Understanding idioms in English can be confusing for learners because their meanings are not always literal. Without clear explanations, idioms can block comprehension. This blog post helps learn common English idioms list with meanings to boost fluency and confidence in conversations.
Table of Contents
Definition of Idiom
An idiom is a group of words or a phrase that means something different from the literal meanings of the individual words. It is a figurative expression commonly used in everyday conversation.
A to Z Idioms List with Meaning
- A short fuse
the personality trait of being quick to anger - Break the ice
to initiate conversation in a social setting - Cut corners
to do something poorly to save time or money - Eat your words
to admit you were wrong - Face the music
to accept the consequences of actions - Feel under the weather
to feel sick - Give the cold shoulder
to ignore someone deliberately - Get out of hand
to become uncontrollable - Hit the sack
to go to bed - Hold your horses
wait or slow down - In hot water
in trouble - In the blink of an eye
very quickly - Jump the gun
to do something too soon - Keep your chin up
stay positive in difficult situations - Kick the bucket
to die - Let the cat out of the bag
to reveal a secret - Miss the boat
to miss an opportunity - Make a long story short
to summarize - No pain, no gain
effort is needed to achieve something - On cloud nine
extremely happy - Once in a blue moon
very rarely - Pull someone’s leg
to joke with someone - Quiet as a mouse
very quiet - Quick on the draw
fast to react or respond - Rain on someone’s parade
to spoil someone’s plans - Read between the lines
understand the hidden meaning - Spill the beans
to disclose secret information - Throw in the towel
to give up - Under the weather
feeling sick - Up in the air
uncertain or undecided - Value for money
something worth its cost - Water under the bridge
past events that are no longer important - X marks the spot
an exact location - X-factor
a special quality that makes someone stand out - You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours
if you help me, I’ll help you - Zero in on
to focus closely on something - Zip your lip
to stay silent or stop talking
Food Idioms List with Meanings
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A piece of cake | Very easy |
| Butter someone up | Flatter someone |
| Spill the beans | Reveal a secret |
| In a pickle | In trouble |
| Bring home the bacon | Earn money |
| Bite off more than you can chew | Take on too much |
| Apple of my eye | Someone cherished |
| Take something with a grain of salt | Be skeptical |
| Couch potato | Lazy person |
| Eat humble pie | Admit you’re wrong |
| Full of beans | Energetic |
| Egg on your face | Be embarrassed |
| Cry over spilled milk | Regret past actions |
| Eat like a horse | Eat a lot |
| Food for thought | Something to think about |
| Hot potato | Controversial issue |
| Not my cup of tea | Not something you like |
| Put all your eggs in one basket | Rely on one thing |
| Sell like hotcakes | Sell quickly |
Animals Idioms List with Meanings
| Idiom | Meaning |
| Hold your horses | Be patient |
| Wild goose chase | Futile search |
| Let the cat out of the bag | Reveal a secret |
| Pig out | Eat a lot |
| The lion’s share | Largest portion |
| Cat got your tongue? | Why are you silent? |
| Watch like a hawk | Observe closely |
| Ants in your pants | Unable to sit still |
| Fish out of water | Feel uncomfortable |
| Kill two birds with one stone | Achieve two things at once |
| Take the bull by the horns | Deal with something directly |
| Be the black sheep | Outcast of a group |
| Eager beaver | Enthusiastic person |
| Copycat | Imitator |
| Chicken out | Back out due to fear |
| Busy as a bee | Very busy |
| Like a bat out of hell | Very fast |
| Monkey business | Mischief or silliness |
| Crocodile tears | Fake emotions |
Business Idioms List with Meanings
| Idiom | Meaning |
| Back to the drawing board | Start again |
| Cut corners | Do something poorly to save time/money |
| In the loop | Well-informed |
| Corner the market | Dominate a market |
| Touch base | Briefly connect or check-in |
| Ahead of the curve | Innovative |
| Big picture | Overall perspective |
| Game plan | Strategy |
| Learn the ropes | Learn how to do a job |
| Hit the ground running | Start quickly and effectively |
| Think outside the box | Be creative |
| Red tape | Bureaucratic delays |
| On the same page | Agree or understand each other |
