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Idioms in English Language
In the vibrant tapestry of the English language, idioms stand out as some of the most colorful threads. They are the spice that adds flavor to our conversations, making our speech more vivid and expressive. Whether you’re an advanced learner looking to perfect your language skills or a native speaker wanting to enrich your vocabulary, understanding and using idioms can take your English to the next level.
Imagine you’re at a business meeting in New York, and your colleague says, “Let’s not beat around the bush.” This idiom means to stop avoiding the main topic and get straight to the point. Or perhaps your friend John advises you to “break the ice” at a party in San Francisco, encouraging you to start a conversation to ease any initial awkwardness.
Idioms often reflect cultural nuances and can be delightful to discover. For instance, if you’re “feeling under the weather,” it means you’re not feeling well. On the other hand, if someone “hits the nail on the head,” they have perfectly pinpointed the issue at hand.
Real-life examples can make idioms easier to grasp. Imagine you’re watching a movie where a character “bites off more than they can chew” by taking on a project that’s too big for them. Or consider a sports commentator saying the Los Angeles Lakers are “in hot water” after a series of losses, indicating they are in trouble.
Idioms also bring a sense of relatability and humor. Think of the phrase “when pigs fly” to describe something that will never happen, or saying someone has “the Midas touch” to imply everything they handle turns to success.
As we dive into this comprehensive guide on idioms, we’ll explore their meanings, origins, and contexts. We’ll provide idiom examples and usage tips to help you incorporate these fascinating expressions into your everyday language. So, buckle up and get ready to unlock the power of idioms, enhancing both your understanding and enjoyment of English.
Idioms are phrases or expressions that have a figurative meaning different from their literal meaning. They are used to convey ideas in a more colorful and imaginative way, often drawing from cultural or historical contexts. Understanding idioms is crucial for mastering any language, as they add richness and depth to communication. Let’s look at some Idiom Examples.
Bite the Bullet
Burn the Midnight Oil
Break the Ice
Hit the Nail on the Head
A Blessing in Disguise
Spill the Beans
A Piece of Cake
Let the Cat Out of the Bag
Under the Weather
Take with a Grain of Salt
Idioms play a crucial role in mastering the English language. They are not just expressions but also reflections of cultural and social nuances. For learners, understanding idioms can significantly enhance their comprehension and communication skills, making conversations more engaging and authentic.
In India, a country rich in linguistic diversity, the use of idioms can bridge the gap between different regional languages and English. Consider the idiom “a blessing in disguise.” Imagine a scenario where Rajesh, from Mumbai, loses his job but soon finds a better opportunity. His friend Priya might say, “Losing your job turned out to be a blessing in disguise.”
Idioms also add color and depth to storytelling. Picture a cricket match in Bangalore where Virat Kohli’s team is on the verge of losing. The commentator might say, “The team is really up against the wall,” indicating they are in a very difficult situation. When the team makes a surprising comeback, fans would say they “turned the tables” on their opponents.
In everyday conversations, idioms can make the dialogue more relatable. For instance, if Ritu from Delhi is working tirelessly on a project, she might say, “I’m burning the midnight oil” to describe her late-night efforts. Similarly, if Arjun from Chennai manages to solve a difficult problem, his colleague might exclaim, “You really hit the nail on the head with that solution!”
Using idioms effectively can also reflect a higher level of language proficiency. It shows an understanding of subtle meanings and the ability to convey complex ideas succinctly. For instance, in a business context, saying, “We need to get our act together” conveys urgency and the need for organization more vividly than a straightforward statement.
Moreover, idioms can enhance written communication, making essays, articles, and reports more engaging. A journalist in Kolkata writing about a political scandal might use the idiom “the tip of the iceberg” to suggest that the visible problem is just a small part of a much larger issue.
By incorporating idioms into your language repertoire, you not only improve your communication skills but also gain insights into cultural contexts and historical backgrounds. As we continue this guide, we will delve deeper into various idioms, their origins, and how you can use them effectively. So, let’s embark on this fascinating journey to master the art of idioms with plenty of real-life idiom examples.
Understanding idiomatic usage is essential for anyone looking to master the English language. Idioms can be tricky because their meanings often cannot be deduced from the individual words. Instead, idioms must be understood as whole expressions, each with its unique meaning and context. This section will help you grasp how to use idioms correctly and effectively.
The key to understanding idioms is recognizing their figurative meaning rather than their literal interpretation. For instance, the idiom “spill the beans” doesn’t mean to literally spill beans. Instead, it means to reveal a secret. Let’s say Anita from Pune accidentally tells her friends about a surprise party planned for her sister. Her friend might say, “Oh no, you’ve spilled the beans!”
Idioms are deeply rooted in context. They often make sense only when used in specific situations. For example, the idiom “barking up the wrong tree” means to pursue a mistaken or misguided course of action. Imagine a scenario where Vikram is blaming his colleague Rina for a project delay in Hyderabad, but the real issue was a technical glitch. Rina might tell Vikram, “You’re barking up the wrong tree; the delay was due to a system error.”
Idioms can also reflect cultural contexts and historical backgrounds, making them unique to different regions. While some idioms are universally understood, others might be specific to certain cultures. For instance, in India, the idiom “chai pe charcha” (discussion over tea) is widely understood to mean informal yet meaningful discussions. Using culturally relevant idioms can make your language more relatable and authentic to the audience.
To truly understand and use idioms effectively, immerse yourself in the language. Read books, watch movies, and engage in conversations where idioms are frequently used. Pay attention to how native speakers use idioms and try to incorporate them into your speech and writing. For example, if you’re watching a Bollywood movie and a character says, “ek teer se do nishane” (killing two birds with one stone), note the context and try to use it in a similar situation.
Idioms are also prevalent in professional and academic settings. Using them correctly can demonstrate your proficiency and enhance your communication skills. For instance, in a business meeting in Bangalore, your manager might say, “We need to cut corners to meet the deadline,” implying that the team should look for ways to save time and resources, even if it means compromising on some aspects.
Using idioms can significantly enhance your language skills, but it’s important to use them correctly. Misusing idioms can lead to confusion or miscommunication. Here are some common errors and mistakes learners make when using idioms, along with examples to help you avoid them.
Idioms must be used in the right context. Using an idiom in an inappropriate situation can confuse your audience.
Incorrect: “I was feeling under the weather, so I decided to break the ice.” Correct: “I was feeling under the weather, so I decided to stay home and rest.”
Idioms should not be taken literally. Understanding the figurative meaning is crucial.
Incorrect: “He hit the sack with a hammer.” Correct: “He hit the sack early because he was very tired.”
Combining parts of different idioms can result in nonsensical phrases.
Incorrect: “It’s raining cats and dogs in the same boat.” Correct: “It’s raining cats and dogs, so we decided to stay inside.”
Mispronouncing or misspelling idioms can make them incomprehensible.
Incorrect: “We should cross that fridge when we come to it.” Correct: “We should cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Some idioms are specific to people or situations. Using them with incompatible subjects can lead to confusion.
Incorrect: “The project deadline was around the corner, so the team decided to kill two birds with one stone.” Correct: “The project deadline was around the corner, so the team decided to prioritize the most critical tasks.”
Using too many idioms in a single conversation or piece of writing can overwhelm the listener or reader.
Incorrect: “We need to hit the nail on the head, then break the ice, and finally hit the sack.” Correct: “We need to hit the nail on the head with our strategy.”
Some idioms can be informal and may not be suitable for formal writing or speaking.
Incorrect: “The quarterly report is out, and it’s the tip of the iceberg!” Correct: “The quarterly report highlights only the surface issues; more detailed analysis is required.”
Choosing an idiom that doesn’t fit the intended meaning can confuse the listener.
Incorrect: “She spilled the beans to get a leg up in the competition.” Correct: “She spilled the beans about the surprise party accidentally.”
Some idioms may not be universally understood and can cause confusion if used with an audience unfamiliar with them.
Incorrect: “You need to cut to the chase and make a decision.” Correct: “You need to get to the point and make a decision.”
Using the wrong tense with an idiom can make the sentence grammatically incorrect.
Incorrect: “He will burning the midnight oil tonight.” Correct: “He will be burning the midnight oil tonight.”
Animal-related idioms are some of the most vivid and expressive in the English language. They often paint a clear picture, making the meaning easier to grasp. Here are ten popular animal-related idioms along with their meanings and examples:
The lion’s share
A wild goose chase
Let the cat out of the bag
Curiosity killed the cat
Dog days
Horse of a different color
Fish out of water
Eager beaver
Elephant in the room
Monkey business
Food-related idioms are common in English and can make your language more colorful and expressive. Here are ten popular food-related idioms along with their meanings and examples:
Piece of cake
Spill the beans
Take it with a grain of salt
Bread and butter
In a nutshell
Not my cup of tea
The icing on the cake
Cool as a cucumber
Eat humble pie
Butter someone up
Color-related idioms bring vivid imagery and expressiveness to the English language. Here are ten popular color-related idioms along with their meanings and examples:
Caught red-handed
Once in a blue moon
Green with envy
Tickled pink
Black sheep
Golden opportunity
White lie
In the red
Out of the blue
Roll out the red carpet
Here are ten idioms related to places along with their meanings and examples:
When in Rome, do as the Romans do
All roads lead to Rome
New York minute
To meet your Waterloo
Rome wasn’t built in a day
Take French leave
It’s all Greek to me
Cross the Rubicon
Go Dutch
Weather and nature-related idioms are often used to describe various situations, emotions, and behaviors in a colorful and imaginative way. Here are ten idioms related to weather and nature along with their meanings and examples:
Under the weather
Weather the storm
A ray of sunshine
Take a rain check
Steal someone’s thunder
Throw caution to the wind
Chase rainbows
Every cloud has a silver lining
Make hay while the sun shines
In the eye of the storm
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A blessing in disguise | A good thing that seemed bad at first. | Losing that job was a blessing in disguise; it pushed me to pursue my passion. | Missing the flight turned out to be a blessing in disguise because the plane had technical issues. |
| A dime a dozen | Something very common and not valuable. | Such gadgets are a dime a dozen in the market these days. | Handcrafted items are rare, unlike those that are a dime a dozen. |
| A drop in the ocean | A very small part of something much bigger. | Donating a small amount may seem like a drop in the ocean, but every bit helps. | Her efforts seemed like a drop in the ocean, but they were important. |
| A leopard can’t change its spots | People can’t change their innate traits. | No matter what he says, a leopard can’t change its spots. | No matter how hard he tries, a leopard can’t change its spots. |
| A penny for your thoughts | A way of asking what someone is thinking. | You look deep in thought. A penny for your thoughts? | You seem quiet today. A penny for your thoughts? |
| A picture is worth a thousand words | A picture can convey more information than words. | The photograph of the Taj Mahal is truly mesmerizing; a picture is worth a thousand words. | That painting speaks volumes about the artist; a picture is worth a thousand words. |
| A piece of cake | Something very easy to do. | The exam was a piece of cake for her. | Cooking this dish is a piece of cake for experienced chefs. |
| A stitch in time saves nine | Acting now can prevent more trouble later. | Fixing the leak now is crucial; a stitch in time saves nine. | A quick repair now can prevent major issues later; a stitch in time saves nine. |
| A taste of your own medicine | To get treated the way you have been treating others. | His rude behavior earned him a taste of his own medicine. | He got a taste of his own medicine when his friend ignored him. |
| A watched pot never boils | When you wait for something to happen, it seems to take longer. | She kept staring at the clock, but a watched pot never boils. | She realized that a watched pot never boils when waiting for her test results. |
| Actions speak louder than words | Actions are more significant than words. | Don’t just promise, show it; actions speak louder than words. | Talking won’t help; show your commitment because actions speak louder than words. |
| Add insult to injury | To make a bad situation worse. | Complaining about the traffic added insult to injury as we were already late. | He forgot his umbrella, and to add insult to injury, it started raining heavily. |
| All bark and no bite | Being all talk and no action. | He’s all bark and no bite, so don’t worry about his threats. | Don’t be intimidated by him; he’s all bark and no bite. |
| All ears | To be fully listening. | I’m all ears; tell me everything that happened. | Tell me your side of the story; I’m all ears. |
| All in the same boat | All facing the same challenges. | With this pandemic, we’re all in the same boat, struggling to adapt. | In this situation, we’re all in the same boat, facing uncertainty. |
| An arm and a leg | Very expensive. | That vintage car cost an arm and a leg. | That designer dress costs an arm and a leg. |
