the rocks, and the entire organization was reeling from a scandal involving its former chief executive’s arrest and flight from justice.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

Their marriage was on the rocks, and on the day she went missing Arlene had been due to meet a solicitor to discuss a £250,000 divorce.

From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2026

Part of the concern came from a Wall Street Journal report that Nvidia’s deal to provide ChatGPT owner OpenAI with up to $100 billion could be on the rocks, given a funding delay.

From Barron's ● Feb. 4, 2026

It was nearly dark, and I was sitting on the rocks with my knees drawn into my chest, and suddenly there was Emma, breeze tossing her hair, standing on the sand below me.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs

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Related Words

• bankrupt
• exhausted
• impoverished
• indigent
• insolvent
• needy
• penniless
• poor
• poverty-stricken
• strapped

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