Idioms for Better English
Table of Contents
Idioms are expressions or phrases that have a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation of the individual words that make them up. Idioms are often used in everyday language and are an essential part of communication in many languages. They add color, nuance, and figurative language to speech and writing.
Here are a few examples of idioms:
1. "Kick the bucket" - This idiom means to die. It doesn't literally involve kicking a bucket.
2. "Break a leg" - This is an idiom used to wish someone good luck, especially before a performance. It doesn't suggest actual harm.
Idioms can be challenging for non-native speakers to understand because they often don't follow the rules of grammar or logic. Instead, they rely on cultural and linguistic context. Learning idioms is an important aspect of mastering a language and becoming fluent in it.
50+ Object Idioms
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. Hit the sack | Go to sleep |
| 2. Back against the wall | Stuck in a situation with no options |
| 3. Scrape the barrel | Do everything you can in a situation |
| 4. Burn the bridges | Eliminate any possibility of going back to a previous situation |
| 5. Cry over spilt milk | Worry about something that cannot be undone |
| 6. Have an ace up the sleeve | Have a hidden advantage or secret plan to gain an upper hand in a situation |
| 7. Fall hook, line and sinker | Get completely deceived or taken by a person or situation |
| 8. Lose your marbles | Lose one's sanity or mental faculities |
| 9. On thin ice | Be in a risky or precarious situation |
| 10. Bite the bullet | Face a difficult situation with courage |
| 11. Back to the drawing board | Start over and rework your plans or ideas |
| 12. Ring a bell | Sound familiar or trigger a memory |
| 13. Jump the gun | To act prematurely or before appropriate time |
| 14. Cut no ice | Have no effect or influence on a situation or person |
| 15. Call a spade a spade | Speak plainly or truthfully |
| 16. Play the cards right | To make the best decisions |
| 17. Take a back seat | Have a less prominent or active role or to allow others to take the lead |
| 18. Not your cup of tea | Not to your liking or preference |
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| 19. In the same boat | Be in a similar situation or face same challenges or difficulties |
| 20. Miss the bus | Miss an opportunity or chance |
| 21. Die in harness | Be active in duties till the end of life |
| 22. Cook the books | To manipulate financial records or accounts |
| 23. Lock, stock and barrel | Entirety of completeness of something |
| 24. From a frying pan into the fire | To move from a bad or difficult situation to an even worse one |
| 25. Ball in one's court | Have the responsibility to take action or make a decision |
| 26. Bag and baggage | With all one's possessions |
| 27. Below the belt | Use unfair or unethical means to achieve an advantage |
| 28. Rock the boat | To cause trouble by challenging existing conditions |
| 29. To kick the bucket | To die or pass away |
| 30. To keep the ball rolling | To continue or maintain progress or activity in a particular situation |
| 31. Step into dead man's shoes | To take over the responsibilities or role after the death of a person |
| 32. Other side of the coin | Other point of view or other aspects of a situation |
| 33. Blow your own trumpet | Tell about yourself in a praiseworthy way |
| 34. Burn the candle at both ends | Work very hard in a manner which depletes one's energy very quickly |
| 35. The pot calling the kettle black | A situation in which a person with faults is hypocritically criticising the other for his faults |
| 36. Pay someone back in his/her coin | Treat your opponent in the same manner as he or she treats you |
| 37. Handle with kid gloves | Treat someone with extreme tact and care |
| 38. Stick to your guns | Stand firm in the face of opposition |
| 39. Be hand in glove | Work closely with someone in doing something wrong or dishonest |
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| 40. Look for a needle in a haystack | An extremely difficult or near impossible task |
| 41. Hit the bottle | To drink alcohol to excess |
| 42. To get someone off the hook | To help someone get out of trouble |
| 43. Hit the nail on the head | Be perfectly right about something |
| 44. Drive a nail in someone's coffin | Hasten the failure of someone or causes irreversible harm |
| 45. Close the door on someone | Ignore a situation or an act |
| 46. Burn the midnight oil | Put in extra hours of effort or lose sleep to complete a task |
| 47. Egg on your face | Be embarrassed or humiliated due to a mistake or blunder one has made |
