Idioms are commonly used expressions with meanings that are different from the words themselves. Native speakers use idioms in everyday conversations, business, and informal speech.
For example, the idiom “break a leg” doesn’t mean breaking a bone. Instead, it means “good luck”.
Learning idioms will help you sound more fluent and natural in English. Below, you’ll find 50 of the most common English idioms along with their meanings and examples.
Common English Idioms with Their Meanings and Examples
-
Break a leg – Good luck.
Example: You have an exam tomorrow? Break a leg! -
Cost an arm and a leg – To be very expensive.
Example: I wanted to buy that car, but it cost an arm and a leg! -
Let the cat out of the bag – To reveal a secret.
Example: She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party. -
Under the weather – Feeling sick.
Example: I can’t come to work today, I’m under the weather. -
Spill the beans – To reveal secret information.
Example: He spilled the beans about their wedding plans. -
Bite the bullet – To do something difficult or unpleasant.
Example: I hate going to the dentist, but I’ll bite the bullet and go. -
Burn the midnight oil – To work late into the night.
Example: She burned the midnight oil to finish her project. -
Pull someone’s leg – To joke or trick someone.
Example: I thought he was serious, but he was just pulling my leg. -
Cut to the chase – Get to the point.
Example: We don’t have much time, so let’s cut to the chase. -
The ball is in your court – It’s your turn to decide.
Example: I’ve given you all the details, now the ball is in your court. -
Throw in the towel – To give up.
Example: After trying for hours, he finally threw in the towel. -
Go the extra mile – To put in extra effort.
Example: She always goes the extra mile to help customers. -
Once in a blue moon – Very rarely.
Example: I eat fast food once in a blue moon. -
A blessing in disguise – Something bad that turns out good.
Example: Losing that job was a blessing in disguise. -
Keep an eye on – To watch carefully.
Example: Can you keep an eye on my bag? -
Call it a day – To stop working.
Example: We’ve been working for hours, let’s call it a day. -
On the same page – To have the same understanding.
Example: Let’s make sure we are on the same page before we continue. -
Piece of cake – Something very easy.
Example: The test was a piece of cake. -
Hit the books – To study hard.
Example: I need to hit the books for my exam. -
Kick the bucket – To die.
Example: The old man finally kicked the bucket at 95. -
On thin ice – In a risky or dangerous situation.
Example: He’s on thin ice after missing another deadline at work. -
A penny for your thoughts – Asking what someone is thinking.
Example: You’ve been quiet. A penny for your thoughts? -
Bite off more than you can chew – To take on too much work.
Example: I bit off more than I could chew by accepting two jobs. -
Cry over spilled milk – To be upset over something that cannot be changed.
Example: The mistake is already made, so don’t cry over spilled milk. -
Hit the sack – To go to bed.
Example: I’m really tired, so I’m going to hit the sack early tonight. -
In hot water – In trouble.
Example: He is in hot water for missing the deadline. -
Give someone the cold shoulder – To ignore someone.
Example: She gave me the cold shoulder after our argument. -
Lose your touch – To lose a skill.
Example: He used to be a great singer, but he’s losing his touch. -
The last straw – The final problem in a series.
Example: His rude comment was the last straw. -
Let someone off the hook – To free someone from responsibility.
Example: The teacher let him off the hook for forgetting homework. -
Burn bridges – To destroy relationships.
Example: Be careful not to burn bridges with your boss. -
Play it by ear – To do something without a plan.
Example: We don’t have reservations, so we’ll play it by ear. -
Rule of thumb – A general guideline.
Example: A good rule of thumb is to proofread your work. -
A dime a dozen – Something very common.
Example: Cheap souvenirs are a dime a dozen in tourist areas. -
Easy come, easy go – Something gained easily is lost easily.
Example: I lost some money at the casino, but easy come, easy go. -
Put all your eggs in one basket – To risk everything on one plan.
Example: Investing all your money in one company is like putting all your eggs in one basket. -
Keep your chin up – Stay positive.
Example: Even after failing the test, he kept his chin up. -
Cut corners – To do something in a cheap or easy way, often by skipping important steps.
Example: The builders cut corners, and the house had many issues. -
Sit on the fence – To avoid making a decision.
Example: She’s sitting on the fence about which university to choose. -
Under one’s nose – Something obvious that someone doesn’t notice.
Example: The keys were right under his nose the whole time! -
Speak of the devil – When someone you were just talking about appears.
Example: Speak of the devil, here comes Jake! -
Head over heels – Deeply in love.
Example: He’s head over heels for her. -
Turn a blind eye – To ignore something bad.
Example: The teacher turned a blind eye to their talking. -
When pigs fly – Something that will never happen.
Example: He’ll clean his room when pigs fly. -
Rain cats and dogs – To rain very heavily.
Example: We had to cancel the picnic because it was raining cats and dogs. -
See eye to eye – To agree with someone.
Example: They finally saw eye to eye on the new project plan. -
Give the benefit of the doubt – To trust someone even without proof.
Example: I didn’t see what happened, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. -
Miss the boat – To miss an opportunity.
Example: I wanted to buy that phone on sale, but I waited too long and missed the boat. -
Hit the road – To leave or start a journey.
Example: We should hit the road early to avoid traffic. -
Hit the nail on the head – To be exactly right.
Example: He hit the nail on the head with his explanation.
Common English Idioms Quiz
1. If something is very easy, we say it’s ___.
a) A blessing in disguise
b) A piece of cake
c) Time flies
2. When someone works very late into the night, we say they ___.
a) Burn the midnight oil
b) Call it a day
c) Get cold feet
3. If something is very expensive, it ___.
a) Costs an arm and a leg
b) Saves for a rainy day
c) Makes ends meet
4. “Better late than never” means ___.
a) It’s okay to do something late rather than not at all
b) You should never be late
c) Time moves quickly
5. If someone is extremely happy, they are ___.
a) Over the moon
b) Hitting the nail on the head
c) Living from hand to mouth
6. When someone stops working for the day, they ___.
a) Call it a day
b) Go the extra mile
c) Bite their tongue
7. If something rarely happens, we say it happens ___.
a) In the nick of time
b) Once in a blue moon
c) Jump for joy
8. If someone saves money for future problems, they ___.
a) Save for a rainy day
b) Hit the ground running
c) Bring home the bacon
9. When someone starts a job with great enthusiasm, they ___.
a) Hit the ground running
b) Learn the ropes
c) Climb the corporate ladder
10. If someone tells a joke to start a conversation, they are ___.
a) Breaking the ice
b) Making ends meet
c) Crying over spilled milk
Quiz Answers
1) A piece of cake
2) Burn the midnight oil
3) Costs an arm and a leg
4) It’s okay to do something late rather than not at all
5) Over the moon
6) Call it a day
7) Once in a blue moon
8) Save for a rainy day
9) Hit the ground running
10) Breaking the ice
