100 Idioms: Meanings & Examples

Here are 100 common English idioms with meanings and example sentences:

1. A blessing in disguise

• Meaning: Something that seems bad or unlucky at first but turns out to be good.
• Example: Losing that job was a blessing in disguise because it pushed me to start my own business.

2. A dime a dozen

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• Meaning: Very common and easy to find.
• Example: Those souvenir keychains are a dime a dozen at the tourist shops.

3. All ears

• Meaning: Fully listening and paying attention.
• Example: Go ahead, I’m all ears. Tell me what’s been on your mind.

4. All in the same boat

• Meaning: In the same situation or predicament.
• Example: Everybody on staff got a pay cut – we’re all in the same boat.

5. Barking up the wrong tree

• Meaning: Accusing or blaming the wrong person.
• Example: If you think I took your book, you’re barking up the wrong tree. I haven’t seen it.

6. Beat around the bush

• Meaning: Avoiding the main topic or being indirect.
• Example: Stop beating around the bush and tell me why you didn’t show up to my birthday party.

7. Bite the bullet

• Meaning: To face a difficult or unpleasant situation bravely.
• Example: I have to bite the bullet and tell him the truth, even though it might hurt him.

8.Bury the hatchet

• Meaning: To reconcile or make peace after a conflict.
• Example: After years of not speaking to each other, they finally decided to bury the hatchet and become friends again.

9. By the skin of your teeth

• Meaning: Just barely or narrowly escaping a difficult situation.
• Example: I passed the exam by the skin of my teeth; I got the minimum required score.

10. Call it a day

• Meaning: To stop working or to end an activity.
• Example: We’ve been painting all afternoon; let’s call it a day and continue tomorrow.

11. Cold feet

• Meaning: Feeling nervous or hesitant about doing something.
• Example: I was going to ask her out, but I got cold feet at the last moment.

12. Cost an arm and a leg

• Meaning: To be very expensive.
• Example: That luxury car must have cost him an arm and a leg.

13. Cry over spilled milk

• Meaning: To worry or complain about something that has already happened and cannot be changed.
• Example: Yes, we made a mistake, but there’s no use crying over spilled milk. Let’s focus on finding a solution.

14. Cut corners

• Meaning: To do something quickly or take shortcuts, often sacrificing quality.
• Example: Don’t cut corners on this project; it needs to be excellent to impress the new client.

15. Drive someone up the wall

• Meaning: To irritate or annoy someone greatly.
• Example: Her constant humming drives me up the wall; I can’t concentrate with that noise.

16. Silver lining

• Meaning: something positive in a difficult situation.
• Example: Losing my job was tough, but the silver lining was that I found a new career opportunity.

17. Face the music

• Meaning: To confront the consequences of one’s actions.
• Example: You made a mistake, and now you have to face the music and accept the criticism.

18. Get a taste of your own medicine

• Meaning: Experience the same negative treatment you have given to others.
• Example: After constantly making fun of others, he finally got a taste of his own medicine when they started teasing him.

19. Get the ball rolling

• Meaning: To start a process or activity.
• Example: Let’s get the ball rolling on this project and assign tasks to the team members.

20. Give someone the benefit of the doubt

• Meaning: To believe someone’s statement or excuse without being too suspicious.
• Example: I don’t have any evidence, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and trust his explanation.

21. Go the extra mile

• Meaning: To put in extra effort or do more than what is expected.
• Example: If you want to succeed in this competitive industry, you need to go the extra mile.

22. Hit the nail on the head

• Meaning: To identify or describe something accurately.
• Example: She hit the nail on the head when she said that our team needs better communication.

23. In the heat of the moment

• Meaning: In a moment of intense emotion, when we act or speak impulsively without thinking.
• Example: I didn’t mean to say those hurtful words; I said them in the heat of the moment.

24. It’s a piece of cake

• Meaning: Something is very easy or simple to do.
• Example: Don’t worry about the test; it’s a piece of cake. You’ll do fine.

25. Keep your chin up

• Meaning: To remain positive and optimistic during difficult times.
• Example: Even though he faced many rejections, he kept his chin up and continued to pursue his dream.

