Idioms Definition and Examples!
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Idioms Definition Idioms Definition and Examples
“Proverbs are a group of words that are established to be used as a meaning that is not found in each of the words (e.g. over a month, see light).” Sayings can reduce your speaking time and increase your confidence in speaking English.
We provide illustrated sayings and meaningful expressions. Using idioms in your daily conversation you can raise your voice. Below is a list of phrases you can use in your daily conversation. Examples of examples are given below.
A simple definition is, “a phrase, phrase, or group of words that have a symbolic meaning (not a literal), which has been accepted in the same way.”
Idioms Definition and Examples
Here are 150 idiomatic phrases:
IDIOMS WITH EXAMPLES
| Up with the lark | He wakes up with the lark and goes to the fields. |
| Under a cloud | At present, he is under a cloud due to failure. |
| Tongue in cheek | He speaks-with tongue in cheek. He is not sincere with others. |
| To turn a deaf ear to | He will turn a deaf ear to my sincere advice. |
| To the backbone | He is an honest person to the backbone. You can trust him. |
| To nip something in the bud | We must nip social evils in the bud If we want to progress. |
| To keep at arm’s length | Keep bad boy at arm’s length. |
| To have an ax to grind | He is selfish. He has always his own ax to grind. |
| To end in fiasco | The debate about separate institutes for girls will end in a fiasco. Idioms Definition and Examples |
| To curry favor | He is clever. He will curry favor of his boss to get a promotion. |
| To burn one’s fingers | You will burn your fingers if you don’t keep away from bad company. |
| To blow one’s own trumpet | He blows his own trumpet to impress others. |
| To be at loggers head | John and Joe are at loggers head because of money. |
| The swan song | This poem was a swan song of this poet. |
| The man in the street | The man in the street is not interested in IQ. |
| The fourth estate | No one can deny the importance of the fourth estate fora progressive count. |
| Square hole | He is a square hole in this job. He should do Some other work. |
| Smooth sailing | Teaching is not smooth sailing. It demands sacrifices. |
| Small Talk | I never engage myself in small talk. |
| Scot-free | He will get scot-free though he has committed, a crime. |
| Red tape | He can’t get a promotion soon because of red tape. |
| Point blank | He proved selfish. He refused to help me point-blank. |
| Once in a blue moon | He comes here once in a blue moon. You should not wait for him. Idioms Definition and Examples |
| On the horns of a dilemma | She is on the horns of a dilemma and can’t decide about her wedding. |
| On the anvil | New plans about the education system are on the anvil. |
| Man of parts | There is no doubt that Joe was a man of parts. |
| Lion’s share | I shall get a lion’s share from my father’s property. |
| Last straw | He is really poor and his job is his last straw. |
| Iron will | There is no doubt that the Quaid-e-Azam was a man of iron will. |
| In the good books | Shikha is in my good books due to her good performance. |
| In one’s elements | He was in his element after getting success in the examination. |
| In full swing | The semi-final match between Zealand and South Africa is in full swing. |
| In a fix | He is in a fix as to what to do. |
| Hornet’s nest | He will stir up a hornet’s nest by abusing John. |
| Hold water | Your statement holds water in this matter. |
| Herculean task | To get success in M.A. English is a herculean task. |
| Hand in glove with | Success and failure are hands in glove with each other. |
| French leave | He is dishonest and will enjoy himself a french leave. |
| Foul play | I observe a foul play in your plans. |
| Fair play | I have fair play with my workers. I can’t deceive them. |
| Eyewash | His success is only an eyewash. |
| Every inch | He is every inch an honest boy. |
| Crocodile tears | He will shed crocodile tears to show his grief. |
| Chicken hearted | Ali is a chicken-hearted boy, He will keep away from any fight. |
| Bluestocking | She is a bluestocking girl. She takes part in poetry-contests. |
