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.
(as) bold as brass
brazen; very bold and impertinent.
She went up to her lover’s wife, bold as brass.
(as) thick as two short planks
very stupid. (Informal.)
Jim must be as thick as two short planks, not able to understand the plans.
act the goat
deliberately to behave in a silly or eccentric way; to play the fool. (Informal.)
He was asked to leave the class because he was always acting the goat.
airs and graces
proud behaviour adopted by one who is trying to impress others by appearing more important than one actually is.
She is only a junior secretary, but from her airs and graces you would think she was managing director.
all thumbs
very awkward and clumsy, especially with one’s hands. (Informal.)
Poor Bob can’t play the piano at all. He’s all thumbs.
as black as one is painted
as evil or unpleasant as one is thought to be. (Usually negative.)
The landlord is not as black as he is painted. He seems quite generous.
be old hat
to be old-fashioned; to be outmoded. (Informal.)
That’s a silly idea. It’s old hat.
beyond the pale
unacceptable; outlawed. (The Pale historically was the area of English government around Dublin. The people who lived outside this area were regarded as uncivilized.)
Your behaviour is simply beyond the pale.
bow and scrape
to be very humble and subservient.
Please don’t bow and scrape. We are all equal here.
bull in a china shop
a very clumsy person around breakable things; a thoughtless or tactless person. ( China is fine crockery.)
Look at Bill, as awkward as a bull in a china shop.
cast in the same mould
very similar.
The two sisters are cast in the same mould—equally mean.
change someone’s tune
to change the manner, attitude, or behaviour of a person, usually from bad to good, or from rude to pleasant.
The cashier was most unpleasant until she learned that I’m a bank director. Then she changed her tune.
cheese-paring
mean; niggardly.
He was too cheese-paring to eat properly.
cock-and-bull story
a silly, made-up story; a story which is untrue.
Don’t give me that cock-and-bull story.
cut someone down to size
to make a person more humble.
John’s remarks really cut me down to size.
do someone proud
to treat someone generously. (Informal.)
What a good hotel. The conference has done us proud.
dose of one’s own medicine
the same kind of, usually bad, treatment which one gives to other people. (Often with get or have. )
Sally is never very friendly. Someone is going to give her a dose of her own medicine someday and ignore her.
eat humble pie
to act very humbly, especially when one has been shown to be wrong; to accept humiliation.
I think I’m right, but if I’m wrong, I’ll eat humble pie.
eat one’s hat
a phrase telling the kind of thing that one would do if a very unlikely event were actually to happen.
I’ll eat my hat if you get a rise.
fall from grace
to cease to be held in favour, especially because of some wrong or foolish action.
He was the teacher’s prize pupil until he fell from grace by failing the history exam.
feather in one’s cap
an honour; something of which one can be proud.
Getting a new client was really a feather in my cap.
fool’s paradise
a condition of apparent happiness that is based on false assumptions and will not last. (Treated as a place grammatically.)
They think they can live on love alone, but they are living in a fool’s paradise.
fun and games
playing around; someone’s lively behaviour. (Informal.)
All right, Bill, the fun and games are over. It’s time to get down to work.
generous to a fault
too generous.
My favourite uncle is generous to a fault.
give of oneself
to be generous with one’s time and concern.
Tom is very good with children because he gives of himself.
give someone the shirt off one’s back
to be very generous or solicitous towards someone.
Tom really likes Bill. He’d give Bill the shirt off his back.
give the devil his due and give the devil her due
to give your foe proper credit (for something). (This usually refers to a person who has acted in an evil way—like the devil.)
She’s generally impossible, but I have to give the devil her due. She’s always honest.
have a heart
to be compassionate; to be generous and forgiving.
Oh, have a heart! Give me some help!
have a heart of gold
to be generous, sincere, and friendly.
Mary is such a lovely person. She has a heart of gold.
have an out
to have an excuse; to have a (literal or figurative) means of escape or avoiding something. (Informal.)
He’s very clever. No matter what happens, he always has an out.
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.
