Meaning & use
all in your head
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
used to say that a feeling, problem, or illness is imagined or caused by your mind rather than your body
Grammar: The possessive pronoun changes to match the person: it's all in my head, all in her head, etc.
Patterns
- be all in someone's head
- something is all in your head
The doctor said the pain was all in my head, but it felt completely real to me.
He thinks everyone is talking about him, but it's all in his head.
Don't worry — the fear is all in your head.
phrasefixed phrase
used to say that something exists only in your imagination or thoughts, not in the real world
Grammar: Often used with 'be' and a possessive pronoun.
Patterns
- be all in someone's head
- exist all in your head
The monsters she sees are all in her head.
Their perfect life is all in their heads; in reality, they argue constantly.
Common combinations
- all in your head
- The problem is all in your head.
- it's all in my head
- I keep thinking I'm sick, but it's all in my head.
- all in his head
- He believes the critics are after him, but it's all in his head.
- all in her head
- She thinks people are laughing at her, but it's all in her head.
Synonyms and how they differ
- imaginary
- Imaginary describes something that does not exist in reality; 'all in your head' is a phrase saying a problem or feeling is imagined, often used about health.
- psychosomatic
- Psychosomatic is a medical term for physical symptoms caused by mental factors; 'all in your head' is informal and can sound dismissive.
Opposites
Practice
The doctor told him his headaches were ______ and suggested he see a therapist.
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase is 'all in your head' (with possessive pronoun changing). 'All in his mind' is not the standard idiom; 'all on his head' means responsibility or blame, not imagination; 'all in his brain' is not used this way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “all in your head”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.