| Birds of a feather | Birds of a feather fly together. |
| Below the belt | Don’t hit below the belt in the game, |
| At one’s beck and call | He is always at the beck and call of his boss. |
| At daggers drawn | John and Joe are at daggers drawn with each other. |
| At a stone’s throw | My college is at a stone’s throw from the house. |
| An oily tongue | You cannot deceive me by your oily tongue. |
| An iron hand | He-will punishes you with an iron hand if you commit any error. |
| An apple of discord | Money is an apple of discord for them. |
| A willing horse | I am not a willing horse. I shall do work on my own choice. |
| A wild goose chase | He made a wild goose chase to get success. |
| A white lie | Don’t tell a white lie. Always speak the truth. |
| A white elephant | His old car is like a white elephant. |
| A wet blanket | I am sure that he will prove himself a wet blanket. |
| A turncoat | A politician in Pakistan is often a turncoat. |
| A storm In the teacup | His protest is just a storm in the cup. |
| A square meal | He is very poor and can’t get a square meal. |
| A square deal | I have always a square deal with my customers. |
| A snake in the grass | Beware of him, He is a snake in the grass. |
| A skeleton in the cupboard | Almost every family has a skeleton in the cupboard. |
| A ruling passion | Money has become a ruling passion for everybody in the present age. Idioms Definition and Examples |
| A right-hand man | John is my right-hand man. He always helps me. |
| A red rag to the bull | Your name is a red rag to the bull for your enemy. |
| A red-letter day | Sunday is a red-letter day for a working man. |
| A rainy day | Save something for a rainy day if you want to lead your life happily. |
| A queer fish | Your new boss is a queer fish because he has strange habits. |
| A necessary evil | Examinations are a necessary evil. |
| A man of straw | Aslam is a man of straw. He can’t help you. |
| A man of spirit | It is true that John was a man of spirits. |
| A man of letters | My uncle is a man of letters. He can impress everybody. |
| A maiden speech | His maiden speech in college was very good. |
| A laughing stock | Because of his strange dress, he made himself a laughing stock. |
| A labor of love | Cooking for the family is a labor of love. |
| A jack of all trades | John is a jack of all trades but master of none. |
| A henpecked husband | Aslam is a henpecked can’t make any decision alone. |
| A hat trick | John had a hat trick in the cricket match. |
| A hard nut to crack | To get success in the B.A. examination is a hard nut to crack. |
| A hairbreadth escape | He had a hairbreadth escape from the road accident. |
| A fish out of water | My life is like a fish out of water without my books. |
| A feather in one’s cap | His position in the class is a feather in his cap. |
| A fair-weather friend | Don’t trust him. He is a fair-weather friend. |
| A dead letter | This law is a dead letter. It has no importance now. |
| A dark horse | He will prove a dark horse by getting the first position in the B.A. examination. |
| A cold-blooded murder | The killing of Joe and John was a cold-blooded murder. |
| A cock and bull story | He told me a cock and bull story. |
| A close-fisted man | Ahmed is a close-fisted man. He does not spend any money. |
| A cat and dog life | The husband and wife often lead a cat and dog life. |
| A burning question | The question between Pakistan and India. |
| A brown study | Startled him from his brown study. |
| A bosom friend | Ali is my bosom friend. He always helps me. |
| A bone of contention | Kashmir is a bone of contention between Pakistan and India. |
| A bolt from the blue | His failure was a bolt from the blue for his parents. |
| A blue-eyed boy | He is a blue-eyed boy of his parents. |
| A black sheep | Aslam is the black sheep in his family because he is a thief. |
| A bird’s eye view | I took a bird’s eye view of the books. |
| A bird of passage | He is just a bird of passage. You should not trust him. |
| A bed of thorns | Life is a bed of thorns. |
| A bed of roses | Life is not a bed of roses. |
| A beast of burden | The donkey is a beast of burden. |
| A blue-eyed boy | He is a blue-eyed boy of his parents. |
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