heavy atmosphere

heavy atmosphere

A very tense, awkward, or uncomfortable atmosphere among a group of people. There was a heavy atmosphere at the table after Dad's outburst at Mom. I tried to break the heavy atmosphere with a joke, but no one was in the mood for laughing.
See also: atmosphere, heavy
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

a heavy ˈsilence/ˈatmosphere

a situation when people do not say anything, but feel embarrassed or uncomfortable: There was a heavy silence for a few minutes before anybody spoke.
See also: atmosphere, heavy, silence
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • a heavy silence/atmosphere
  • heavy silence
  • exchange flesh
  • knife
  • olde
  • olde-worlde
  • worlde
  • get a life
  • Get a life!
  • moonlight and roses
References in classic literature
Not a breath of wind now disturbed the heavy atmosphere. A deathlike silence oppressed all nature.
Lovell's thoughts had flashed backwards through the years, back to the time when he had sat within a few feet of this man in the crowded court of justice and listened through the painful stillness of that heavy atmosphere, charged with tragedy, to the slow unfolding of the drama of his life.
Yet, it must be said, her petals sometimes drooped a little, in consequence of the heavy atmosphere about her.
A heavy atmosphere. Real tangible tension in the air.
As I anxiously wait for instruction from Nick and Katrina, a shivering cold and a heavy atmosphere take hold.
This has resulted in traders and investors getting lost in a maze of ill-informed decisions due to the tense political and conflict heavy atmosphere that foreshadows grave developments and even wars.
When they hit the Earth's heavy atmosphere, the temperature goes up and drag gets increased.
And while that may have helped to deliver the heavy atmosphere of the piece, it did nothing for the comfort of the audience.
Last season, there were times when the toxic, heavy atmosphere was difficult to fathom.
Full of heavy atmosphere, pregnant pauses and Gillian Anderson as Stella Gibson - a senior police officer investigating a string of murders in Belfast, with a penchant for blouses straight out of a 1980s catalogue - it bears more than a passing resemblance to the Scandi-noir of The Bridge, The Killing and Borgen, complete with chilly women and a sense of foreboding.
Glamorgan lost their last four wickets for eight runs in 31 balls and although the ball had zoomed around in the heavy atmosphere, it had not been a distinguished batting display by the visitors on a track cleared of any blame by pitch liaison officer Tony Pigott.
"Whether it's Kate Middleton's fashion sense, or the alleged "excessive spending," or her parenting style, the Queen is apparently always right there with a comment, which makes for a heavy atmosphere at the palace," the magazine reports, citing a source.
So, thank you for that," he said, lightening the heavy atmosphere surrounding his farewell.
I say so because it will not be easy to score runs in the morning because of the heavy atmosphere at the stadium.