| 48. To say it in a nutshell | To say it in brief or sum up the points in short |
| 49. Spill the beans | To reveal the secret accidentally or carelessly |
| 50. At the drop of a hat | Suddenly or in an unplanned manner |
| 51. Whole new ball game | A completely different situation, one that is difficult or that one knows little about |
| 52. Put on the thinking cap | To think seriously about something |
| 53. Spin one's wheels | To engage in fruitless activity |
| 54. Jump on the bandwagon | Join others in an activity that has become very popular |
| 55. An axe to grind | To have a private agenda for doing or being involved in something |
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| 56. Talk through one's hat | To talk without understanding or to talk foolishly or wildly |
| 57. To bury the hatchet | To agree to end the dispute or disagreement |
| 58. A feather in the cap | An achievement to be proud of |
50+ Animal Idioms
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. Every dog has his day | Everyone has a period of success, recognition or good fortune at some point in their life |
| 2. Let sleeping dogs lie | Not stir up old or potentially problematic issues |
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| 3. Tail wagging the dog | A situation in which a minor part controls or influences the larger or more important part. |
| 4. Rain cats and dogs | Rain very heavily |
| 5. Bell the cat | To do something that is very risky or dangerous |
| 6. Cat on a hot tin roof | Be restless or agitated |
| 8. Not enough room to swing a cat | A cramped place |
| 9. Let the cat out of the bag | To reveal a secret carelessly |
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| 10. Eat like a horse | To consume large quantities of food |
| 11. Flog a dead horse | Do something without any chance of success |
| 12. Hold your horses | Have patience, or show restraint in a situation |
| 13. From the horse's mouth | Directly from the source |
| 14. Be a dark horse | Be a person or competitor whose abilities or intentions are unknown |
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| 15. To cry wolf | To raise false alarm or give a false warning |
| 16. Have a bigger fish to fry | Have more important or pressing matters to attend to |
| 17. Feel like a fish out of water | Be uncomfortable or out of place in a particular environment of situation |
| 18. Wild goose chase | A fruitless or futile pursuit of something that is unlikely to be achieved |
| 19. Kill the goose that lays golden eggs | Make a short-sighted decision to destroy a consistent source of income |
| 20. Cash cow | A business, product or investment that consistently generates significant profits or cash flow |
| 22. To smell a rat | To suspect that something is wrong in a situation |
| 23. A cock and bull story | A fanciful or unbelievable tale or explanation that is fabricated or exaggerated |
| 24. As the crow flies | The shortest distance between two points similar to a straight line on a map |
| 25. To eat crow | To admit that one had been wrong or to admit defeat |
| 26. A white elephant | Something that costs a lot to maintain but doesn't serve any useful purpose |
| 27. Elephant in the room | An obvious problem no one wants to discuss |
| 28. Watch like a hawk | Observe very keenly especially to detect any wrong doing |
| 29. Be the black sheep | To behave differently from the rest of the group, often in an unfavourable way |
| 30. Eat like a bird | Eat too little or have a very low appetite |
| 31. Kill two birds with one stone | Accomplish multiple tasks with the same effort that is required to accomplish a single task |
| 32. Cast pearls before a swine | Offer something valuable to someone who does not recognize its value |
| 33. When pigs fly | Happening of impossible things |
| 34. Monkey on one's back | A problem that cannot be easily got rid of or solved |
| 35. Have ducks in a row | To have everything properly organised |
 | |
| 36. Play duck and drakes | To handle recklessly, to treat frivolously |
| 37. Stir a hornets' nest | Invite unnecessary or avoidable pain and trouble |
| 38. Make an ass of oneself | Behave in a foolish manner resulting in self-humiliation |
| 39. Be an eager beaver | Be very enthusiastic or eager to participate in an activity or task |
| 40. Birds of a feather | People with similar characteristics, interests or behaviour |
| 41. Take the bull by the horns | To confront or deal with a challenging situation directly and with courage |
| 42. Have butterflies in the stomach | Feel nervous, anxious or excited before an event |
| 43. Chicken feed | Small or insignificant amount of money |