| An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure | Prevention is better than cure. | Regular health check-ups are vital; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. | Vaccination is crucial; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. |
| Apple of one’s eye | A person who is loved dearly. | Her son is the apple of her eye. | Her granddaughter is the apple of her eye. |
| At the drop of a hat | Immediately. | If you need me, just call me; I’ll be there at the drop of a hat. | She agreed to help at the drop of a hat. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back against the wall | In a difficult or desperate situation. | With the loan repayment due tomorrow, Raj had his back against the wall. | The company’s finances were so bad that they had their backs against the wall. |
| Barking up the wrong tree | Looking in the wrong place or accusing the wrong person. | If you think I’m the one who took your book, you’re barking up the wrong tree. | Riya was barking up the wrong tree when she blamed Aman for the missing files. |
| Beat around the bush | Avoiding the main topic. | Stop beating around the bush and tell me what really happened in Delhi. | When asked about his plans, he started beating around the bush. |
| Better late than never | It’s better to do something late than not at all. | Even though she arrived late, I told her better late than never. | Anil finally submitted his assignment; better late than never. |
| Bite the bullet | To face a difficult situation bravely. | Knowing he had to move to Bengaluru, Arun decided to bite the bullet and start packing. | After the diagnosis, Neha had to bite the bullet and start her treatment immediately. |
| Break the ice | To initiate conversation in a social setting. | To break the ice, Ramesh started talking about the latest cricket match. | She told a joke to break the ice at the meeting in Mumbai. |
| Bring home the bacon | To earn a living for the family. | Ravi works hard to bring home the bacon for his family in Chennai. | Sheena’s new job at Infosys helps bring home the bacon. |
| Burn bridges | To destroy relationships. | Be careful not to burn bridges with your colleagues when you leave. | Nikhil burned bridges with his business partners and now regrets it. |
| Burn the midnight oil | To work late into the night. | To meet the deadline, Priya had to burn the midnight oil. | Ravi burned the midnight oil to study for his exams. |
| By the skin of one’s teeth | Just barely. | He caught the last train to Kolkata by the skin of his teeth. | Shreya passed the test by the skin of her teeth. |
| Bite off more than you can chew | To take on more than one can handle. | I think Rohan bit off more than he can chew by accepting two jobs. | Trying to handle both the project and the presentation, Ananya bit off more than she could chew. |
| Ball is in your court | It’s your decision or responsibility to act next. | I’ve done all I can; now the ball is in your court, Anil. | I’ve given my opinion, now the ball is in your court, Ritu. |
| Best of both worlds | An ideal situation where one can enjoy two different opportunities. | By working from home, Rahul gets the best of both worlds: earning money and spending time with family. | Living in Pune, they have the best of both worlds: a big city and nearby hill stations. |
| Between a rock and a hard place | In a very difficult situation. | Seema was between a rock and a hard place when deciding between her job and family. | Arjun found himself between a rock and a hard place with both options being unfavorable. |
| Blow off steam | To release stress or anger. | After a long week, Varun went to the gym to blow off some steam. | Neha likes to blow off steam by going for a run in Lodhi Garden. |
| Break a leg | Good luck (often used to wish someone success). | Break a leg, Anisha! You’ll do great in your performance. | Before the exam, I told Raj to break a leg. |
| Bury the hatchet | To make peace. | After years of rivalry, the two companies decided to bury the hatchet. | It’s time to bury the hatchet and move on, said Priya to her old friend. |
| Bend over backwards | To do everything possible to help. | The staff bent over backwards to make the wedding in Jaipur perfect. | Rahul bent over backwards to help his sister with her project. |
| Back to the drawing board | To start over. | The prototype failed, so it’s back to the drawing board for the team. | After the failed attempt, the engineers were back to the drawing board. |
| Bite the dust | To fail or be defeated. | Many startups bite the dust within the first year. | The new restaurant bit the dust because of poor management. |
| Birds of a feather | People who are similar tend to spend time together. | Priya and Pooja are birds of a feather, always seen together. | You and I are birds of a feather, both loving the same books and movies. |
| Break the bank | To use up all one’s money. | Their shopping spree nearly broke the bank. | Renovating the house might break the bank, so they decided to wait. |
| Bark is worse than bite | Someone’s words are harsher than their actions. | Don’t worry about Mr. Sharma’s scolding; his bark is worse than his bite. | Though she complains a lot, her bark is worse than her bite. |
| Burn your fingers | To suffer as a result of one’s actions. | He burned his fingers investing in that dubious scheme. | Riya burned her fingers when she tried to interfere in their argument. |
| By hook or by crook | By any means necessary. | Raj promised to get the job done by hook or by crook. | She vowed to finish the marathon by hook or by crook. |
| Bark up the wrong tree | Pursue a mistaken or misguided course. | The police were barking up the wrong tree by investigating him. | You’re barking up the wrong tree if you think I’ll lend you money. |
| Beat a dead horse | Waste time doing something that has already been attempted. | Arguing about the same topic again is just beating a dead horse. | Rohan felt like he was beating a dead horse trying to convince them. |
| Beggars can’t be choosers | One must accept what is given when in need. | When offered the only room available, I took it; beggars can’t be choosers. | He accepted the second-hand bike gratefully, knowing that beggars can’t be choosers. |
| Big fish in a small pond | Someone important in a small community. | In his village, he’s a big fish in a small pond, but no one knows him in the city. | She felt like a big fish in a small pond in her school, but things changed at university. |
| Bite one’s tongue | To stop oneself from speaking. | I had to bite my tongue to avoid arguing with my boss during the meeting. | She bit her tongue instead of responding to his rude comments. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Call a spade a spade | To speak plainly and truthfully. | When asked about the problem, Rohan didn’t hesitate to call a spade a spade. | Priya is known for calling a spade a spade, no matter the situation. |
| Can’t judge a book by its cover | Can’t judge something primarily on appearance. | That small restaurant looks simple, but you can’t judge a book by its cover; the food is amazing. | You can’t judge a book by its cover; the old man turned out to be a millionaire. |
| Catch someone red-handed | To catch someone in the act of doing something wrong. | The police caught the thief red-handed in the market. | Sneha was caught red-handed cheating in the exam. |
| Chalk and cheese | Completely different from each other. | Although they are twins, Raj and Ravi are like chalk and cheese. | Mumbai and Pune are as different as chalk and cheese. |
| Change of heart | To change one’s opinion or feelings. | Initially against the plan, Ananya had a change of heart after seeing the benefits. | He had a change of heart and decided to attend the family function. |
| Chew the fat | To chat in a relaxed way. | We sat in the park and chewed the fat for hours. | Ramesh and I chewed the fat over a cup of tea. |
| Chicken out | To decide not to do something because of fear. | He planned to ride the rollercoaster but chickened out at the last minute. | Pooja chickened out of giving her presentation. |
| Chip off the old block | Someone who resembles their parent in character or appearance. | Raj is a chip off the old block, just like his father. | She’s a chip off the old block, talented and hardworking like her mother. |
| Clam up | To become silent suddenly. | When asked about the incident, he just clammed up. | The witness clammed up when questioned by the police. |
| Close but no cigar | Almost successful, but not quite. | He nearly won the chess match, but it was close but no cigar. | Her answer was close but no cigar; she missed the last point. |
| Come clean | To confess or admit something. | It’s time you come clean about what happened to your boss. | She finally came clean about breaking the vase. |
| Come rain or shine | No matter what happens. | Come rain or shine, Riya goes for a morning walk. | We’ll have the picnic come rain or shine. |
| Cook the books | To falsify financial records. | The company was caught cooking the books to evade taxes. | He was fired for cooking the books. |
| Cost an arm and a leg | Very expensive. | That designer dress cost an arm and a leg. | Their trip to Europe cost an arm and a leg. |
| Couch potato | A person who spends a lot of time doing nothing. | After his exams, Rahul turned into a couch potato, watching TV all day. | Don’t be a couch potato; go out and get some exercise. |
| Cross that bridge when you come to it | Deal with a problem when it arises. | We don’t need to worry about that issue now; we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. | Anjali said she’ll cross that bridge when she comes to it regarding her career decisions. |
| Cry over spilled milk | To be upset about something that cannot be changed. | There’s no use crying over spilled milk; we need to move forward. | Stop crying over spilled milk and focus on solving the problem. |
| Cry wolf | To raise a false alarm. | If you keep crying wolf, no one will believe you when there’s a real emergency. | She cried wolf too many times, and now no one trusts her warnings. |
| Cut corners | To do something in the easiest or cheapest way. | The contractor cut corners on materials, leading to poor construction quality. | To save time, the chef cut corners, which affected the taste of the dish. |
| Cut the mustard | To meet expectations or standards. | He didn’t cut the mustard in the interview, so he didn’t get the job. | The new employee cut the mustard and impressed everyone. |
| Cold feet | To feel nervous or afraid to do something. | She got cold feet before her wedding. | Anuj had cold feet about moving to a new city for the job. |
| Call it a day | To stop working for the day. | After finishing the report, let’s call it a day. | We have done enough work today, it’s time to call it a day. |
| Call the shots | To be in charge or make decisions. | In this project, it’s the manager who calls the shots. | Riya called the shots during the event planning. |
| Cast iron stomach | Ability to eat anything without getting sick. | He must have a cast iron stomach to eat all that spicy food. | After eating all those street foods, she definitely has a cast iron stomach. |
| Catch-22 | A no-win situation. | It’s a catch-22; you need experience to get a job, but need a job to get experience. | The situation felt like a catch-22, with no good options available. |
| Cut to the chase | Get to the point without wasting time. | Let’s cut to the chase and discuss the main issue. | The meeting dragged on until someone suggested they cut to the chase. |
| Curiosity killed the cat | Being inquisitive can lead to trouble. | She got into trouble, and her mom reminded her that curiosity killed the cat. | Be careful with your questions; curiosity killed the cat. |
| Cool as a cucumber | Very calm and composed. | Even during the interview, she was cool as a cucumber. | Despite the chaos, Raj remained cool as a cucumber. |
| Crack the whip | To use authority to make someone work harder. | The new manager is known to crack the whip to get results. | When the project fell behind schedule, the team leader had to crack the whip. |
| Cut from the same cloth | Very similar in characteristics. | Rohan and his brother are cut from the same cloth; both are excellent in sports. | The two friends are cut from the same cloth, always helping others. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark horse | A person who keeps their skills and talents hidden. | Anjali turned out to be the dark horse in the competition, surprising everyone with her talent. | No one expected Ramesh to win; he was the dark horse of the tournament. |
| Dead ringer | An exact look-alike. | Rahul is a dead ringer for his uncle at that age. | That actor is a dead ringer for Amitabh Bachchan in his younger days. |
| Devil’s advocate | Someone who argues against something for the sake of argument. | To make sure we consider all angles, I’ll play devil’s advocate. | She played devil’s advocate to test the strength of our arguments. |
| Dog days | The hottest days of summer. | During the dog days of summer, we all head to the mountains to cool off. | The dog days in Delhi are almost unbearable without an air conditioner. |
| Don’t count your chickens before they hatch | Don’t assume something will happen until it does. | Don’t count your chickens before they hatch; we haven’t won the contract yet. | Riya started planning her vacation before getting approval for leave, counting her chickens before they hatched. |
| Drop a dime | To inform on someone. | Someone dropped a dime on the corrupt official, and now he’s under investigation. | The police found the hideout because someone dropped a dime on the gang. |
| Drop the ball | To make a mistake. | The team dropped the ball by not preparing for the presentation. | He dropped the ball on this project by missing the deadline. |
| Dressed to the nines | Dressed very elegantly. | At the wedding, everyone was dressed to the nines. | She was dressed to the nines for the annual gala. |
| Dead in the water | Something that has failed and is unlikely to be revived. | The project is dead in the water after losing funding. | Without community support, the initiative is dead in the water. |
| Don’t give up the day job | You’re not very good at this. | Your singing is okay, but don’t give up your day job. | He tried stand-up comedy, but he shouldn’t give up his day job. |
| Down to the wire | At the last moment. | The game was down to the wire, with both teams giving their best. | The negotiations went down to the wire before an agreement was reached. |
| Dutch courage | False bravery from alcohol. | He needed a bit of Dutch courage before giving his speech. | With some Dutch courage, he finally asked her out. |
| Dyed in the wool | Unchanging in beliefs or habits. | He’s a dyed in the wool supporter of the political party. | Her opinions are dyed in the wool and won’t be changed easily. |
| Dead as a doornail | Completely dead. | The phone battery was dead as a doornail. | After the storm, the old tree was dead as a doornail. |
