Snap out of it means “pull yourself together”: to come out of a bad mood, apathy or a daydream quickly. People say it about themselves (I need to snap out of this) and as an appeal to someone else.
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snap out of it; snap out of + a bad mood/a daydream/this state
- I was in a bad mood all morning, but a walk in the park helped me snap out of it.
- She snapped out of her daydream when the bus reached her stop.
- Come on, snap out of it — we've got a match to win tomorrow.
What changed
First versionCome to yourself! It was only one bad exam.
RevisionSnap out of it! It was only one bad exam.
Come to yourself isn't natural English, and native speakers find it odd. Come to without yourself means to wake up after fainting. When you want someone to shake off a low mood, you say snap out of it.
Snap out of it sounds demanding: “that's enough, pull yourself together”. It's fine for a mild low mood or a daydream, but saying it to someone who is grieving or depressed is harsh: it suggests they could simply stop suffering. It's better to support them differently: I'm so sorry. I'm here if you need me.
Your turn
When the teacher said my name, I ___ my daydream and looked at the board.
Show the answer
snapped out of — Snap out is always followed by of: that's how you come back to reality from a daydream. From isn't used here, even though it can look like the natural word for leaving a state.
Think of a moment when something suddenly brought you back to reality. Say what state you were in and what brought you out of it.
I was daydreaming during a long meeting, and my phone ringing made me snap out of it.
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