| 44. Crocodile tears | Insincere or fake expression of sorrow or remorse |
| 45. A dog's life | A difficult or miserable life |
| 46. Be a dog in the manger | Prevent others from enjoying or using something which has no use for oneself either |
| 47. Go to the dogs | Deteriorate or decline or become less profitable or successful |
| 48. Fish in troubled waters | To seek opportunities of benefits from a chaotic or unstable situation |
| 49. Sound or smell fishy | Seem suspicious or questionable |
| 50. A lion's share | The largest portion of something being distributed or allocated |
70+ Body Part Idioms
Arm Idioms Video
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. Up in the arms | Be upset or angry about something |
| 2. Twist someone's arms | To apply pressure or persuasions to get someone to do something which he or she many not wish to do |
| 3. To take up arms | To prepare or engage in a armed conflict |
| 4. At an arm's length | Not get too close personally or emotionally. |
| 5. Cost an arm and a leg | Be very expensive or unaffordable |
| 6. Change hands | Change in ownership |
| 7. Have one's hands full | Be too occupied with existing work to take up additional work |
| 8. Throw up one' hands | To express frustration, exasperation or surrender. |
| 9. Get out of hand | Go out of control |
| 10. A left-handed compliment | To disguise an insult or criticism as a praise |
| 11. To wash one's hands of something | To refuse to take responsibility, stop being involved in something |
| 12. To pull someone's leg | To make fun of someone |
| 13. Shoot oneself in the foot | Cause harm to one's own interests or goals |
| 14. Drag one's feet | Go slow on a task deliberately |
| 15. Get cold feet | To feel scared to do something just before the moment |
| 16. Break a leg | Say good luck especially before a performance |
| 17. Cool your heels | To have patience or calm down and not be in a hurry |
| 18. To take to one's heels | To run away from the situation or place |
| 19. To put one's foot down | To use one's authority to stop something |
| 20. Toe the line | To behave according to the rules, even if you do not agree to them |
| 21. Have an ear to the ground | Stay informed or be aware of the latest developments |
| 22. Play by the ear | To handle a situation without specific plan, improvising as circumstances develop |
| 23. Turn a deaf ear | To ignore or disregard something intentionally |
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| 24. Not see eye to eye | Have differing opinions or disagree on a particular matter |
| 25. To catch one's eye | Grab the attention or stand out in some way |
| 26. Shut one's eyes to/ To turn a blind eye | Ignore a situation or an act |
| 27. Apple of one's eye | Someone very dear or very loved |
| 28. To raise eyebrows | To cause surprise or shock |
| 29. Stab in the back | An act of betrayal or treachery by someone trustworthy |
| 30. Behind one's back | Secretly or without the knowledge of anyone |
| 31. To have no backbone/spine | To lack courage or strength to stand up for one's beliefs |
| 32. To have sticky fingers | To have a tendency to steal or take things that do not belong |
| 33. Keep one's fingers crossed | Express hope for good luck or a positive outcome |
| 34. Point finger at | To blame or accuse someone of an act |
| 35. Under the thumb | Under someone's control or influence |
| 36. Pour out one's heart | To express one's deepest emotions, thoughts or feelings |
| 37. Heart in your mouth | Be extremely nervous or anxious about a situation |
| 38. Wear your heart on your sleeve | To openly and visibly display ones' emotions or feelings. |
| 39. Break someone's heart | Hurt someone or to cause disappointment usually romantically |
| 40. Follow your heart | To do what one believes is right |
| 41. From the bottom of one's heart | Say or do something sincerely or whole-heartedly. |
| 42. Get at the heart of the matter | To address the central or most important part of an issue, problem, or situation |
| 43. Have a change of heart | Change one's opinion about someone or something |
| 44. Have a heart of gold | To be very kind or generous |
| 45. Have a heart of stone | To be very unkind or cruel |
| 46. Have heart-to-heart talk | Have an open and honest discussion with someone |
| 47. Know something or learn something by heart | To know or learn perfectly so as to be able to reproduce word by word |
| 48. Have the heart in the right place | To have the right intentions, be kind and generous |
| 49. Take heart | Have courage and not be disappointed by failure |
| 50. Miss or skip a heart beat | Be completely surprised |