| Do or die | A situation where you must succeed. | It’s a do or die situation for the team in this final match. | For the startup, securing this funding is do or die. |
| Draw a blank | Unable to remember something. | I tried to recall her name, but I drew a blank. | When asked about the details, he drew a blank. |
| Dead meat | In serious trouble. | If he finds out what you did, you’re dead meat. | After missing the deadline, she knew she’d be dead meat with her boss. |
| Diamond in the rough | Someone with potential but lacking refinement. | With some training, he’s a diamond in the rough. | The new recruit is a diamond in the rough, full of potential. |
| Dog-eat-dog | Ruthlessly competitive. | The corporate world can be dog-eat-dog, so be prepared. | It’s a dog-eat-dog market, with each company trying to outdo the other. |
| Down and out | Without any money or prospects. | After losing his job, he was completely down and out. | The recession left many families down and out. |
| Down in the dumps | Feeling very sad. | After failing the exam, she was down in the dumps. | He’s been down in the dumps since he broke up with his girlfriend. |
| Don’t put all your eggs in one basket | Don’t risk everything on a single venture. | She invested in different funds because she didn’t want to put all her eggs in one basket. | It’s wise to diversify your investments and not put all your eggs in one basket. |
| Drive someone up the wall | To irritate someone greatly. | His constant humming drives me up the wall. | The noisy neighbors are driving her up the wall. |
| Dig in your heels | To refuse to change your position. | Despite the criticism, he dug in his heels and continued with his plan. | She dug in her heels and wouldn’t agree to the compromise. |
| Drop like flies | To fall down ill or die in large numbers. | During the flu season, students were dropping like flies. | Soldiers were dropping like flies in the harsh conditions. |
| Down the rabbit hole | To enter into a strange or complex situation. | She went down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories online. | The research took him down the rabbit hole of historical documents. |
| Dead to the world | Deeply asleep. | After the trek, he was dead to the world. | She was dead to the world after studying all night for her exams. |
| Die-hard | Stubbornly resisting change. | He’s a die-hard fan of Sachin Tendulkar, never missing a match. | The die-hard supporters refused to accept the team’s defeat. |
| Dog and pony show | An elaborate event to impress people. | The company’s annual meeting turned into a dog and pony show. | The product launch was more of a dog and pony show than a practical demonstration. |
| Dime a dozen | Very common and not valuable. | Fast food restaurants are a dime a dozen in the city. | Online job postings for entry-level positions are a dime a dozen. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every cloud has a silver lining | There’s something good in every bad situation. | Even after failing the exam, Priya found that every cloud has a silver lining as she discovered her passion for writing. | After losing his job, Raj realized that every cloud has a silver lining when he started his own business. |
| Eat your words | To admit that what you said was wrong. | When the project succeeded, Anil had to eat his words about it being a failure. | After the match, everyone who doubted him had to eat their words. |
| Elephant in the room | An obvious problem that people avoid discussing. | During the meeting, the company’s financial crisis was the elephant in the room. | Ritu tried to address the elephant in the room by talking about the budget cuts. |
| Elbow grease | Hard physical effort. | It took a lot of elbow grease to clean the old house in Chennai. | Ramesh put some elbow grease into polishing the wooden furniture. |
| Every dog has its day | Everyone will have their moment of success or luck. | Don’t worry, Seema, every dog has its day; your time will come. | Rajesh finally got promoted after years of hard work; every dog has its day. |
| Eat like a horse | To eat a lot. | After his workout, Amit eats like a horse. | During the festival, everyone ate like a horse. |
| Eyes in the back of your head | To be very aware of everything happening around you. | Teachers seem to have eyes in the back of their heads. | With three kids, Kavita has to have eyes in the back of her head. |
| Easier said than done | More difficult than it sounds. | Starting a business is easier said than done, as Manoj discovered. | Losing weight is easier said than done, as many people realize. |
| Eager beaver | Someone who is very enthusiastic. | Neha is an eager beaver, always volunteering for extra tasks. | As an eager beaver, Rahul finished his assignments ahead of time. |
| Eat humble pie | To admit your mistake and apologize. | After the argument, Rina had to eat humble pie and apologize. | When the truth came out, Mohan had to eat humble pie. |
| Egg on your face | To be embarrassed by a mistake. | When the prediction failed, the analyst was left with egg on his face. | Ritu had egg on her face after the error was discovered in her report. |
| Every nook and cranny | Everywhere, including the smallest places. | They searched every nook and cranny of the house in Mumbai for the lost keys. | Kavita cleaned every nook and cranny of the kitchen before the festival. |
| Eleventh hour | The last possible moment. | He submitted his assignment at the eleventh hour. | The deal was signed at the eleventh hour, just before the deadline. |
| Eat someone out of house and home | To eat a lot of someone’s food. | During the holidays, my cousins eat me out of house and home. | When Amit’s friends visit, they eat him out of house and home. |
| Even the playing field | To make the conditions fair for everyone. | The new policy aims to even the playing field for all employees. | Scholarships help to even the playing field for students from different backgrounds. |
| End of the line | The point at which something can no longer continue. | After the third warning, it was the end of the line for his job at Infosys. | With no more funding, the project reached the end of the line. |
| Early bird | Someone who gets up early or arrives early. | Meera is an early bird, always the first to arrive at the office. | As an early bird, Ramesh never misses his morning yoga class. |
| Earn a living | To make money to support yourself. | Ravi works hard to earn a living for his family. | Sheena earns a living by teaching music in Bangalore. |
| Every Tom, Dick, and Harry | Any ordinary person. | The event was so popular that every Tom, Dick, and Harry showed up. | It’s not a secret anymore; every Tom, Dick, and Harry knows about it. |
| Eyes bigger than your stomach | Taking more food than you can eat. | At the buffet, Rohan’s eyes were bigger than his stomach. | Don’t let your eyes be bigger than your stomach; take only what you can eat. |
| Explore all avenues | To investigate all possibilities. | The team explored all avenues before making a decision. | Before concluding, we should explore all avenues. |
| Eye for an eye | Justice where the punishment matches the crime. | Some people believe in an eye for an eye, while others believe in forgiveness. | The new law seemed like an eye for an eye, very strict and unforgiving. |
| Eat out | To dine at a restaurant. | They decided to eat out at a new restaurant in Connaught Place. | After a busy week, they prefer to eat out on weekends. |
| Eyes wide open | To be fully aware of the potential risks. | Entering this business, you need to have your eyes wide open. | She went into the project with her eyes wide open, aware of all the challenges. |
| Easier on the eye | Pleasant to look at. | The new office design is easier on the eye. | She chose the dress because it was easier on the eye. |
| End of the rope | To be out of patience or options. | After dealing with the same issue repeatedly, he was at the end of his rope. | I’m at the end of my rope with these constant delays. |
| Every man for himself | Everyone looks out for their own interests. | When the storm hit, it was every man for himself. | During the sale, it was every man for himself in the crowded store. |
| Egg on | To encourage someone to do something risky. | His friends egged him on to try the daring stunt. | Despite his hesitation, they egged him on to speak up. |
| Everything but the kitchen sink | Almost everything has been included. | When she packs for a trip, she takes everything but the kitchen sink. | He brought everything but the kitchen sink to the picnic. |
| End of the tunnel | The end of a difficult situation. | With the project nearing completion, they could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. | After months of struggle, she could see the light at the end of the tunnel. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face the music | To accept the consequences of your actions. | After breaking the vase, Amit had to face the music from his mother. | Riya skipped classes all semester and now has to face the music. |
| Fair and square | Honest and straightforward. | Ananya won the competition fair and square. | The deal was settled fair and square. |
| Feather in your cap | An achievement to be proud of. | Completing the marathon was a feather in Raj’s cap. | Winning the award was a feather in Priya’s cap. |
| Feel under the weather | To feel sick. | Ravi didn’t come to work because he felt under the weather. | Meera has been feeling under the weather since yesterday. |
| Fight tooth and nail | To fight very fiercely. | They fought tooth and nail to get the contract. | Sneha fought tooth and nail to protect her rights. |
| Find your feet | To become comfortable in what you are doing. | It took a few months for Arjun to find his feet at the new job. | Moving to Mumbai was challenging, but Neha eventually found her feet. |
| Fish out of water | Someone who is uncomfortable in a particular situation. | He felt like a fish out of water at the formal dinner. | Riya, who loves city life, felt like a fish out of water in the village. |
| Fit as a fiddle | In very good health. | Despite his age, my grandfather is as fit as a fiddle. | After months of training, Raj is fit as a fiddle. |
| Flash in the pan | Something that shows potential but fails to deliver. | His brilliant startup idea turned out to be just a flash in the pan. | The movie’s initial success was just a flash in the pan. |
| Flea market | A market where second-hand goods are sold. | We found some great antiques at the flea market in Delhi. | Kavita loves visiting the flea market for unique items. |
| Flesh and blood | Someone’s family member. | Helping him was the least I could do; he’s my own flesh and blood. | She couldn’t turn her back on him; he was her own flesh and blood. |
| Fly off the handle | To lose one’s temper suddenly. | When Ramesh heard the news, he flew off the handle. | Sneha flew off the handle when she discovered the mistake. |
| Follow in someone’s footsteps | To do the same thing as someone else did before you. | Priya followed in her mother’s footsteps and became a doctor. | Raj wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the army. |
| Foot in the door | To take a first step that will lead to more opportunities. | Getting an internship at Infosys was her foot in the door of the IT industry. | This small project could be his foot in the door to bigger opportunities. |
| For a song | Very cheaply. | Riya bought the vintage dress for a song. | We got the tickets for a song during the sale. |
| From the horse’s mouth | From a reliable source. | I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth that the company is planning layoffs. | The information about the policy change came from the horse’s mouth. |
| Full of beans | Very energetic. | After the vacation, Rohan was full of beans and ready to work. | Kids are always full of beans, running around and playing. |
| Fly in the ointment | A minor problem that ruins something good. | The only fly in the ointment of our trip to Shimla was the bad weather. | Everything was perfect at the party except the food, which was a fly in the ointment. |
| Fool’s gold | Something that appears valuable but is not. | His promises of a quick profit were just fool’s gold. | The investment seemed promising but turned out to be fool’s gold. |
| Foot the bill | To pay for something. | The company will foot the bill for the team dinner. | He had to foot the bill for the damages to the car. |
| Food for thought | Something worth thinking seriously about. | His suggestion gave us some food for thought about the project’s direction. | The documentary provided a lot of food for thought about climate change. |
| Frog in your throat | Difficulty speaking because your throat feels dry. | He had a frog in his throat during the presentation. | She apologized for her voice; she had a frog in her throat. |
| Face value | The apparent worth of something. | He took her statement at face value without questioning it. | The offer seemed great at face value, but there were hidden costs. |
| Fall on deaf ears | To be ignored or not listened to. | His warnings about the risks fell on deaf ears. | The plea for more resources fell on deaf ears. |
| Feather your nest | To enrich oneself at the expense of others. | The corrupt official was accused of feathering his nest with public funds. | She used her position to feather her own nest. |
| Few and far between | Very rare. | Good job opportunities in this town are few and far between. | Honest politicians are few and far between. |
| Fiddle while Rome burns | To do something trivial during a crisis. | The manager fiddled while Rome burned, ignoring the critical issues in the project. | People accused the government of fiddling while Rome burned during the crisis. |
| Fit the bill | To be suitable for a particular purpose. | His qualifications fit the bill for the job requirements. | This new policy doesn’t quite fit the bill for solving the problem. |
| Fly by night | Unreliable or untrustworthy. | Beware of fly-by-night operators when buying property. | The company turned out to be a fly-by-night operation and disappeared overnight. |
| Free rein | Freedom to do what one wants. | The manager gave his team free rein on the project. | She was given free rein to design the new curriculum. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get out of hand | To become uncontrollable. | The crowd at the concert got out of hand and the police had to intervene. | The situation in the meeting got out of hand and everyone started shouting. |
| Give the benefit of the doubt | To believe someone is telling the truth. | Although there was no proof, the judge gave him the benefit of the doubt. | Let’s give Anil the benefit of the doubt; he might have a good reason for being late. |
| Go down in flames | To fail spectacularly. | His plan to start a new business went down in flames due to lack of funding. | The project went down in flames after the key member left the team. |
| Get a taste of your own medicine | To experience the same bad treatment one has given others. | After months of gossiping about others, Riya got a taste of her own medicine when rumors spread about her. | When he was ignored by his friends, Raj got a taste of his own medicine. |