26. Kill two birds with one stone

• Meaning: Accomplish two things at the same time with a single action.
• Example: By taking the train instead of driving, she kills two birds with one stone – saves money and helps the environment.

27. Let the cat out of the bag

• Meaning: To reveal a secret or confidential information.
• Example: She accidentally let the cat out of the bag and spoiled the surprise party.

28. Like a fish out of water

• Meaning: Feeling uncomfortable or out of place in a particular situation.
• Example: As a city person, I feel like a fish out of water when I visit rural areas.

29. Make a long story short

• Meaning: To give a brief summary or conclusion.
• Example: He rambled on about his trip, but to make a long story short, he had an amazing time.

30. Miss the boat

• Meaning: To miss an opportunity or chance.
• Example: I didn’t apply for the scholarship on time, so I missed the boat.

31. Not my cup of tea

• Meaning: Something that is not to your liking or preference.
• Example: I tried skiing, but it’s not my cup of tea – I don’t enjoy the cold.

32. On cloud nine

• Meaning: Feeling extremely happy or joyful.
• Example: When she got the job offer, she was on cloud nine; it was her dream job.

33. Once in a blue moon

• Meaning: Happens very rarely.
• Example: We eat at home most of the time; we go to restaurants once in a blue moon – for special occasions.

34. Out of the blue

• Meaning: Unexpectedly or without any warning.
• Example: I hadn’t spoken to her in years, and then out of the blue, she called me yesterday.

35. Over the moon

• Meaning: Delighted or extremely happy.
• Example: She was over the moon when she received her acceptance letter from the university.

36. Pull someone’s leg

• Meaning: To tease or joke with someone.
• Example: He’s just pulling your leg; he doesn’t really mean what he said.

37. Put the cart before the horse

• Meaning: Doing things in the wrong order.
• Example: You’re putting the cart before the horse by buying furniture before finding a place to live.

38. Raining cats and dogs

• Meaning: Raining heavily.
• Example: We can’t go outside; it’s raining cats and dogs.

39. Not ring a bell

• Meaning: Not sound familiar or trigger a vague memory.
• Example: I don’t think I know him – his name doesn’t ring a bell.

40. Rule of thumb

• Meaning: A general principle or guideline.
• Example: As a rule of thumb, it’s better to arrive early for meetings.

41. Shoot yourself in the foot

• Meaning: To do something that harms oneself unintentionally.
• Example: He shot himself in the foot by quitting his job without having another one lined up.

42. On the fence

• Meaning: To remain neutral or undecided in a dispute or issue.
• Example: I can’t decide which car to buy, so I’m on the fence for now.

43. Skeletons in the closet

• Meaning: Hidden or embarrassing secrets from the past.
• Example: The journalist investigated the famous singer, trying to find some skeletons in the closet.

44. Take a rain check

• Meaning: To postpone or reschedule a plan or invitation.
• Example: I’m sorry, I can’t make it to the concert tonight. Can I take a rain check?

45. The ball is in your court

• Meaning: It’s your turn to take action or make a decision.
• Example: I’ve given you all the information; now the ball is in your court.

46. The best of both worlds

• Meaning: Enjoying the benefits of two different things at the same time.
• Example: Working part-time allows me to have a career and spend time with my family. It’s the best of both worlds.

47. Show someone the ropes

• Meaning: teach someone the details of a task or procedure
• During my first week on the job, my co-workers showed me the ropes.

48. The whole nine yards

• Meaning: Everything, or the full extent of something.
• Example: I’ll make sure you have everything you need—equipment, resources, the whole nine yards.

49. Through thick and thin

• Meaning: Supporting or being loyal to someone during good times and bad times.
• Example: We’ve been friends for over 20 years, through thick and thin.

50. Throw in the towel

• Meaning: To give up or surrender.
• Example: After struggling with the homework for hours, he finally threw in the towel.

51. Turn a blind eye

• Meaning: To ignore or pretend not to notice something.
• Example: The teacher turned a blind eye to the students whispering during the exam.

52. Under the weather

• Meaning: Feeling sick.
• Example: I won’t be able to come to work today; I’m feeling under the weather.