| Bottom line | Final result or outcome |
| Get the ball rolling | Start an activity |
| Long shot | Unlikely success |
| Raise the bar | Set higher standards |
| Time is money | Time is valuable |
| Get down to business | Start working seriously |
| Call the shots | Make decisions |
70 Most Common Idioms List
- A blessing in disguise
- Beat around the bush
- Better late than never
- Bite the bullet
- Break the ice
- Call it a day
- Cut somebody some slack
- Cutting corners
- Easy does it
- Get out of hand
- Get something out of your system
- Get your act together
- Give someone the benefit of the doubt
- Go back to the drawing board
- Hang in there
- Hit the sack
- It’s not rocket science
- Let someone off the hook
- Make a long story short
- Miss the boat
- No pain, no gain
- On the ball
- Pull yourself together
- So far so good
- Speak of the devil
- That’s the last straw
- The best of both worlds
- Time flies
- Under the weather
- We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it
- Wrap your head around something
- You can say that again
- Your guess is as good as mine
- Bite your tongue
- A dime a dozen
- Cold turkey
- Go the extra mile
- Jump the bandwagon
- On thin ice
- Play it by ear
- Put your foot in your mouth
- Read between the lines
- Steal someone’s thunder
- The early bird catches the worm
- Through thick and thin
- Up in the air
- When pigs fly
- A leopard can’t change its spots
- Actions speak louder than words
- Burn the midnight oil
- Cry wolf
- Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
- Feather in your cap
- Get cold feet
- Hit below the belt
- If the shoe fits, wear it
- Keep your fingers crossed
- Know the ropes
- Let sleeping dogs lie
- Make ends meet
- Off the record
- Put all your eggs in one basket
- Rome wasn’t built in a day
- Sit tight
- Take it with a pinch of salt
- The straw that broke the camel’s back
- Too many cooks spoil the broth
- Water under the bridge
- You can’t please everyone
- Zip your lip
30 Idioms List with Meanings and Examples
| Idiom | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| A blessing in disguise | Something that seems bad but is actually good | Losing that job was a blessing in disguise for Sarah. |
| Beat around the bush | Avoiding the main topic | Don’t beat around the bush, just tell me the truth. |
| Call it a day | To stop working for the day | Let’s call it a day; we’ve done enough work. |
| Easy does it | Slow down or take it easy | Easy does it, Huda. Don’t rush the project. |
| Get out of hand | To become uncontrollable | The situation quickly got out of hand during the meeting. |
| Get something out of your system | To release emotions or thoughts | After the argument, she needed to get it out of her system. |
| Hang in there | To remain persistent | Hang in there, Ali; things will get better soon. |
| It’s not rocket science | Something is not difficult to understand | Don’t worry, it’s not rocket science; you can do it! |
| Make a long story short | To summarize or give a brief version | To make a long story short, we solved the problem. |
| Miss the boat | To miss an opportunity | He missed the boat by not applying for the job in time. |
| No pain, no gain | Effort is required to achieve something | It’s hard work, but no pain, no gain! |
| So far so good | Everything has been going well up to this point | So far so good; let’s keep up the momentum. |
| Speak of the devil | Mentioning someone who then appears | Speak of the devil, here comes Mariam! |
| That’s the last straw | The final problem in a series of problems | That rude comment was the last straw for him. |
| Under the weather | Feeling sick | I’m feeling under the weather today, so I’m staying home. |
FAQs
What are idioms in English?
Idioms are phrases with meanings that are different from the literal definitions of the words used.
How can I remember English idioms?
Practice with context, use flashcards, and apply them in real-life conversations.
Are idioms used in formal writing?
Generally, idioms are used in spoken or informal writing, not in academic or business documents.
What’s the easiest way to learn idioms?
Start with the most common idioms and group them by themes like food or animals.
Conclusion
Learning idioms boosts your English fluency and helps you connect naturally with native speakers. This idioms list gives you categorized meanings and examples to simplify learning. Keep practicing, and soon idioms will feel like second nature!
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