| Give someone the cold shoulder | To ignore someone deliberately. | After their argument, Neha gave Rohan the cold shoulder for days. | I don’t know why Kavita gave me the cold shoulder at the party. |
| Get a second wind | To have a renewed energy after being tired. | After a short break, he got a second wind and finished the marathon. | She got a second wind and stayed up all night to complete her project. |
| Get cold feet | To become nervous about something. | He got cold feet just before his wedding. | Meera got cold feet before her big presentation at the conference. |
| Give someone a run for their money | To compete very well against someone. | In the final match, Ritu gave the champion a run for her money. | The new restaurant gave the established ones a run for their money. |
| Go the extra mile | To make an extra effort. | The team went the extra mile to ensure the project was completed on time. | As a teacher, Mrs. Sharma always goes the extra mile to help her students. |
| Get the ball rolling | To start something. | Let’s get the ball rolling on this new project. | Ramesh’s presentation got the ball rolling for the discussion. |
| Get the hang of it | To learn how to do something. | It took a while, but Neha finally got the hang of driving. | Once you get the hang of it, cycling is really easy. |
| Go back to the drawing board | To start over. | After the prototype failed, the engineers had to go back to the drawing board. | The marketing team went back to the drawing board to create a new strategy. |
| Give someone a hand | To help someone. | Can you give me a hand with these bags? | Anil gave his neighbor a hand when she moved in. |
| Go through the motions | To do something without enthusiasm or effort. | After years at the same job, he was just going through the motions. | She went through the motions of her daily routine without any excitement. |
| Get up on the wrong side of the bed | To be in a bad mood. | She got up on the wrong side of the bed and has been grumpy all day. | It seems like Rohan got up on the wrong side of the bed today. |
| Grasp at straws | To make a desperate attempt at something. | Realizing they had no proof, they started grasping at straws. | With no real solutions, the team was grasping at straws. |
| Give the green light | To give permission to proceed. | The manager gave the green light for the project to start. | They were waiting for the client to give the green light before proceeding. |
| Get your act together | To organize yourself and act more effectively. | You need to get your act together if you want to succeed in this company. | After failing the exam, Priya decided to get her act together and study harder. |
| Go down memory lane | To remember happy times in the past. | We often go down memory lane when we visit our childhood home. | Grandma loves to go down memory lane and tell us stories of her youth. |
| Give someone the benefit of the doubt | To assume that someone is innocent or telling the truth. | Even though the evidence was unclear, they gave him the benefit of the doubt. | When she said she missed the bus, her teacher gave her the benefit of the doubt. |
| Go out on a limb | To take a risk. | He went out on a limb to support the new policy. | Ritu went out on a limb and invested in the startup. |
| Get in hot water | To get into trouble. | He got in hot water for missing the deadline. | Sneha got in hot water when she forgot to submit the report. |
| Give someone the runaround | To be evasive. | When I asked about the payment, they gave me the runaround. | He felt the customer service was just giving him the runaround. |
| Get wind of something | To hear about something secret or private. | She got wind of the company’s plan to lay off employees. | If the press gets wind of this scandal, it will be all over the news. |
| Go against the grain | To do something different from what is usually done. | His unconventional methods often go against the grain. | Wearing casual clothes to the formal event really went against the grain. |
| Get something off your chest | To talk about something that has been bothering you. | He felt better after getting his worries off his chest. | She needed to get her concerns off her chest, so she talked to her friend. |
| Go hand in hand | To be closely connected. | Hard work and success often go hand in hand. | In this industry, innovation and risk-taking go hand in hand. |
| Give it a shot | To try something. | She decided to give cooking classes a shot. | I know it’s difficult, but let’s give it a shot. |
| Get the short end of the stick | To receive the least desirable outcome. | He always gets the short end of the stick when it comes to promotions. | When it comes to family trips, Priya always gets the short end of the stick and has to drive. |
| Go with the flow | To accept things as they come. | Instead of planning everything, sometimes it’s better to just go with the flow. | At the festival, Ramesh decided to go with the flow and enjoy whatever came his way. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hit the nail on the head | To be exactly right about something. | Ramesh hit the nail on the head with his analysis of the market trends. | Priya’s comment about the situation hit the nail on the head. |
| Have your cake and eat it too | To want to have two incompatible things. | You can’t save money and spend it on luxuries; you can’t have your cake and eat it too. | Raj wants to work less and earn more; he wants to have his cake and eat it too. |
| Hold your horses | To wait and be patient. | Hold your horses, the show will start soon. | Meera told her kids to hold their horses while she finished cooking. |
| Hit the sack | To go to bed. | After the long day, Anil was ready to hit the sack. | I’m exhausted, I need to hit the sack early tonight. |
| Hold the fort | To take care of things temporarily. | Can you hold the fort while I run to the store? | While the manager is away, Kavita will hold the fort. |
| Hit the books | To study hard. | With exams approaching, Riya had to hit the books. | He hit the books every night to prepare for the entrance exam. |
| Heart of gold | A very kind and generous personality. | Even though he’s strict, Mr. Sharma has a heart of gold. | Rina has a heart of gold; she’s always helping those in need. |
| High and dry | To be left in a difficult situation without help. | When his friends left him, Ravi was left high and dry. | The company’s bankruptcy left many employees high and dry. |
| Have a change of heart | To change one’s opinion or feelings. | After hearing her story, Rohan had a change of heart about the proposal. | She had a change of heart and decided to join the team. |
| Hit the road | To leave or start a journey. | We need to hit the road early to avoid traffic. | After saying goodbye, they hit the road for their trip to Goa. |
| Hold your tongue | To remain silent. | When he started complaining, I had to hold my tongue. | She held her tongue to avoid an argument. |
| Herculean task | A very difficult task. | Completing the project in such a short time was a Herculean task. | Organizing the entire event by herself was a Herculean task for Priya. |
| Hitting below the belt | To act unfairly. | Criticizing his family was hitting below the belt. | In the debate, she accused him of hitting below the belt. |
| Have your work cut out for you | To have a difficult task ahead. | With so much to do, Ramesh has his work cut out for him. | She has her work cut out for her to complete the project on time. |
| Hold all the aces | To be in a strong position. | With his experience, he holds all the aces in the negotiations. | She holds all the aces in the debate with her thorough research. |
| Have a bone to pick | To have a dispute to settle. | I have a bone to pick with you about the broken vase. | Meera had a bone to pick with Rohan over his rude behavior. |
| Hand in glove | To work closely with someone. | The marketing and sales teams work hand in glove to achieve their targets. | The politicians were hand in glove with the businessmen. |
| Haste makes waste | Doing something too quickly can cause mistakes. | Take your time with the report; remember, haste makes waste. | Rushing through the project led to many errors; haste makes waste. |
| Hit the jackpot | To be very successful or lucky. | Rina hit the jackpot with her new business idea. | When he got the job offer from Google, he felt like he hit the jackpot. |
| Have a finger in every pie | To be involved in many activities. | Raj seems to have a finger in every pie, from real estate to technology. | She has a finger in every pie, managing multiple businesses. |
| Home stretch | The final part of an activity. | We’re in the home stretch of the project, just a few more tasks to complete. | The marathon runners were in the home stretch, nearing the finish line. |
| Hit or miss | Unpredictable; sometimes successful, sometimes not. | Her baking skills are hit or miss; sometimes it’s delicious, sometimes it’s not. | The quality of service at the restaurant is hit or miss. |
| Hitch your wagon to a star | To aim high and try to achieve great things. | She decided to hitch her wagon to a star and apply for the best universities. | Rohan hitched his wagon to a star by joining the top-ranked company. |
| Head over heels | Completely in love. | Raj was head over heels in love with Priya. | They’re head over heels for each other, always together. |
| Have a heart | To show compassion. | Have a heart and give her another chance. | The judge had a heart and reduced his sentence. |
| Have a one-track mind | To think about only one thing. | He has a one-track mind when it comes to cricket. | Riya’s one-track mind is always focused on her studies. |
| Hit the ceiling | To become very angry. | When his phone was stolen, Amit hit the ceiling. | She hit the ceiling when she found out about the mistake. |
| Hold the line | To maintain a position or state. | Despite the pressure, the company decided to hold the line on their policies. | He asked his team to hold the line and not make any changes until he arrived. |
| Hard nut to crack | A difficult problem or person to deal with. | The mystery of the missing documents was a hard nut to crack. | Ramesh can be a hard nut to crack when it comes to negotiations. |
| Hand to mouth | To live with just enough money to survive. | Many families in the village live hand to mouth. | After losing his job, he had to live hand to mouth until he found another one. |
| Heads will roll | People will be punished. | After the scandal, heads will roll in the company. | If the project fails, heads will roll in the management team. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In hot water | In trouble. | Rohan found himself in hot water after missing the deadline. | She was in hot water with her parents for coming home late. |
| In the nick of time | Just in time. | We arrived at the station in the nick of time to catch the train. | The firefighters rescued the family in the nick of time. |
| It’s a piece of cake | Very easy. | For Priya, solving math problems is a piece of cake. | The test was a piece of cake for Amit. |
| In the same boat | In the same situation. | During the lockdown, we were all in the same boat, trying to work from home. | She felt comforted knowing that everyone was in the same boat during the exams. |
| It takes two to tango | Both parties involved in a situation are equally responsible. | The argument escalated quickly, but it takes two to tango. | The project failed due to miscommunication; it takes two to tango. |
| In the bag | Assured of success. | With his skills, the job offer was in the bag. | The team felt confident that the victory was in the bag. |
| In the blink of an eye | Very quickly. | The event was over in the blink of an eye. | She finished her work in the blink of an eye. |
| In over your head | Involved in something too difficult. | Raj found himself in over his head with the new project. | She realized she was in over her head with the advanced course. |
| In a nutshell | In a very brief way. | To put it in a nutshell, we need more time to complete the project. | In a nutshell, the trip was fantastic. |
| In the loop | Kept informed. | As the project manager, Rina needs to be in the loop about all updates. | Make sure to keep me in the loop regarding any changes. |
| It’s raining cats and dogs | Raining very heavily. | We had to cancel the picnic because it was raining cats and dogs. | During the monsoon season, it often rains cats and dogs in Mumbai. |
| In the driver’s seat | In control of a situation. | With the new promotion, she was finally in the driver’s seat. | The CEO’s strategic decisions put the company in the driver’s seat. |
| In a pickle | In a difficult situation. | When his car broke down, he was in a pickle. | She was in a pickle when she lost her passport. |
| In black and white | In writing. | He wanted the agreement in black and white before proceeding. | The rules were clearly stated in black and white. |
| In one’s element | In a situation that one enjoys. | At the music concert, Arjun was in his element. | She is in her element when she’s teaching children. |
| In the dark | Uninformed about something. | I was kept in the dark about the changes in the schedule. | The employees were in the dark about the company’s merger plans. |
| In the long run | Over a long period of time. | Studying hard will pay off in the long run. | In the long run, investing in quality education benefits society. |
| In a nutshell | Briefly. | In a nutshell, the project was a success. | To explain it in a nutshell, we need more resources. |
| In the same breath | At the same time. | He praised her work and, in the same breath, criticized her for minor mistakes. | She agreed to the plan and, in the same breath, expressed her concerns. |
| In the spotlight | Receiving a lot of public attention. | The actress was in the spotlight after her award-winning performance. | The new policy put the company in the spotlight. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jump the gun | To start something too early. | Riya jumped the gun by announcing the news before it was confirmed. | They jumped the gun and launched the product without proper testing. |
| Jump to conclusions | To make a decision without having all the facts. | Before you jump to conclusions, hear what Anil has to say. | She jumped to conclusions and blamed him without knowing the full story. |
| Jack of all trades | A person who can do many different types of work. | Raj is a jack of all trades; he can fix anything. | Priya is a jack of all trades, from cooking to carpentry. |
| Jump on the bandwagon | To join others in doing something popular. | When the stock market was booming, many people jumped on the bandwagon. | Seeing the trend, the company jumped on the bandwagon and started offering online services. |
| Juggle several balls in the air | To handle many tasks at the same time. | Meera is juggling several balls in the air with her job, studies, and family. | Rohan had to juggle several balls in the air during the busy season at work. |
