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.
all ears (and eyes)
listening eagerly and carefully. (Informal.)
Well, hurry up and tell me! I’m all ears.
at someone’s beck and call
always ready to obey someone.
What makes you think I wait around here at your beck and call? I live here, too, you know!
at the top of one’s voice
with a very loud voice.
Bill called to Mary at the top of his voice.
beat about the bush
to avoid answering a question or discussing a subject directly; to stall; to waste time.
Let’s stop beating about the bush and discuss this matter.
before you can say Jack Robinson
almost immediately.
And before you could say Jack Robinson, the bird flew away.
beggar description
to be impossible to describe well enough to give an accurate picture; to be impossible to do justice to in words.
Her cruelty to her child beggars description.
bend someone’s ear
to talk to someone at length, perhaps annoyingly. (Informal.)
Tom is over there bending Jane’s ear about something.
beyond words
more than one can say. (Especially with grateful and thankful. )
Sally was thankful beyond words at being released.
bite someone’s head off
to speak sharply and angrily to someone. (Informal.)
There was no need to bite Mary’s head off just because she was five minutes late.
blow hot and cold
to be changeable or uncertain (about something). (Informal.)
He keeps blowing hot and cold on the question of moving to the country.
break one’s word
not to do what one said one would; not to keep one’s promise.
Don’t say you’ll visit your grandmother if you can’t go. She hates for people to break their word.
break the ice
to start social communication and conversation.
Tom is so outgoing. He’s always the first one to break the ice at parties.
break the news (to someone)
to tell someone some important news, usually bad news.
The doctor had to break the news to Jane about her husband’s cancer.
bush telegraph
the informal, usually rapid spreading of news or information by word of mouth.
The bush telegraph tells me that the manager is leaving.
by return post
by a subsequent immediate posting (back to the sender). (A phrase indicating that an answer is expected soon, by mail.)
Since this bill is overdue, would you kindly send us your cheque by return post?
by word of mouth
by speaking rather than writing.
I learned about it by word of mouth.
call a spade a spade
to call something by its right name; to speak frankly about something, even if it is unpleasant.
Well, I believe it’s time to call a spade a spade. We are just avoiding the issue.
call it a day
to leave work and go home; to say that a day’s work has been completed; to bring something to an end; to stop doing something. (Informal.)
I’m tired. Let’s call it a day even though it’s only three o’clock.
call of nature
the need to go to the lavatory. (Humorous.)
Stop the car here! I have to answer the call of nature.
Cat got your tongue?
Why don’t you speak?; Speak up and answer my question! (Informal.)
Answer me! What’s the matter, cat got your tongue?
cause tongues to wag
to cause people to gossip; to give people something to gossip about.
The way John was looking at Mary will surely cause tongues to wag.
chew the cud
to think deeply. (Informal. From the cow’s habit of bringing food back from the first stomach into the mouth to chew it, called chewing the cud.)
I can’t decide where to go on holiday. I’ll have to chew the cud.
come to the fore
to become obvious or prominent; to become important.
The question of salary has now come to the fore.
count heads
to count people.
I’ll tell you how many people are here after I count heads.
cross one’s heart (and hope to die)
to pledge or vow that the truth is being told.
It’s true, cross my heart and hope to die.
cry one’s eyes out
to cry very hard.
When we heard the news, we cried our eyes out with joy.
curl up (and die)
to retreat and die; to shrink away because one is very embarrassed.
When I heard you say that, I could have curled up and died.
cut someone dead
to ignore someone totally.
Joan was just about to speak to James when he cut her dead.
damn someone or something with faint praise
to criticize someone or something indirectly by not praising enthusiastically.
The critic did not say that he disliked the play, but he damned it with faint praise.
die of a broken heart
to die of emotional distress, especially grief over a lost love.
I was not surprised to hear of her death. They say she died of a broken heart.
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.
