Hard charades

For the group that guesses “Titanic” in two seconds. Abstract ideas, idioms and jobs that are hard to show — “imposter syndrome”, “the butterfly effect”, “court stenographer”.

143 words · free · no app, no sign-up

Act this out

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Team game ↓

Expert mode

Use 90- or 120-second turns: hard words need time, and a team that gets two in a turn is doing well.

All 143 hard charades

Easy34

jealousy
boredom
time travel
gravity
echo
freedom
fear
luck
surprise
silence
shadow
peace
magic
memory
laziness
hope
confusion
patience
homesick
courage
gossip
excuse
secret
friendship
stress
jet lag
nightmare
revenge
honesty
guilt
pride
shyness
traffic jam
teamwork

Medium50

procrastination
déjà vu
jury duty
sarcasm
nostalgia
peer pressure
writer's block
cold feet
butterflies in your stomach
piece of cake
break the ice
spill the beans
cat got your tongue
cost an arm and a leg
under the weather
hit the hay
let the cat out of the bag
bite the bullet
crying over spilled milk
raining cats and dogs
a needle in a haystack
the elephant in the room
on cloud nine
walking on eggshells
a fish out of water
the last straw
stage fright
road rage
beginner's luck
sweet tooth
couch potato
night owl
social butterfly
wild goose chase
sour grapes
white lie
second thoughts
comfort zone
inside joke
sixth sense
sleepwalking
multitasking
small talk
awkward silence
gut feeling
referee
lifeguard
beekeeper
puppeteer
auctioneer

Hard59

once in a blue moon
the early bird catches the worm
don't count your chickens before they hatch
actions speak louder than words
every cloud has a silver lining
the grass is always greener on the other side
kill two birds with one stone
barking up the wrong tree
when pigs fly
curiosity killed the cat
a picture is worth a thousand words
the ball is in your court
burning the midnight oil
burning bridges
the tip of the iceberg
a blessing in disguise
beating around the bush
putting all your eggs in one basket
adding insult to injury
the calm before the storm
turning over a new leaf
between a rock and a hard place
missing the boat
jumping on the bandwagon
opening a can of worms
throwing in the towel
a taste of your own medicine
leaving no stone unturned
stealing someone's thunder
reinventing the wheel
reading between the lines
hindsight is 20/20
survival of the fittest
the butterfly effect
the domino effect
Murphy's law
supply and demand
fear of missing out
imposter syndrome
daylight saving time
hitting the snooze button
selective hearing
a second wind
midlife crisis
buyer's remorse
fake it till you make it
sommelier
air traffic controller
court stenographer
ventriloquist
orchestra conductor
sign language interpreter
rodeo clown
stunt double
food critic
substitute teacher
fortune teller
weather forecaster in a hurricane
mall Santa

How to act out an idea you cannot point at

Act a scene where the idea happens: for “jealousy”, watch a friend get a gift and fume.
For idioms, act the words literally, then wave to show “not literally”.
Split long phrases into words with fingers, and use “sounds like” (tug your ear) without shame.

Hard charades questions

What are the hardest charades?

From this deck: “hindsight is 20/20”, “supply and demand”, “daylight saving time”, “buyer’s remorse”, “sign language interpreter”.

Are hard charades good for adults only?

Teens enjoy them too. The words are not adult — just abstract.