| Joined at the hip | Very closely connected. | Kavita and Rina are joined at the hip, always seen together. | The twins were joined at the hip, doing everything together. |
| Just what the doctor ordered | Exactly what is needed. | The holiday in Goa was just what the doctor ordered for relaxation. | A cup of hot tea was just what the doctor ordered on a rainy day. |
| Jump through hoops | To do many difficult things to achieve something. | He had to jump through hoops to get his visa approved. | To get the project green-lit, the team jumped through hoops to meet all the requirements. |
| Jog someone’s memory | To help someone remember something. | The old photo jogged his memory of their college days in Delhi. | She needed something to jog her memory about the event. |
| John Doe | A name used for an unknown or unidentified person. | The police report mentioned a John Doe found at the scene. | In the hospital, unidentified patients are often called John Doe. |
| Jump down someone’s throat | To react angrily to what someone says or does. | When he made a simple mistake, his boss jumped down his throat. | She jumped down my throat when I suggested a different approach. |
| Judge a book by its cover | To make a judgment based on appearance. | You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover; that café looks simple but has amazing food. | When hiring, it’s important not to judge a book by its cover. |
| Jump ship | To leave a difficult situation. | Many employees jumped ship when the company started to fail. | When the project seemed doomed, he decided to jump ship and joined another firm. |
| Jam-packed | Very crowded or full. | The train to Mumbai was jam-packed during the festival season. | The concert hall was jam-packed with excited fans. |
| Jump for joy | To be extremely happy. | When she got the job offer, Riya jumped for joy. | He jumped for joy upon hearing the good news. |
| Join forces | To work together. | The two companies joined forces to create a new product. | The students joined forces to organize the charity event. |
| Just around the corner | Something that is going to happen soon. | The annual festival is just around the corner. | With exams just around the corner, Anil started studying hard. |
| Jot down | To write something quickly. | She jotted down the address before leaving. | I always jot down my thoughts in a notebook. |
| Jump in with both feet | To become involved in something quickly and completely. | When he started his new job, he jumped in with both feet. | She jumped in with both feet to help with the wedding preparations. |
| Jury is still out | A decision has not yet been made. | The jury is still out on the new policy’s effectiveness. | The jury is still out on whether the changes will be beneficial. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep an eye on | To watch carefully. | Please keep an eye on my bag while I go to the restroom. | Ramesh asked his neighbor to keep an eye on his house while he was on vacation. |
| Kick the bucket | To die. | The old farmer finally kicked the bucket at the age of 90. | Rina was shocked when she heard that the famous actor had kicked the bucket. |
| Keep your chin up | To remain cheerful in difficult circumstances. | Despite the setbacks, Priya always keeps her chin up. | Keep your chin up, Rohan; things will get better soon. |
| Kick the habit | To stop doing something harmful. | After years of smoking, Raj finally kicked the habit. | It’s hard to kick the habit of eating junk food, but Meera is trying her best. |
| Keep a straight face | To not laugh or smile. | It was hard to keep a straight face during the comedy show. | She tried to keep a straight face when her friend made a silly mistake. |
| Knock on wood | To hope for good luck. | I’ve never had a serious accident, knock on wood. | Raj said his business is doing well, knock on wood. |
| Keep in touch | To maintain contact. | Even after moving to the US, Anil promised to keep in touch with his friends in India. | It’s important to keep in touch with family, no matter how busy life gets. |
| Kick up your heels | To celebrate and have a good time. | After the exams, the students kicked up their heels and went to a party. | They kicked up their heels at the wedding reception in Jaipur. |
| Kill two birds with one stone | To achieve two things with one action. | By cycling to work, Rohan kills two birds with one stone: he saves money and gets exercise. | Kavita managed to visit her parents and attend a job interview in the same trip, killing two birds with one stone. |
| Keep your nose to the grindstone | To work hard and continuously. | To succeed in his exams, Arjun kept his nose to the grindstone. | She kept her nose to the grindstone to complete the project on time. |
| Knock someone’s socks off | To impress someone greatly. | The performance by the school children knocked everyone’s socks off. | Riya’s presentation knocked the investors’ socks off. |
| Keep something at bay | To prevent something from happening. | They installed a security system to keep burglars at bay. | Regular exercise helps keep stress at bay. |
| Kick off | To begin something. | The event will kick off with a speech by the chief guest. | Let’s kick off the meeting with a quick review of last week’s minutes. |
| Keep a low profile | To avoid attracting attention. | After the scandal, the actor decided to keep a low profile. | Kavita kept a low profile at the office after the promotion controversy. |
| Know the ropes | To understand how to do something. | After working here for years, Ramesh really knows the ropes. | It will take some time for the new intern to know the ropes. |
| Keep your fingers crossed | To hope that things will happen in the way you want. | I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you get the job. | Rina kept her fingers crossed during the lottery draw. |
| Knock it out of the park | To do something exceptionally well. | Rajesh knocked it out of the park with his keynote speech. | Priya’s performance in the competition really knocked it out of the park. |
| Keep your head above water | To just manage to survive a difficult situation. | With rising costs, it’s hard to keep our heads above water. | Despite the challenges, Rohan is keeping his head above water. |
| Knee-jerk reaction | A quick and automatic response. | His knee-jerk reaction to criticism is always defensive. | The policy change was a knee-jerk reaction to the recent events. |
| Keep your shirt on | To remain calm and patient. | Keep your shirt on, the service will be restored soon. | Riya told her brother to keep his shirt on while she fixed the computer. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leave no stone unturned | To do everything possible to achieve a goal. | The detective left no stone unturned in solving the mystery. | Riya left no stone unturned in her preparation for the entrance exam. |
| Let the cat out of the bag | To reveal a secret. | Priya let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party for Rohan. | He accidentally let the cat out of the bag when he mentioned the new project. |
| Live and let live | To accept and tolerate other people’s differences. | In a diverse society like India, it’s important to live and let live. | Kavita believes in the philosophy of live and let live. |
| Long in the tooth | To be old. | The actor is getting long in the tooth but still performs brilliantly. | My grandfather may be long in the tooth, but he is still very active. |
| Look before you leap | To think carefully before acting. | When considering a career change, it’s wise to look before you leap. | Ramesh advised his son to look before he leaps when investing in the stock market. |
| Lose your touch | To lose your skill at doing something. | After years away from the sport, Arjun feels he has lost his touch in cricket. | She worries that she might lose her touch in painting if she doesn’t practice regularly. |
| Lend an ear | To listen carefully and sympathetically. | When Rina needed to talk, Meera was always there to lend an ear. | Sometimes, all we need is someone to lend an ear to our problems. |
| Let sleeping dogs lie | To avoid interfering in a situation that is currently causing no problems. | Rohan decided to let sleeping dogs lie and not bring up the past argument. | Kavita thought it was best to let sleeping dogs lie and not discuss the controversial topic. |
| Live from hand to mouth | To have just enough money to live on. | Many daily wage workers in India live from hand to mouth. | During the tough economic times, the family lived from hand to mouth. |
| Lightning fast | Very fast. | The internet speed in their new office is lightning fast. | With his lightning-fast reflexes, Ramesh caught the falling glass. |
| Laugh in someone’s face | To show open disrespect. | It’s rude to laugh in someone’s face when they make a mistake. | When he proposed the idea, they laughed in his face, which was very disrespectful. |
| Look a gift horse in the mouth | To find fault with something that has been received as a gift or favor. | When she complained about the free meal, her friends reminded her not to look a gift horse in the mouth. | Accept the offer graciously; don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. |
| Lend a hand | To help someone. | Riya always lends a hand with the community service projects. | Can you lend a hand with moving these boxes? |
| Let the grass grow under your feet | To delay in taking action. | Don’t let the grass grow under your feet; start working on your goals now. | Kavita never lets the grass grow under her feet; she’s always proactive. |
| Lose your head | To lose control and panic. | In a crisis, it’s important not to lose your head. | Rohan lost his head when he heard the shocking news. |
| Leave someone in the lurch | To abandon someone in a difficult situation. | Raj felt betrayed when his friends left him in the lurch during the project. | She didn’t want to leave her team in the lurch, so she stayed late to help. |
| Let the chips fall where they may | To let something happen without trying to control it. | After making his decision, he decided to let the chips fall where they may. | She spoke her mind and let the chips fall where they may. |
| Luck of the draw | Decided by chance. | Getting the best dorm room is often just the luck of the draw. | The team assignments were the luck of the draw, and I got a great partner. |
| Lay your cards on the table | To be honest and reveal your intentions. | It’s time to lay your cards on the table and tell us your plans. | Kavita decided to lay her cards on the table during the negotiation. |
| Look the other way | To ignore something bad that is happening. | The manager chose to look the other way when it came to minor infractions. | When it comes to corruption, we can’t just look the other way. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Make a mountain out of a molehill | To exaggerate a small problem. | Riya tends to make a mountain out of a molehill when things go wrong. | Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill; it’s just a minor issue. |
| Miss the boat | To miss an opportunity. | Anil missed the boat by not applying for the job in time. | If you don’t invest now, you might miss the boat on this opportunity. |
| Make ends meet | To manage to live on a limited income. | It’s hard for many families to make ends meet with rising costs. | Despite her modest salary, Meera manages to make ends meet. |
| Mind your own business | To not interfere in someone else’s affairs. | When Rohan asked about her personal life, she told him to mind his own business. | You should mind your own business and not gossip about others. |
| Move heaven and earth | To do everything possible to achieve something. | Raj would move heaven and earth to get his dream job. | She moved heaven and earth to ensure her son’s success. |
| Mum’s the word | To keep something a secret. | We are planning a surprise party for Riya, so mum’s the word. | When she told him the secret, he promised that mum’s the word. |
| Make a beeline for | To go directly towards something. | As soon as the doors opened, they made a beeline for the sales section. | At the fair, the kids made a beeline for the ice cream stall. |
| Make a clean breast of it | To confess everything. | Ramesh decided to make a clean breast of it and admit his mistake. | She made a clean breast of it to clear her conscience. |
| Make waves | To cause trouble or change. | The new CEO is making waves with her innovative strategies. | Riya’s bold suggestions made waves in the meeting. |
| Meet halfway | To compromise. | To resolve their dispute, both parties agreed to meet halfway. | If we meet halfway, we can come to an agreement. |
| Make a long story short | To summarize. | To make a long story short, they finally found the missing keys. | He made a long story short by skipping the minor details. |
| Mud in your eye | A toast to good health. | As they celebrated, he raised his glass and said, “Here’s mud in your eye!” | Let’s raise a toast – mud in your eye! |
| My hands are tied | Unable to act due to restrictions. | I’d love to help, but my hands are tied due to company policy. | Meera wanted to approve the request, but her hands were tied by the regulations. |
| Make headway | To make progress. | Despite the challenges, the team is making headway on the project. | Rohan is making headway in his studies. |
| Meet your match | To encounter someone equal in ability. | In the chess tournament, Anil finally met his match. | She met her match in the debate competition. |
| Make a killing | To earn a lot of money. | Raj made a killing in the stock market last year. | She made a killing selling handmade jewelry online. |
| Move up in the world | To become more successful. | With his promotion, Ramesh is moving up in the world. | She moved up in the world after starting her own business. |
| Mend fences | To repair a relationship. | After their argument, it took time for them to mend fences. | Rina decided to mend fences with her old friend. |
| Make no bones about it | To be very clear and direct. | She made no bones about her disappointment with the results. | Raj made no bones about his ambition to become CEO. |
| Music to my ears | Good news; something one is happy to hear. | When she heard about the holiday, it was music to her ears. | The news of his recovery was music to their ears. |
| Idioms (271 to 290) | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nail in the coffin | An action or event that causes something to end. | The last-minute change in plans was the final nail in the coffin for the project. | The scandal was a nail in the coffin for the politician’s career. |
| No pain, no gain | Effort is required to achieve something worthwhile. | Arjun believes in the philosophy of no pain, no gain when it comes to fitness. | She worked hard for her exams, knowing that no pain, no gain. |
| Neck and neck | Very close in a competition. | The two teams were neck and neck throughout the match. | The election results were neck and neck until the very end. |
| Nip in the bud | To stop something before it becomes a problem. | It’s important to nip bad habits in the bud. | The manager decided to nip the rumors in the bud before they spread. |