53. Off The Hook

• Meaning: Freed from an obligation
• Example: I was going to give a class on Saturday, but they found another teacher to do it, so I’m off the hook.

54. Up in the air

• Meaning: Uncertain or not confirmed.
• Example: The date for the meeting is still up in the air; we need to schedule it.

55. When it rains, it pours

• Meaning: Bad things often happen in clusters or all at once.
• Example: First, my car broke down, then I lost my wallet. When it rains, it pours!

56. Wrap your head around something

• Meaning: To understand or comprehend something complex or difficult.
• Example: It took me a while to wrap my head around the new software, but now I understand how to use it.

57. Throw someone for a loop

• Meaning: Distract, confuse, or surprise someone suddenly.
• Example: I think I answered all the questions in the job interview pretty well – except for the random one about my personal life. I wasn’t expecting it, so it threw me for a loop.

58. At the drop of a hat

• Meaning: Immediately or without hesitation.
• Example: He’s always ready to help at the drop of a hat.

59. At the end of your rope

• Meaning: Completely annoyed, exhausted, or desperate, with no more patience or energy.
• Example: After dealing with two disobedient kids all day, I was at the end of my rope.

60. Pipe down!

• Meaning: Be quiet!
• Example: Hey kids, pipe down! This is a library and people are trying to study.

61. Cross that bridge when you come to it

• Meaning: To deal with a problem or worry about something when it actually happens.
• Example: I’m not sure what to do if I fail the test, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

62. Drop the ball

• Meaning: To make a mistake or fail to do something properly.
• Example: He dropped the ball by forgetting to send the important email on time.

63. Elephant in the room

• Meaning: An obvious problem or issue that no one wants to address.
• Example: We need to talk about the budget cuts; it’s the elephant in the room.

64. Get off on the wrong foot

• Meaning: To start a relationship or situation poorly or with a misunderstanding.
• Example: We got off on the wrong foot, but we can still work things out and improve our communication.

65. Go down in flames

• Meaning: To fail spectacularly or experience a significant defeat or failure.
• Example: Their new product launch went down in flames, and they lost a lot of money.

66. Go with the flow

• Meaning: To adapt to a situation or accept things as they come.
• Example: I don’t have a specific plan for the weekend; I’ll just go with the flow and see what happens.

67. Hang in there

• Meaning: To persevere or keep going despite difficulties or challenges.
• Example: I know it’s tough, but hang in there; things will get better.

68. In hot water

• Meaning: In trouble or facing difficulties due to a mistake or wrongdoing.
• Example: He found himself in hot water after missing an important deadline.

69. Jump on the bandwagon

• Meaning: To join or support something that is currently popular or successful.
• Example: Everyone is using that new social media platform, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon.

70. Kick the bucket

• Meaning: Die (very informal)
• Example: I’d love to visit Jamaica someday before I kick the bucket.

71. Swallow something hook, line, and sinker

• Meaning: To believe something completely – usually something that is not true.
• Example: When I got back late from the party, I told my mom I had been studying for a final exam at a friend’s house. She swallowed it hook, line, and sinker.

72. Show your true colors

• Meaning: Reveal the true nature of your character
• Example: When things get stressful, that’s when people start to show their true colors

73. On thin ice

• Meaning: In a dangerous situation.
• Example: He’s on thin ice with his boss after making multiple mistakes.

74. Play it by ear

• Meaning: To decide or act based on the situation as it develops, rather than having a fixed plan.
• Example: We don’t have a specific itinerary; we’ll just play it by ear and see what we feel like doing.

75. Save your breath

• Meaning: To stop wasting your time and effort saying things that won’t have any effect.
• Example: Trying to convince him to change his mind is pointless; save your breath.

76. Steal the show

• Meaning: To attract the most attention or praise.
• Example: Her performance was incredible; she stole the show with her singing and dancing.

77. Take it with a grain of salt

• Meaning: To receive/consider information with skepticism or doubt.
• Example: I heard a rumor, but I took it with a grain of salt until I had more information.

