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.
“Vision 2030 was already a bit on the rocks, and they were already changing their priorities,” said Quilliam, referring to the ambitious economic and social change effort.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 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
By 1970, Williams and Longet’s marriage was on the rocks, and the pair separated.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 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
Still grasping it Ged was pulled back as the breakers streamed back from the shoal, so that he was in deep water and saved, till the next wave, from battering on the rocks.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