| Not my cup of tea | Not something one likes or is interested in. | Watching horror movies is not my cup of tea. | Riya prefers reading books; sports are not her cup of tea. |
| Nuts and bolts | The basic details. | Let’s focus on the nuts and bolts of the project during this meeting. | She knows the nuts and bolts of running a business. |
| New kid on the block | A newcomer. | Ramesh is the new kid on the block at the office. | Being the new kid on the block, Priya was eager to prove herself. |
| No strings attached | Without any conditions or obligations. | They offered a free trial with no strings attached. | Riya lent him the money with no strings attached. |
| No stone unturned | To do everything possible to achieve something. | The team left no stone unturned in their search for the perfect candidate. | She left no stone unturned in planning the event. |
| Nest egg | Savings set aside for future use. | Raj has a substantial nest egg saved for his retirement. | They built a nest egg to ensure their children’s education. |
| No-brainer | Something that is very obvious or easy to decide. | Choosing the best school for her children was a no-brainer for Rina. | Accepting the job offer was a no-brainer; it was perfect for him. |
| Not out of the woods | Not yet free from difficulties. | The company is doing better, but it’s not out of the woods yet. | After the surgery, he’s recovering but not out of the woods. |
| Nerve-racking | Very stressful. | Waiting for the exam results was a nerve-racking experience for Priya. | Giving her first public speech was nerve-racking for Kavita. |
| Night owl | A person who stays up late. | Rohan is a night owl who does his best work after midnight. | Being a night owl, she prefers studying late at night. |
| No love lost | Dislike between two people. | There’s no love lost between the two rival politicians. | After the argument, there was no love lost between Riya and her colleague. |
| Not born yesterday | Not naive or easily fooled. | You can’t trick Meera; she wasn’t born yesterday. | He tried to deceive her, but she made it clear that she wasn’t born yesterday. |
| Nose to the grindstone | To work very hard. | With exams approaching, Ramesh has his nose to the grindstone. | She kept her nose to the grindstone to meet the deadline. |
| No holds barred | Without any restrictions. | The debate was no holds barred, with both sides expressing strong opinions. | The competition was fierce, with no holds barred between the top contenders. |
| Nip and tuck | Very close; neck and neck. | The race was nip and tuck, with both runners giving their best. | The election results were nip and tuck until the last vote was counted. |
| No dice | No chance or no luck. | I asked for an extension on the deadline, but it was no dice. | She tried to get a ticket for the concert, but it was no dice as it was sold out. |
| Idioms (291 to 310) | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off the record | Not to be officially published or disclosed. | The journalist received some off the record information about the scandal. | She told me off the record that she’s planning to resign. |
| On cloud nine | Extremely happy. | Rohan was on cloud nine after winning the competition. | Priya felt on cloud nine when she received the job offer. |
| Once in a blue moon | Very rarely. | He visits his hometown once in a blue moon. | Such opportunities come once in a blue moon, so grab them. |
| Out of the blue | Suddenly and unexpectedly. | The news of his promotion came out of the blue. | Kavita called me out of the blue after years of no contact. |
| Over the moon | Extremely pleased or happy. | She was over the moon when she heard about her scholarship. | Raj was over the moon with the birth of his daughter. |
| On the same page | To agree or understand each other. | Let’s ensure we’re all on the same page before moving forward. | The team needs to be on the same page to meet the deadline. |
| Open a can of worms | To create a situation that will cause trouble. | Discussing the budget cuts opened a can of worms in the meeting. | Changing the terms now would open a can of worms. |
| Out of sight, out of mind | To forget about someone or something when they are not present. | Since he moved abroad, it’s been out of sight, out of mind with many of his old friends. | The broken toy was out of sight, out of mind for the child. |
| On the back burner | To postpone or delay action on something. | The project was put on the back burner due to budget constraints. | We’ll have to put our travel plans on the back burner until next year. |
| Out of the frying pan into the fire | To go from a bad situation to a worse one. | When she changed jobs to escape a bad boss, she jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. | Moving to a new city without planning was like going out of the frying pan into the fire for Ramesh. |
| On the ball | Alert and knowledgeable. | Meera is always on the ball and never misses a detail. | You need to be on the ball to succeed in this fast-paced industry. |
| Out of your depth | In a situation that is too difficult. | Raj felt out of his depth in the advanced physics class. | She was out of her depth when managing such a large team. |
| On thin ice | In a risky or dangerous situation. | After missing several deadlines, Rohan is on thin ice with his boss. | The company’s financial problems have put it on thin ice. |
| Over the top | Excessive or exaggerated. | The decorations at the wedding were over the top. | His reaction to the criticism was a bit over the top. |
| On the horizon | Likely to happen soon. | A major breakthrough in medicine is on the horizon. | There are exciting changes on the horizon for the tech industry. |
| Out of the loop | Not informed or up-to-date. | Since she was on leave, Rina felt out of the loop about the project’s progress. | If you’re out of the loop, you might miss important updates. |
| Off the cuff | Without preparation. | He made an impressive speech off the cuff at the event. | Her off the cuff remarks were well-received by the audience. |
| On the fence | Undecided about something. | Priya is on the fence about which college to attend. | Ramesh is on the fence regarding the new policy changes. |
| Out of the question | Not possible or not allowed. | Taking a vacation during the peak season is out of the question. | For him, leaving the project unfinished was out of the question. |
| Once in a lifetime | Very rare and unique. | Traveling to the Himalayas was a once in a lifetime experience for Anil. | The concert was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see his favorite band. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass the buck | To shift responsibility to someone else. | Instead of fixing the problem, he tried to pass the buck to his colleague. | When the project failed, the manager passed the buck to his team. |
| Pull someone’s leg | To joke or tease someone. | Don’t worry, I’m just pulling your leg about the surprise test. | Raj always pulls his sister’s leg about her cooking. |
| Piece of cake | Something very easy to do. | The math test was a piece of cake for Priya. | Fixing the computer issue was a piece of cake for Ramesh. |
| Put all your eggs in one basket | To risk everything on one venture. | Investing all your savings in one stock is like putting all your eggs in one basket. | Riya decided not to put all her eggs in one basket and diversified her investments. |
| Pull out all the stops | To do everything possible to achieve something. | They pulled out all the stops to make the wedding a grand success. | For the final match, the team pulled out all the stops. |
| Put your foot down | To be firm about something. | When her kids wanted to skip school, Kavita put her foot down and said no. | The teacher put her foot down about the assignment deadline. |
| Paint the town red | To go out and enjoy yourself. | After the exams, the students decided to paint the town red. | Raj and his friends painted the town red to celebrate his promotion. |
| Put the cart before the horse | To do things in the wrong order. | Planning the party without booking a venue is putting the cart before the horse. | Rohan tried to launch the product before finishing the design, putting the cart before the horse. |
| Pull the wool over someone’s eyes | To deceive someone. | He tried to pull the wool over his boss’s eyes, but she caught him. | Don’t let anyone pull the wool over your eyes about the deal. |
| Pay through the nose | To pay a lot of money. | They had to pay through the nose for a last-minute flight to Delhi. | Buying a house in Mumbai means paying through the nose. |
| Put your money where your mouth is | To support your words with actions. | If you believe in the cause, put your money where your mouth is and donate. | Ramesh always puts his money where his mouth is and supports local businesses. |
| Push the envelope | To go beyond the usual limits. | The designer always pushes the envelope with her innovative styles. | The new CEO is known for pushing the envelope in the tech industry. |
| Put a sock in it | To tell someone to be quiet. | When Rohan started complaining, his brother told him to put a sock in it. | The movie was so good that everyone wanted to tell the noisy person to put a sock in it. |
| Play it by ear | To improvise. | We didn’t plan the trip in detail; we’ll just play it by ear. | Instead of a strict schedule, let’s play it by ear and see what happens. |
| Pour your heart out | To share your deepest feelings. | After the breakup, Priya poured her heart out to her best friend. | Ramesh poured his heart out in the letter to his parents. |
| Pull strings | To use influence to get something done. | He had to pull some strings to get a table at the busy restaurant. | Rina pulled strings to secure an internship at the prestigious firm. |
| Put the icing on the cake | To make a good situation even better. | Winning the award was the icing on the cake for her career. | The team’s victory in the final match put the icing on the cake for their successful season. |
| Put your best foot forward | To make a great effort to make a good impression. | For the job interview, Rohan put his best foot forward. | She put her best foot forward during the presentation. |
| Practice what you preach | To do what you advise others to do. | The teacher always practices what she preaches about honesty. | If you tell others to stay fit, you should practice what you preach and exercise regularly. |
| Pull yourself together | To calm down and behave normally. | After hearing the bad news, she needed a moment to pull herself together. | Ramesh pulled himself together and focused on the task at hand. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick on the draw | To be very fast in reacting to a situation. | Raj is quick on the draw when it comes to answering questions in class. | In emergencies, you need someone who is quick on the draw. |
| Quit cold turkey | To suddenly stop doing something that is usually a bad habit. | After years of smoking, Anil decided to quit cold turkey. | She quit drinking coffee cold turkey last month. |
| Quarrel with one’s bread and butter | To complain about one’s main source of income. | It’s not wise to quarrel with your bread and butter; appreciate your job. | Despite the challenges, Ramesh never quarrels with his bread and butter. |
| Quick fix | A temporary solution. | The mechanic offered a quick fix, but the car needs a proper repair. | Using a quick fix might work for now, but it won’t last long. |
| Queer the pitch | To ruin someone’s plan. | Raj’s sudden change of plans queered the pitch for our trip. | She queered the pitch by revealing the surprise party details. |
| Quid pro quo | A favor or advantage granted in return for something. | The business deal was a quid pro quo arrangement. | They offered their support as a quid pro quo for political favors. |
| Quick as a flash | Very quickly. | He answered the question quick as a flash. | She finished her work quick as a flash and left the office early. |
| Quality time | Time spent giving full attention to someone. | Rina makes sure to spend quality time with her family every weekend. | Despite his busy schedule, Raj always finds quality time for his kids. |
| Quiver with excitement | To tremble with excitement. | The children quivered with excitement as they opened their presents. | She quivered with excitement at the thought of meeting her favorite author. |
| Queue up | To form or join a line. | People queued up outside the cinema for the latest movie. | The fans queued up for hours to get tickets to the concert. |
| Quench your thirst | To satisfy your thirst. | After the long hike, they needed water to quench their thirst. | Fresh coconut water is the best way to quench your thirst on a hot day. |
| Quick off the mark | Fast in responding to a situation. | The company was quick off the mark to adapt to the new regulations. | Priya was quick off the mark and answered all the questions correctly. |
| Quit while you’re ahead | To stop doing something before it gets worse. | After winning three games, he decided to quit while he was ahead. | Sometimes it’s best to quit while you’re ahead rather than risk losing everything. |
| Quick study | Someone who learns quickly. | Rohan is a quick study and mastered the software in no time. | She’s a quick study, picking up new languages with ease. |
| Quaint as a quill | Very neat and precise. | Her handwriting is quaint as a quill, every letter perfectly formed. | The garden was quaint as a quill, with every flower in place. |
| Quiver in one’s boots | To be very frightened. | The thief quivered in his boots when he saw the police arrive. | Rina quivered in her boots at the thought of giving a speech to the large audience. |
| Quote…unquote | Used to repeat what someone else has said. | He was, quote, unquote, “too busy” to attend the meeting. | The manager was, quote, unquote, “not happy” with the project’s progress. |
| Quibble over | To argue or complain about small, unimportant details. | They always quibble over where to go for dinner. | There’s no need to quibble over the minor details of the plan. |
| Quick buck | Money earned quickly and easily, often unethically. | Some people are always looking for a way to make a quick buck. | He invested in the scheme hoping to make a quick buck, but lost everything. |
| Quiet as a mouse | Very quiet. | The students were quiet as a mouse during the surprise inspection. | She tiptoed around the house, quiet as a mouse, so she wouldn’t wake the baby. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Read between the lines | To understand the hidden meaning. | Rina could read between the lines and knew something was wrong despite his cheerful words. | When he said he was “fine,” she read between the lines and realized he needed help. |
| Rise and shine | To wake up and get out of bed. | It’s time to rise and shine, Rohan; we have a long day ahead. | The kids were told to rise and shine for the early morning trip to the Taj Mahal. |