78. clear as mud

• Meaning: information or communication is NOT clear at all.
• Example: My friend tried to explain how to get to his house, but his directions were as clear as mud and we got lost.

79. jump the gun

• Meaning: Do something too early, before the appropriate time
• Example: She jumped the gun and announced the winner before the final results were officially declared.

80. get your wires crossed

• Meaning: Have a miscommunication
• Example: We must have gotten our wires crossed – I wanted you to come at 7 PM, not 7 AM.

81. Throw caution to the wind

• Meaning: To take a risk or act without considering the potential consequences.
• Example: Despite her friends’ warnings, she decided to throw caution to the wind and quit her job to pursue her passion.

82. Lose your touch

• Meaning: To lose the skill or ability that one once had.
• Example: After years of not playing the piano, he realized he had lost his touch and struggled to play a simple melody.

83. Off the chain

• Meaning: Refers to something that is exciting, exceptional, or out of control.
• Example: The concert last night was off the chain! The energy in the crowd was unbelievable.

84. Eyeball it

• Meaning: To estimate or measure something by using one’s judgment or visual assessment.
• Example: We didn’t have a ruler, so we had to eyeball the length of the table and hope it would fit in the room.

85. Spice things up

• Meaning: To add excitement or variety to a situation or relationship.
• Example: Let’s try a new restaurant tonight to spice things up.

86. Bring home the bacon

• Meaning: To earn a living or provide financial support for one’s family.
• Example: She works two jobs to bring home the bacon and support her children.

87. Nip something in the bud

• Meaning: To stop or prevent a problem or situation from developing further.
• Example: My 5-year-old started telling lies; we had to discipline her to nip that habit in the bud.

88. The last straw

• Meaning: The final event or action that makes a situation unbearable or prompts a strong reaction.
• Example: When he forgot their anniversary, it was the last straw for her, and she decided to end the relationship.

89. A whole new ballgame

• Meaning: A completely different situation or set of circumstances.
• Example: We had to change our lifestyle after we had kids – it was a whole new ballgame.

90. Burn the midnight oil

• Meaning: To work or study late into the night.
• Example: I’m exhausted because I was burning the midnight oil yesterday.

91. Between a rock and a hard place

• Meaning: Trapped in a difficult or impossible situation, having to choose between two unfavorable options.
• Example: She was between a rock and a hard place when both job offers required her to relocate.

92. Play devil’s advocate

• Meaning: Argue an opposing perspective in order to generate critical thinking or debate.
• Example: I know everyone’s in favor of this plan, but let me play devil’s advocate – what will we do if it all goes wrong?

93. Put your foot in your mouth

• Meaning: To say something embarrassing, inappropriate, or offensive by accident.
• Example: I put my foot in my mouth when I asked her if she was pregnant, but she wasn’t.

94. Get a grip

• Meaning: To regain control over one’s emotions or behavior.
• Example: He needs to get a grip and stop letting his anger affect his relationships.

95. Piece of work

• Meaning: Used to describe someone who is difficult, eccentric, or challenging to deal with.
• Example: I love my cousin, but she’s a real piece of work – she gets offended over the slightest things.

96. Put someone on the spot

• Meaning: To ask someone a difficult question or request an immediate response, often in a public or challenging situation.
• Example: During the meeting, the boss put him on the spot by asking him to present his idea without any preparation.

97. a night owl

• Meaning: Someone who likes to stay up late.
• Example: My son’s a night owl – he never goes to bed before 2 AM.

98. has seen better days

• Meaning: Something is old and in not-so-great condition.
• Example: I’ve had this car for over fifteen years… it’s seen better days.

99. get bent out of shape

• Meaning: Become angry, upset or offended, especially about something which in your opinion doesn’t justify such a reaction.
• Example: My roommate is a neat freak, and he gets bent out of shape if I leave a single spoon on the kitchen counter.

100. Play your cards right

• Meaning: Use your resources in a way that leads to success.
• Example: Your supervisor really likes you. If you play your cards right, you could get promoted soon.

Now you know 100 common idiomatic expressions and their meanings. I hope these idioms + examples are helpful!

• Learn more: List of idioms with their definitions

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