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.
(skating) on thin ice
in a risky situation.
If you try that you’ll really be on thin ice. That’s too risky.
according to one’s (own) lights
according to the way one believes; according to the way one’s conscience or inclinations lead one.
People must act on this matter according to their own lights.
at first glance
when first examined; at an early stage.
At first glance, the problem appeared quite simple. Later we learned just how complex it really was.
at full stretch
with as much energy and strength as possible.
The police are working at full stretch to find the murderer.
at one’s wits’ end
at the limits of one’s mental resources.
I’m at my wits’ end trying to solve this problem.
at the eleventh hour
at the last possible moment. (Biblical.)
She always handed her term essays in at the eleventh hour.
back to the drawing-board
[it is] time to start over again; [it is] time to plan something over again, especially if it has gone wrong. (Also with old as in the examples.)
The scheme didn’t work. Back to the drawing-board.
be a thorn in someone’s side
to be a constant source of annoyance to someone.
This problem is a thorn in my side. I wish I had a solution to it.
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.
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.
believe it or not
to choose to believe something or not.
Believe it or not, I just got home from work.
bide one’s time
to wait patiently.
I’ve been biding my time for years, just waiting for a chance like this.
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.
bring something to a head
to cause something to come to the point when a decision has to be made or action taken.
The latest disagreement between management and the union has brought matters to a head. There will be an all-out strike now.
burn one’s boats and burn one’s bridges (behind one)
to go so far in a course of action that one cannot turn back; to do something which makes it impossible to return to one’s former position.
I don’t want to emigrate now, but I’ve rather burned my boats by giving up my job and selling my house.
carte blanche
complete freedom to act or proceed as one pleases. (Literally, a white or blank card.)
We were given carte blanche to choose the colour scheme.
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?
catch someone’s eye
to establish eye contact with someone; to attract someone’s attention.
Try and catch the barman’s eye.
change horses in mid-stream
to make major changes in an activity which has already begun; to choose someone or something else after it is too late.
I’m already baking a cherry pie. I can’t bake an apple pie. It’s too late to change horses in mid-stream.
clutch at straws
to seek something which is useless or unattainable; to make a futile attempt at something.
I really didn’t think that I would get the job. I was clutching at straws.
cross the Rubicon
to do something which inevitably commits one to a following course of action. (The crossing of the River Rubicon by Julius Caesar inevitably involved him in a war with the Senate in 49 b.c. )
Jane crossed the Rubicon by signing the contract.
crux of the matter
the central issue of the matter. ( Crux is Latin for “cross.”)
All right, this is the crux of the matter.
curry favour (with someone)
to try to win favour from someone.
The solicitor tried to curry favour with the judge.
cut one’s coat according to one’s cloth and cut one’s coat to suit one’s cloth
to plan one’s aims and activities in line with one’s resources and circumstances.
We would like a bigger house, but we must cut our coat according to our cloth.
do justice to something
to do something well; to represent or portray something accurately.
Sally really did justice to the contract negotiations.
double Dutch
language or speech that is difficult or impossible to understand.
This book on English grammar is written in double Dutch. I can’t understand a word.
drown one’s sorrows
to try to forget one’s problems by drinking a lot of alcohol. (Informal.)
Bill is in the bar drowning his sorrows.
dry run
an attempt; a rehearsal.
We had better have a dry run for the official ceremony tomorrow.
eleventh-hour decision
a decision made at the last possible minute.
Eleventh-hour decisions are seldom satisfactory.
fighting chance
a good possibility of success, especially if every effort is made.
They have at least a fighting chance of winning the race.
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.