| Run of the mill | Ordinary; not special. | The movie was just run of the mill; nothing exciting about it. | She didn’t want a run-of-the-mill birthday party; she wanted something unique. |
| Rock the boat | To cause trouble where none is welcome. | Raj didn’t want to rock the boat, so he stayed silent during the meeting. | She knew her suggestions might rock the boat, but she shared them anyway. |
| Round the clock | All day and all night. | The doctors worked round the clock to save the patient. | They provided round-the-clock service during the festival. |
| Raining cats and dogs | Raining very heavily. | It was raining cats and dogs, so they decided to stay indoors. | During the monsoon, it often rains cats and dogs in Mumbai. |
| Roll up your sleeves | To prepare to work hard. | It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get this project finished. | She rolled up her sleeves and started cleaning the house. |
| Rub someone the wrong way | To annoy or irritate someone. | His condescending tone always rubs people the wrong way. | Rina’s habit of interrupting others rubbed her colleagues the wrong way. |
| Run out of steam | To lose energy or interest. | After working for hours, Ramesh ran out of steam. | The debate lost momentum as both sides ran out of steam. |
| Raise the bar | To set a higher standard. | The new policy raises the bar for environmental regulations. | Her performance raised the bar for future contestants. |
| Red tape | Excessive bureaucracy or adherence to rules. | The project was delayed due to the red tape involved in getting approvals. | Raj was frustrated by the red tape at the government office. |
| Rain on someone’s parade | To spoil someone’s plans. | He didn’t want to rain on her parade but had to tell her the bad news. | The sudden storm rained on their parade, canceling the outdoor event. |
| Read the riot act | To reprimand someone severely. | The teacher read the riot act to the students for misbehaving. | After the mistake, the boss read the riot act to the entire team. |
| Ring a bell | To sound familiar. | Her name rings a bell, but I can’t remember where I know her from. | Does this address ring a bell for you? |
| Run the gauntlet | To endure a series of problems or challenges. | To get his visa, Rohan had to run the gauntlet of paperwork and interviews. | She ran the gauntlet of criticism to defend her thesis. |
| Read someone like a book | To understand someone’s thoughts or feelings easily. | Raj can read his sister like a book and knows when she’s upset. | Rina’s mother can read her like a book and always knows when something is wrong. |
| Roll with the punches | To adapt to difficulties. | In this ever-changing market, you need to roll with the punches. | Despite the challenges, she managed to roll with the punches and succeed. |
| Run like clockwork | To work very smoothly and well. | The event was organized so well, it ran like clockwork. | The factory’s operations run like clockwork. |
| Rule of thumb | A general principle derived from practice or experience. | A good rule of thumb is to save at least 20% of your income. | As a rule of thumb, you should always read the contract carefully before signing. |
| Run circles around | To be much better than someone at something. | Priya runs circles around her competitors in math. | His coding skills run circles around those of his colleagues. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Save face | To avoid humiliation. | Raj apologized to save face after the argument. | She tried to save face by explaining her mistake to the team. |
| See eye to eye | To agree with someone. | Rina and her mother see eye to eye on most things. | It’s important for partners to see eye to eye on major decisions. |
| Spill the beans | To reveal a secret. | Priya spilled the beans about the surprise party. | Don’t spill the beans about the promotion; it’s still a secret. |
| Sit on the fence | To remain neutral or undecided. | Raj is sitting on the fence about which college to attend. | The committee members sat on the fence, unable to reach a decision. |
| Skeleton in the closet | A hidden and shocking secret. | Every family has a skeleton in the closet that they don’t want revealed. | He discovered a skeleton in the closet when researching his family’s history. |
| Start from scratch | To begin from the beginning. | After the failure, they had to start the project from scratch. | Priya decided to start from scratch and learn a new language. |
| Stab in the back | To betray someone. | She felt like she was stabbed in the back when her friend revealed her secret. | Raj never expected his colleague to stab him in the back. |
| Storm in a teacup | A big fuss over something unimportant. | The argument over the office temperature was just a storm in a teacup. | It’s just a minor issue; don’t make a storm in a teacup out of it. |
| Step up your game | To improve your performance. | If you want to get promoted, you’ll need to step up your game. | The coach told the players to step up their game for the final match. |
| Shoot from the hip | To speak or act without thinking. | Rina tends to shoot from the hip, which sometimes gets her in trouble. | Instead of shooting from the hip, take a moment to consider your words. |
| Sink or swim | To succeed or fail without help. | Starting his own business was a sink or swim situation for Raj. | She decided to move to Mumbai and make it on her own, sink or swim. |
| Skating on thin ice | Taking a big risk. | Rohan knew he was skating on thin ice by missing the deadline again. | The company is skating on thin ice with its current financial strategy. |
| Stick to your guns | To maintain your position even when others disagree. | Despite the criticism, Priya stuck to her guns about the project direction. | He advised her to stick to her guns and follow her instincts. |
| Spill the beans | To reveal a secret. | Meera accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise party. | Don’t spill the beans about the new product launch; it’s confidential. |
| Skeleton in the closet | A hidden and shocking secret. | Raj discovered a skeleton in the closet when he researched his family history. | Every family has a skeleton in the closet that they don’t want to be revealed. |
| Start from scratch | To begin from the beginning. | After the fire destroyed their home, they had to start from scratch. | The chef decided to start from scratch and create a new recipe. |
| Stab in the dark | A guess or estimate with little or no evidence. | He took a stab in the dark and guessed the answer to the riddle. | Without any leads, the detective’s theory was just a stab in the dark. |
| Stand your ground | To maintain your position and not back down. | When negotiating her salary, Rina stood her ground and got the raise she deserved. | Raj stood his ground during the debate, despite the opposing arguments. |
| Sweat bullets | To be very nervous or anxious. | Rohan was sweating bullets before his job interview. | She was sweating bullets waiting for the exam results. |
| Sweeten the deal | To make an offer more attractive. | To close the deal, they decided to sweeten the deal with an extra discount. | The seller sweetened the deal by including free installation. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take a rain check | To postpone a plan. | Raj had to take a rain check on their dinner plans because of an urgent meeting. | I’ll take a rain check on the movie tonight; I have to finish my project. |
| Take it with a grain of salt | To view something with skepticism. | When Rina told me the rumor, I took it with a grain of salt. | You should take his advice with a grain of salt; he’s known to exaggerate. |
| The ball is in your court | It’s your decision or responsibility to take action. | I’ve done all I can; now the ball is in your court. | The proposal is ready, so the ball is in the client’s court now. |
| Throw in the towel | To give up. | After numerous failures, Rohan decided to throw in the towel. | She didn’t throw in the towel despite the challenges she faced. |
| Through thick and thin | In good times and bad times. | Riya stood by her friend through thick and thin. | They have supported each other through thick and thin for over twenty years. |
| Turn a blind eye | To ignore something. | The manager turned a blind eye to the minor mistakes. | You can’t just turn a blind eye to corruption. |
| Tip of the iceberg | A small part of a much larger problem. | The issues we’ve seen so far are just the tip of the iceberg. | The recent scandal is only the tip of the iceberg for the company. |
| Take the bull by the horns | To face a problem directly. | Raj decided to take the bull by the horns and address the issue with his boss. | Instead of avoiding the problem, she took the bull by the horns. |
| Time flies | Time passes very quickly. | Time flies when you’re having fun. | It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years since we graduated; time flies. |
| Turn over a new leaf | To start behaving in a better way. | After the accident, Ramesh decided to turn over a new leaf and live a healthier life. | She’s turned over a new leaf since she moved to a new city. |
| Throw caution to the wind | To take a risk. | Despite the risks, Rohan threw caution to the wind and started his own business. | She threw caution to the wind and invested in the new startup. |
| To each their own | Everyone has their own preferences. | Priya likes classical music, while Rohan prefers rock; to each their own. | Not everyone likes spicy food, but to each their own. |
| The last straw | The final problem in a series of problems. | When he missed the meeting again, it was the last straw for his boss. | The broken promise was the last straw for Rina, and she decided to end the relationship. |
| Throw your hat in the ring | To show your intention to compete for something. | Raj decided to throw his hat in the ring and run for class president. | She threw her hat in the ring for the new manager position. |
| Take the edge off | To reduce the effect of something. | A hot cup of tea helped take the edge off her stressful day. | The cool breeze took the edge off the summer heat. |
| Take a back seat | To allow others to be in control. | In the new project, Rohan decided to take a back seat and let his team lead. | She took a back seat and let her partner handle the negotiations. |
| Talk the talk | To speak convincingly about something. | He can talk the talk, but can he deliver on his promises? | Riya can talk the talk, but she needs to show results. |
| Tread carefully | To act cautiously. | When discussing sensitive topics, it’s important to tread carefully. | He decided to tread carefully in the meeting to avoid conflicts. |
| Touch base | To briefly make contact with someone. | I’ll touch base with you next week about the project updates. | She touched base with her colleagues during the conference. |
| Turn a deaf ear | To ignore someone when they are complaining or asking for something. | Despite the complaints, the management turned a deaf ear to the employees’ requests. | He turned a deaf ear to his friend’s advice and made his own decision. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under the weather | Feeling unwell. | Riya decided to stay home because she was feeling under the weather. | I’m feeling a bit under the weather today, so I’ll skip the meeting. |
| Up in the air | Uncertain or undecided. | Our vacation plans are still up in the air. | The date for the event is up in the air due to scheduling conflicts. |
| Use your noodle | To think carefully. | You’ll need to use your noodle to solve this complex problem. | Ramesh told his son to use his noodle and come up with a creative solution. |
| Under one’s nose | Clearly visible but ignored. | The solution was right under their noses the whole time. | He didn’t realize the keys were under his nose on the table. |
| Up to the mark | Meeting the required standard. | Rohan’s performance this semester is up to the mark. | The food at the new restaurant was not up to the mark. |
| Under a cloud | Under suspicion or discredited. | The manager left the company under a cloud after the financial scandal. | Raj’s reputation was under a cloud due to the allegations. |
| Up in arms | Very angry or upset. | The citizens were up in arms over the new tax law. | The students were up in arms about the sudden change in exam dates. |
| Under the radar | Not noticed or detected. | The new café managed to stay under the radar until it became very popular. | She prefers to work under the radar and avoid the spotlight. |
| Ups and downs | Periods of good and bad times. | Their relationship has had its ups and downs, but they’ve always supported each other. | The company’s journey to success was full of ups and downs. |
| Under the wire | Just before the deadline. | He submitted his assignment just under the wire. | The team completed the project under the wire. |
| Up to scratch | Meeting the required standard. | Her cooking is up to scratch with the best chefs. | The report was not up to scratch and needed revisions. |
| Uncalled for | Unnecessary or inappropriate. | His rude comments were uncalled for during the meeting. | The criticism was uncalled for and hurt her feelings. |
| Up the ante | To increase the stakes or demands. | To win the contract, the company decided to up the ante with a better offer. | They upped the ante by offering additional benefits to attract customers. |
| Under the gun | Under pressure to do something. | She’s under the gun to finish the project by Friday. | Ramesh was under the gun to meet the sales targets. |
| Up in smoke | To come to nothing; to be wasted. | All their hard work went up in smoke when the deal fell through. | The plans for the new park went up in smoke due to lack of funding. |
| Under lock and key | Safely locked away. | The confidential files are kept under lock and key. | The valuable jewels are always under lock and key. |
| Up to one’s ears | Deeply involved or busy. | Priya is up to her ears in work with the new project. | He’s up to his ears in debt and needs to find a solution quickly. |
| Until the cows come home | For a very long time. | You can argue until the cows come home, but I won’t change my mind. | They danced and sang until the cows came home at the wedding. |
| Up the creek without a paddle | In a difficult situation without help. | When his car broke down in the middle of nowhere, he was up the creek without a paddle. | She felt up the creek without a paddle after losing her wallet. |
| Under the table | Secretly and often illegally. | They were accused of paying under the table to avoid taxes. | The manager was fired for accepting gifts under the table. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanishing act | To disappear suddenly and unexpectedly. | Raj pulled a vanishing act during the meeting and no one knew where he went. | She did a vanishing act just when it was her turn to present. |
| Vent one’s spleen | To express anger. | After the argument, Rina vented her spleen by writing in her diary. | He vented his spleen on the poor customer service representative. |
| Vanish into thin air | To disappear completely. | The magician made the rabbit vanish into thin air. | Her wallet seemed to vanish into thin air after she put it on the table. |
