Idioms help you sound more natural in English. They make your speaking clear, strong, and confident. This dictionary is made for idioms learners. You can search any idiom easily. You can also learn idioms from A to Z. Topics are simple too, such as daily life, work, money, time, emotions, relationships, health, travel, nature, and weather.
Each idiom has a simple meaning. It also has a clear definition. You will also see an easy sentence for real conversation. The goal is not to memorize everything at once. Learn a few idioms daily. Read the sentence. Understand the meaning. Then try to use the idiom when you speak.
This dictionary helps you build better vocabulary. It also helps you understand English expressions faster. Use it daily and improve your idioms step by step.
like a sitting duck and like sitting ducks
unguarded; unsuspecting and unaware.
He was waiting there like a sitting duck—a perfect target for a mugger.
like looking for a needle in a haystack
engaged in a hopeless search.
Trying to find a white dog in the snow is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
like one of the family
as if someone (or a pet) were a member of one’s family. (Informal.)
We treat our dog like one of the family.
like water off a duck’s back
without any apparent effect.
Insults rolled off John like water off a duck’s back.
lion’s share (of something)
the larger share of something.
The elder boy always takes the lion’s share of the food.
look like the cat that swallowed the canary and look like the cat that swallowed the cream
to appear self-satisfied, as if one had just had a great success.
After the meeting John looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. I knew he must have been a success.
meet one’s end
to die.
The dog met his end under the wheels of a car.
monkey business
peculiar or out of the ordinary activities, especially mischievous or illegal ones.
There’s been some monkey business in connection with the firm’s accounts.
naked eye
the human eye, unassisted by optics such as a telescope, microscope, or spectacles.
I can’t see the bird’s markings with the naked eye.
neither fish nor fowl
not any recognizable thing.
The car that they drove up in was neither fish nor fowl. It must have been made out of spare parts.
no spring chicken
not young (any more). (Informal.)
I don’t get around very well any more. I’m no spring chicken, you know.
not long for this world
about to die.
Our dog is nearly twelve years old and not long for this world.
on the loose
running around free. (Informal.)
Look out! There is a bear on the loose from the zoo.
open season for something
unrestricted hunting of a particular game animal.
It’s always open season for rabbits around here.
over the odds
more than one would expect to pay. (From betting in horse-racing.)
We had to pay over the odds for a house in the area where we wanted to live.
pig(gy)-in-the-middle
a person who is in a position between two opposing groups.
Jack and Tom share a secretary who is always pigin-the-middle because they are always disagreeing with each other.
pipped at the post
beaten in the final stages of a race or competition; defeated in some activity at the last minute. (Informal. From horse-racing.)
Tom led the race for most of the time, but he was pipped at the post by his rival.
play cat and mouse (with someone)
to capture and release someone over and over; to treat a person in one’s control in such a way that the person does not know what is going to happen next.
The police played cat and mouse with the suspect until they had sufficient evidence to make an arrest.
prick up one’s ears
to listen more closely.
At the sound of my voice, my dog pricked up her ears.
put someone or something out to pasture
to retire someone or something. (Informal. Originally said of a horse which was too old to work.)
Please don’t put me out to pasture. I have lots of good years left.
put the cart before the horse
to have things in the wrong order; to have things confused and mixed up.
You’re eating your dessert! You’ve put the cart before the horse.
put the cat among the pigeons and set the cat among the pigeons
to cause trouble or a disturbance, especially by doing or saying something suddenly or unexpectedly.
Meg put the cat among the pigeons by announcing that she was leaving home.
rat race
a fierce struggle for success, especially in one’s career or business.
Bob’s got tired of the rat race. He’s retired and gone to live in the country.
red herring
a piece of information or suggestion introduced to draw attention away from the truth or real facts of a situation. (A red herring is a type of strong-smelling smoked fish that was once drawn across the trail of scent to mislead hunting dogs and put them off the scent. See also draw a red herring.)
The detectives were following a red herring, but they’re on the right track now.
ruffle someone’s feathers
to upset or annoy someone. (A bird’s feathers become ruffled if it is angry or afraid.)
You certainly ruffled Mrs. Smith’s feathers by criticizing her garden.
run someone or something to earth
to find something after a search. (From a fox-hunt chasing a fox into its hole.)
Jean finally ran her long-lost cousin to earth in Paris.
rush one’s fences
to act hurriedly without enough care or thought. (From horse-riding.)
Jack’s always rushing his fences. He should think things out first.
sacred cow
something that is regarded by some people with such respect and veneration that they don’t like it being criticized by anyone in any way. (From the fact that the cow is regarded as sacred in India.)
University education is a sacred cow in the Smith family. Fred is regarded as a failure because he left school at sixteen.
seeing is believing
one must believe something that one sees.
I never would have thought that a cow could swim, but seeing is believing.
separate the sheep from the goats
to divide people into two groups in order to distinguish the good from the bad, etc.
Working in a place like this really separates the sheep from the goats.
How To Use Idioms Dictionary
- You can use this dictionary in different ways. Start with the idioms you hear often in movies, conversations, or online posts. Search them here and understand their real meaning. Then read the example sentence and try to speak your own sentence.
- You can also learn idioms by topic. Choose daily life idioms for normal conversation. Choose work and business idioms for office English. Choose money, time, emotion, relationship, health, travel, nature, and weather idioms to improve your topic-based vocabulary.
- A good way to learn is to save your favorite idioms in a notebook. Write the idiom, its meaning, and your own sentence. Review them after a few days. This will help you remember them better.
- Do not use idioms everywhere. Use them only when they fit the situation. The goal is to sound natural, not forced.
- Keep learning slowly. A few useful idioms daily can improve your English speaking a lot.
Here’s a separate section for kids: 100 Common Idioms for Kids
FAQs about Idioms Dictionary
An idiom is a group of words with a special meaning. You cannot always understand it by translating each word.
Type the full idiom or any main word in the search box. The dictionary will show matching idioms with meaning and sentence.
Start with a few idioms daily. Read the meaning, understand the sentence, and try to make your own sentence.
Yes. You can learn idioms by topics like daily life, work, money, time, emotions, relationships, health, travel, nature, and weather.
Yes. The meanings and sentences are written in simple English, so beginners can understand and practice easily.
Idioms help you sound more natural in English. Use them in the right situation to make your speaking more confident.
No. Use idioms only when they fit the situation. The goal is to sound natural, not forced.
