English Reference
Idiom idiom

hit like a ton of bricks


To have a sudden and significant emotional impact.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

The bad news hit me like a ton of bricks.

CONTEXTUAL

When she finally realized her best friend was moving away, the sadness hit her like a ton of bricks.

COMPLEX

The sudden realization that his long career had reached an abrupt end hit him like a ton of bricks, leaving him speechless and overwhelmed.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    and the like

    And other similar items; et cetera.

  2. 02

    bang one's head against a brick wall

    To waste effort on a futile project.

  3. 03

    be like

    To say.

  4. 04

    brick in

    To enclose with bricks.

  5. 05

    brick in one's hat

    Drunkenness.

  6. 06

    built like a brick outhouse

    Synonym of built like a brick shithouse.

  7. 07

    built like a brick shipyard

    Synonym of built like a brick shithouse.

  8. 08

    built like a brick shithouse

    Of a man, having a muscular body, particularly with well-developed muscles of the chest, arms and abdominals.

Last updated August 10, 2026