| Variety is the spice of life | Different experiences make life more interesting. | Rohan believes in trying new foods because variety is the spice of life. | Traveling to different places shows that variety is the spice of life. |
| Vote with one’s feet | To show disapproval by leaving or not participating. | The audience voted with their feet when the speaker started talking nonsense. | Customers are voting with their feet by avoiding the new store. |
| Voice in the wilderness | A lone voice expressing an unpopular opinion. | He was a voice in the wilderness, advocating for environmental reforms. | Her suggestions were like a voice in the wilderness, but she persisted. |
| Vying for attention | Competing for attention. | The two brands are constantly vying for attention in the market. | During the event, the children were all vying for the teacher’s attention. |
| Virtue of necessity | Making the best of a bad situation. | After losing his job, Ramesh made a virtue of necessity by starting his own business. | She turned the small apartment into a cozy home, making a virtue of necessity. |
| Visible to the naked eye | Easily seen without special equipment. | The planet Mars is visible to the naked eye tonight. | The stain on the shirt was visible to the naked eye. |
| Valuable asset | Something or someone that is very useful. | Her knowledge of the industry is a valuable asset to the company. | Good health is a valuable asset that should not be taken for granted. |
| Variety pack | A collection of different items. | The store sells a variety pack of snacks that everyone can enjoy. | He bought a variety pack of teas to try different flavors. |
| Vexed question | A difficult or much debated issue. | The policy on immigration remains a vexed question in many countries. | The future of the old building is a vexed question among the community members. |
| Van Gogh’s ear | To create something beautiful but flawed. | The painting was like Van Gogh’s ear, beautiful but with noticeable imperfections. | His speech was impressive, yet it had moments that were like Van Gogh’s ear. |
| Voice one’s opinion | To express one’s thoughts or feelings. | During the meeting, Priya voiced her opinion on the new policy. | Raj encouraged his team to voice their opinions during the discussion. |
| Vital signs | Indicators of the essential functions of the body. | The doctor’s first task was to check the patient’s vital signs. | The nurse monitored his vital signs throughout the night. |
| Vanity project | A project undertaken for personal pride or prestige. | The new skyscraper is seen by many as the mayor’s vanity project. | Her latest book, criticized as a vanity project, is filled with self-praise. |
| Vent one’s frustration | To express one’s frustration. | When the project was delayed, Rina vented her frustration by talking to her friend. | He went for a run to vent his frustration after a tough day at work. |
| Very picture of | To look exactly like something. | She was the very picture of elegance in her evening gown. | The garden in spring is the very picture of beauty. |
| Vote of confidence | An expression of support. | The new policy received a vote of confidence from the board members. | His promotion was seen as a vote of confidence in his abilities. |
| Value proposition | A promise of value to be delivered. | The company’s value proposition focuses on providing high-quality products at affordable prices. | Understanding the value proposition is key to successful marketing. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wake-up call | A shocking event that changes one’s perspective. | The health scare was a wake-up call for Raj to start living a healthier lifestyle. | The financial crisis served as a wake-up call for the company to improve its practices. |
| Walk a fine line | To balance two different things carefully. | Rina walks a fine line between being a boss and a friend to her employees. | He has to walk a fine line to maintain his work-life balance. |
| Water under the bridge | Something that is past and no longer important. | Their argument is just water under the bridge now. | Let’s forget the misunderstandings; it’s all water under the bridge. |
| Wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve | To openly show one’s emotions. | Priya wears her heart on her sleeve, so you always know how she’s feeling. | Ramesh is not one to wear his heart on his sleeve; he keeps his feelings private. |
| Weather the storm | To survive a difficult situation. | The company managed to weather the storm during the economic downturn. | They had to weather the storm of public criticism after the scandal. |
| Whole nine yards | Everything; all the way. | When she plans a party, she goes the whole nine yards with decorations, food, and entertainment. | He gave the whole nine yards in his final presentation. |
| Wild goose chase | A futile search or pursuit. | Searching for the old document felt like a wild goose chase. | The detectives were on a wild goose chase, following false leads. |
| Win by a landslide | To win by a large margin. | The candidate won by a landslide in the recent elections. | Their team won the debate by a landslide. |
| Word of mouth | Information passed by people talking to each other. | The restaurant became popular through word of mouth. | Most of their new clients come from word of mouth recommendations. |
| Work like a charm | To be very effective. | The new marketing strategy worked like a charm, increasing sales significantly. | Her advice worked like a charm, and he aced the interview. |
| Worn out | Extremely tired. | After the marathon, Rohan was completely worn out. | She felt worn out after a long day at work. |
| Wrap one’s head around | To understand something difficult. | It took him a while to wrap his head around the new software. | She finally wrapped her head around the complex theory. |
| Wrong side of the bed | In a bad mood. | Raj must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed; he’s been grumpy all day. | She was definitely on the wrong side of the bed this morning. |
| Walk on eggshells | To be very careful in dealing with someone. | Everyone had to walk on eggshells around the new boss. | She felt like she was walking on eggshells to avoid upsetting her friend. |
| Water under the bridge | Past events that are no longer significant. | Their old disagreements are now water under the bridge. | Let’s consider the past issues as water under the bridge and move forward. |
| Wolf in sheep’s clothing | Someone who appears harmless but is dangerous. | Be careful of him; he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. | She seemed nice at first, but she turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. |
| Write off | To dismiss something as insignificant. | They decided to write off the old equipment as a loss. | Riya wrote off the incident as a minor setback. |
| Watch your back | To be careful of people around you. | In this competitive environment, you have to watch your back. | She told him to watch his back after hearing about the office politics. |
| Water under the bridge | Something that is past and no longer important. | Their argument is just water under the bridge now. | Let’s forget the misunderstandings; it’s all water under the bridge. |
| Whistle in the dark | To attempt to stay positive in a dire situation. | Even though the project seemed doomed, Ramesh kept whistling in the dark. | She tried to whistle in the dark despite the difficult circumstances. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| X marks the spot | The exact location. | The treasure map said, “X marks the spot,” where the gold is buried. | On the tourist map, X marks the spot of the famous monument. |
| X-factor | A noteworthy special talent or quality. | Her singing has that X-factor which sets her apart from the rest. | The new candidate has the X-factor that the company is looking for. |
| X-rated | Not suitable for children, often due to explicit content. | The movie was X-rated and only available to adults. | Some scenes in the book are X-rated and not appropriate for young readers. |
| X-ray vision | The ability to see through objects. | The doctor seemed to have X-ray vision when diagnosing the injury. | As a joke, they said the superhero had X-ray vision. |
| Xerox copy | An exact copy of something. | His speech was just a Xerox copy of last year’s presentation. | The project proposal was a Xerox copy of an earlier submission. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow-bellied | Cowardly. | Rohan was too yellow-bellied to stand up to the bully. | She called him yellow-bellied for not defending his friend. |
| You can’t have your cake and eat it too | You can’t have everything your way. | Raj wants more free time but also a higher salary; you can’t have your cake and eat it too. | If you want to save money, you can’t have your cake and eat it too by spending on luxuries. |
| You can’t judge a book by its cover | Appearances can be deceptive. | The small café looks unassuming, but you can’t judge a book by its cover; the food is amazing. | She might seem quiet, but you can’t judge a book by its cover; she’s very talented. |
| You’re barking up the wrong tree | Accusing the wrong person or pursuing the wrong course. | If you think I’m the one who broke the vase, you’re barking up the wrong tree. | The police were barking up the wrong tree by suspecting him. |
| You reap what you sow | Your actions dictate the results. | Rina worked hard all year, and now she’s reaping what she sowed with excellent grades. | Raj’s poor performance is a classic case of you reap what you sow. |
| Your guess is as good as mine | I have no idea. | When asked about the launch date, Priya replied, “Your guess is as good as mine.” | Ramesh shrugged and said, “Your guess is as good as mine” when asked about the project’s status. |
| You can’t please everyone | It’s impossible to satisfy everyone. | No matter what decision you make, you can’t please everyone. | She learned that you can’t please everyone, so it’s best to stay true to yourself. |
| You hit the nail on the head | You are exactly right. | When Rohan said the project needed more resources, he hit the nail on the head. | Priya hit the nail on the head with her analysis of the problem. |
| You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink | You can provide opportunities, but you can’t force people to take them. | The teacher can provide the materials, but you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. | You can give advice, but you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. |
| Young at heart | Having a youthful spirit. | Despite being in his 60s, Raj is young at heart and loves to play sports. | She may be a grandmother, but she’s young at heart and enjoys adventure activities. |
| You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours | Mutual cooperation. | Let’s help each other out; you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. | In the business world, it’s often you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. |
| You can’t teach an old dog new tricks | It’s difficult to change someone’s habits. | My grandfather won’t use a smartphone; you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. | Trying to get Ramesh to adopt new methods is tough; you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. |
| You made your bed, now lie in it | You must accept the consequences of your actions. | Rina knew she made her bed when she chose that career path. | After quitting his job, Raj realized he made his bed and now he must lie in it. |
| Your heart’s in the right place | Your intentions are good even if the results are poor. | Ramesh’s plan didn’t work out, but his heart was in the right place. | She may be strict, but her heart is in the right place. |
| You’re only young once | Enjoy your youth while you can. | Raj decided to travel the world because you’re only young once. | She took a gap year after college to explore new places, believing you’re only young once. |
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentence Example 1 | Sentence Example 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zero in on | To focus closely on something. | The detective zeroed in on the main suspect after the new evidence surfaced. | She zeroed in on her target market to boost sales. |
| Zigzag course | A path with many turns and changes in direction. | The river follows a zigzag course through the mountains. | His career has taken a zigzag course, with many different jobs and industries. |
| Zone out | To lose concentration or become inattentive. | During the long lecture, Raj started to zone out. | She tends to zone out when the topic doesn’t interest her. |
| Zip your lip | To stop talking or to be quiet. | He told his friend to zip his lip about the surprise party. | If you can’t say anything nice, it’s better to zip your lip. |
| Zeal of a convert | Intense enthusiasm for something, especially after changing one’s beliefs. | After switching to a plant-based diet, she promoted it with the zeal of a convert. | He embraced the new project management system with the zeal of a convert. |
What does the idiom “break the ice” mean?
If something is described as “a piece of cake,” what does it mean?
What does “spill the beans” mean?
When someone says they are “in the same boat,” what do they mean?
What does it mean to “hit the nail on the head”?
If something comes “out of the blue,” what does it mean?
What does the idiom “over the moon” mean?
When someone “lets the cat out of the bag,” what are they doing?
What does “bite off more than you can chew” mean?
If someone “throws in the towel,” what are they doing?
These quiz questions and answers should help reinforce your understanding of common idioms and their meanings.
What does the idiom “throw a wrench in the works” mean?
If someone is “as cool as a cucumber,” what are they?
What does it mean to “turn the corner”?
When something is “a red herring,” what is it?
What does “burn the midnight oil” mean?
If something “cuts both ways,” what does it mean?
When someone is “in the doldrums,” what are they experiencing?
What does “throw in the towel” mean?
If someone is “holding the bag,” what are they doing?
What does “the ball is in your court” mean?
These questions should provide a bit more of a challenge while still helping to reinforce understanding of idioms and their meanings.
What does the idiom “bark up the wrong tree” mean?
If someone is “pulling your leg,” what are they doing?
What does “take it with a grain of salt” mean?
When someone “beats around the bush,” what are they doing?
What does the idiom “hit the ground running” mean?
If someone is described as “a dark horse,” what does it mean?
What does “jump on the bandwagon” mean?
When someone is “burning the candle at both ends,” what are they doing?
What does “let sleeping dogs lie” mean?
If something is described as “a blessing in disguise,” what does it mean?
These questions should challenge your understanding of idioms and their nuances, helping you to deepen your grasp of advanced idiomatic expressions in English.
