English Idioms





English Idioms

What are idioms? Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made. (wik)
Idioms are words, phrases, or expressions that cannot be translated literally. For example, the idiom "Get the ball rolling" means "get a process started", but that meaning is not obvious from the individual words. English language has many idioms, and they are challenging for esl students to learn. The best way to understand an idiom is to see it in context. Here is a small dictionary of 100 English idioms and phrases with their meaning.

Click Def link to the left of the idiom to see more idiom examples.



Def     A blessing in disguise something good that isn't recognized at first
Def     A hot potato controversial or sensitive issue
Def     A penny for your thoughts asking someone what they are thinking about
Def     A piece of cake very easy
Def     A slap on the wrist a very mild punishment
Def     A Toss-Up a result that is still unclear and can go either way
Def     Add insult to injury make a bad situation even worse
Def     Against the clock rushed and short on time
Def     All Greek to me meaningless and incomprehensible either due to complexity or imprecision
Def     All in the same boat when everyone is facing the same challenges
Def     All of a sudden something that happens very quickly and unexpectedly
Def     An arm and a leg very expensive; a large amount of money
Def     An ax to grind to have a dispute with someone
Def     At the drop of a hat willing to do something immediately, on the slightest signal or urging
Def     Back to square one having to start all over again
Def     Back to the drawing board when an attempt fails and it's time to start all over
Def     Be sick and tired of to be angry, bored or annoyed with something
Def     Beat a dead horse to force an issue that has already ended
Def     Beat around the bush avoiding the main topic
Def     Bend over backwards do whatever it takes to help
Def     Break the ice to break social formality and to initiate conversation
Def     Buy a lemon to buy a car that constantly gives problems
Def     Call it a night to stop an activity for the rest of the night
Def     Catch 22 a situation in which a desired outcome is impossible no matter what choice is made
Def     Caught between two stools when it is difficult to choose between two alternatives
Def     Come a long way make a lot of progress and improvemen
Def     Costs an arm and a leg to be very expensive
Def     Cut corners to do something in the fastest or cheapest way
Def     Cut it out! stop doing something bad
Def     Cut to the chase leave out unnecessary details and just get to the point
Def     Devil's advocate one who takes a position just for the sake of argument
Def     Down to the wire something that ends at the last minute or last few seconds
Def     Draw a line in the sand establish a limit beyond which things will not accepted
Def     Feeling a bit under the weather feeling slightly ill
Def     For crying out loud! expresses frustration or annoyance with somebody or something
Def     From the horse's mouth to hear something from the authoritative or dependable source
Def     Get over it to move beyond something that is bothering you
Def     Get the ball rolling get a process started
Def     Go the extra mile going above and beyond whatever is required for the task at hand
Def     Good Samaritan one who helps others when they are in need, with no thought of a reward
Def     Gut feeling a personal, intuitive feeling or response, especially when something may not be right
Def     Head over heels very excited and/or joyful, especially when in love
Def     Hear it on the grapevine receive information indirectly, similar to a rumor
Def     High five slapping palms above each others heads as celebration gesture
Def     Hit the books to study; prepare for class
Def     Hit the nail on the head do something or say something exactly right
Def     Hocus pocus in general, a term used in magic or trickery
Def     In ages for a very long time
Def     In hot water in trouble; in difficulties
Def     In the blink of an eye in an extremely short time
Def     It's a small world something you say when seeing the same people, events or situations in different places.
Def     Jaywalk crossing the street without using the crosswalk
Def     Kick the bucket to die
Def     Kill two birds with one stone accomplish two tasks with only one effort
Def     Learn the ropes to learn the basics
Def     Lend a hand to help; to give assistance
Def     Let sleeping dogs lie to avoid restarting a conflict
Def     Let the cat out of the bag to share a secret that wasn't suppose to be shared
Def     Long time, no see! an expression used to greet someone who you have not seen for a long time
Def     Long shot highly unlikely
Def     Look like a million dollars to be very well dressed; to look great
Def     Loose cannon someone whose actions are unpredictable and uncontrollable
Def     Lose your head to become upset, confused or overly emotional about something
Def     Lose your short to lose all of or most of your money
Def     Miss the boat to be too late; lose the opportunity; fail to take action
Def     Money talks money has influence and power
Def     Mumbo jumbo nonsense or meaningless speech or writing
Def     Nest egg savings set aside for future use
Def     Off the hook freed from a blame or obligation; having avoided a difficult situation
Def     On the ball to understand the situation well
Def     Once in a blue moon something that happens very rarely
Def     Once in a while sometimes, not very often
Def     Out of the blue something that suddenly and unexpectedly occurs
Def     Over my dead body when you absolutely will not accept or allow something to happen
Def     Over the top very excessive; outrageously overdone
Def     Poker face a face with no expression
Def     Pull the plug to stop something; to bring something to an end
Def     Pulling your leg tricking someone as a joke
Def     Rule of thumb a useful principle, basic rule that is usually but not always correct
Def     Run out of steam to be completely out of energy
Def     Saved by the bell rescued from a danger at the last possible moment
Def     Scapegoat someone else who takes the blame
Def     See eye to eye be in agreement
Def     Sit on the fence undecided about an issue; not able to make a decision
Def     Sleep on it wait until the next day before making an important decision
Def     Speak of the devil! reference to a person who appears unexpectedly while being talked about
Def     Start from scratch to do it all over again from the beginning
Def     Take it easy good-bye; calm down; relax
Def     Take with a pinch of salt do not completely believe it
Def     The ball is in your court your turn to speak or act next
Def     The best of both worlds get the benefits and advantages of two different things
Def     The last straw the last little burden or problem that causes everything to collapse
Def     The whole nine yards everything, all of it
Def     Time out stop; take a break; calm down
Def     Turn a blind eye to ignore something you know is real and pretend you do not see it
Def     Twenty-four/seven all the time; continuous operation
Def     Up to the minute the most recent
Def     When pigs fly something that will never ever happen
Def     You bet! sure, yes, of course
Def     Zero Tolerance no crime or law breaking to be overlooked
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