walking on eggshells
Avoiding any misstep
Walking on eggshells means being extremely careful about what you say or do to avoid upsetting someone.
The image is of treading so delicately that fragile shells wouldn't crack underfoot.
Usually describes the anxiety of dealing with a volatile, sensitive, or unpredictable person: Everyone walks on eggshells around her when she's in a bad mood.
Nervous anticipation of trouble
- nervousnessState of anxious unease
- uneaseMild persistent worry
- worryTroubled mental state
- dreadIntense anticipatory fear
trepidation · jitters · stress · disquiet · edginess · agitation · angst · insecurity
Under uncomfortable tension
- uneasyTroubled, not calm
- stressfulCausing worry or tension
- volatileLiable to sudden change
- fraughtFull of difficulty
uncomfortable · awkward · precarious · unstable · unpredictable · charged · hostile · explosive
Walk on foot-fronts
- carefulExercising caution and attention
- guardedWary and restrained
- waryGuardedly alert
- meticulousShowing extreme attention to detail
delicate · diplomatic · tactful · mindful · judicious · measured · restrained · circumspect
Sharing another's emotions
- considerateMindful of others' needs
- thoughtfulShowing careful consideration
- perceptiveQuick to understand
- attentivePaying close notice
awareness · respectful · solicitous · conscientious · attuned · reactive · fragile · touchy
apprehension
Nervous anticipation of trouble
- nervousnessState of anxious unease
- uneaseMild persistent worry
- worryTroubled mental state
dread · trepidation · jitters · stress · disquiet · edginess · agitation · angst · insecurity · hypervigilance
strained
Under uncomfortable tension
fraught · uncomfortable · awkward · precarious · unstable · unpredictable · charged · hostile · explosive · turbulent
tiptoe
Walk on foot-fronts
meticulous · delicate · diplomatic · tactful · mindful · judicious · measured · restrained · circumspect · prudent
empathy
Sharing another's emotions
- considerateMindful of others' needs
- thoughtfulShowing careful consideration
- perceptiveQuick to understand
attentive · awareness · respectful · solicitous · conscientious · attuned · reactive · fragile · touchy · thin-skinned
- Anxietyanxiety, nervousness, panic, worry, generalized anxiety
- food idiomspiece of cake, bread winner, low-hanging fruit, cool as a cucumber, bad egg
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- domestic abusedomestic violence, battering, batterer, spousal abuse, wife beating
- Precariousnessprecarious, unstable, teetering, tottering, wobbly
- sycophancyfawning, toadying, groveling, kowtowing, brown-nosing
walking on eggshellsspeaking freely
Talking without restraint
speaking one's mind · telling it like it is · throwing caution to the wind · calling a spade a spade · shooting from the hip
walks, walked, walker, walkers, walkway, walkways, shell, shells, shelled