| 51. Half-hearted | Without any interest or enthusiasm |
| 52. Flesh and blood | Referring to someone in the family or human nature |
| 53. To cause bad blood | To create or exacerbate feelings of animosity, hostility or ill will between people |
| 54. In cold blood | In a deliberate, premeditated and emotionless manner |
| 55. Make one's blood boil | Cause someone to get angry |
| 56. By the skin of your teeth | Narrowly escape a difficult or dangerous situation |
| 57. Armed to the teeth | Fully or overly prepared for a situation |
| 58. To fight tooth and nail | To fight very fiercely or to try hard to accomplish something |
| 59. To cut one's own throat | To cause harm to oneself |
| 60. A slap on the wrist | A mild or lenient punishment for a wrongdoing |
| 61. Knee jerk reaction | Impulsive or immediate response to a situation |
| 62. Shoot from the hip | To act hastily and without much forethought |
| 63. Egg on your face | Be embarrassed or humiliated due to a mistake or blunder one has made |
| 64. A thorn in the flesh | A person or thing that constantly irritates or troubles you. |
| 65. Pay through the nose | Pay excessively or pay too much for something |
| 66. To follow one's nose | To follow one's instincts rather than rules or other people's opinions |
| 67. Come to a head | To reach a point of crisis or a point when it can no longer be ignored |
| 68. Let one's hair down | To be relaxed and behave informally |
| 69. Hold your tongue | Show restraint while speaking |
| 70. Say tongue-in-cheek | Say something in a jesting or non-serious manner |
| 71. A pain in the neck | An annoying person |
| 72. Word of mouth | To convey something orally |
| 73. To jump out of skin | To be completely surprised or startled |
| 74. Give a cold shoulder | Be rude, indifferent or unfriendly to someone |
Water, Ocean, Tide Idioms
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. Test the waters | to try something our or investigate to see if it is feasible or acceptable before committing fully |
| 2. Pour cold water on | To discourage or dampen the enthusiasm or excitement about an idea or plan |
| 3. Hold water | Be logical, reasonable or valid |
| 4. Water under the bridge | Past events or issues that are no longer relevant or significant |
| 5. In hot water | In trouble or facing difficulties |
| 6. Come hell or high water | No matter what the obstacles of difficulties are |
| 7. Swim against the tide | To go against the prevailing opinions or trends |
| 8. A sea change | Significant transformation or positive shift |
| 9. Be oceans apart | Be very different from the other |
| 10. Boil the ocean | Do something that is overly ambitious, impractical or impossible to accomplish |
| 11. Turn the tide | To reverse a situation, typically a difficult one into a favourable one |
| 12. Cry me a river | Complain excessively, often used sarcastically |
| 13. Come rain or shine | No matter if one has to face a difficult or an easy path |
| 14. As right as the rain | To be Perfectly fine, healthy or in excellent condition |
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| 15. Be on cloud nine | Be extremely happy or in a state of great joy |
| 16. Head in the clouds | To day dream, or not pay attention or be lost in one's thoughts |
| 17. Under a cloud | Be in a state of suspicion or disfavour |
| 18. Dark clouds on the horizon | Potential problems or challenges that are looming in the future |
| 19. Sell down the river | To betray or deceive someone by taking advantage of their trust |
| 20. A drop in the ocean | A small amount in relation to the total |
God, Devil, Heaven, Hell Idioms
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. Heaven on earth | A place that is perfect, delightful or idyllic |
| 2. Heaven help (someone) | Hope or request for some divine assistance |
| 3. Move heaven and earth | To make an extraordinary effort to achieve a goal |
| 4. A match made in heaven | A perfect or harmonious pairing of people |
| 5. To be in the seventh heaven | To be extremely happy |
| 6. Go through hell | To experience extremely difficult or trying times |
| 7. Come hell or high water | No matter what the obstacles of difficulties are |
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| 8. Devil's advocate | Someone who takes a contrary position for the sake of debate and not necessarily because of his or her belief |
| 9. Speak of the devil | When a person who is being talked about of makes an appearance |
| 10. The devil is in the details | Something may seem simple, but in fact the details are complicated and likely to cause problems |
| 11. Between the devil and deep sea | Be in a difficult situation with two equally undesirable choices |