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.
put one’s best foot forward
to prepare to do one’s best; to make the best attempt possible to make a good impression.
When you apply for a position, you should always put your best foot forward.
put out (some) feelers
to attempt to find out something without being too obvious.
I wanted to get a new position, so I put out some feelers.
put something right and set something right
to correct something; to alter a situation to make it more fair.
This is a very unfortunate situation. I’ll ask the people responsible to set this matter right.
rack one’s brains
to try very hard to think of something.
I racked my brains all afternoon, but couldn’t remember where I put the book.
read something into something
to attach or attribute a new or different meaning to something; to find a meaning that is not intended in something.
This statement means exactly what it says. Don’t try to read anything else into it.
rest on one’s laurels
to enjoy one’s success and not try to achieve more.
Don’t rest on your laurels. Try to continue to do great things!
rise to the occasion
to meet the challenge of an event; to try extra hard to do a task.
John was able to rise to the occasion and make the conference a success.
risk one’s neck (to do something)
to risk physical harm play safe to accomplish something. (Informal.)
Look at that traffic! I refuse to risk my neck just to cross the street to buy a paper.
roll on something
[for something, such as a time or a day] to approach rapidly. (Said by someone who wants the time or the day to arrive sooner than is possible. Usually a command.)
Roll on Saturday! I get the day off.
run for it
to try and escape by running. (Informal.)
The guard’s not looking. Let’s run for it!
scrape the bottom of the barrel
to select from among the worst; to choose from what is left over.
You’ve bought a dreadful old car. You really scraped the bottom of the barrel to get that one.
serve as a guinea pig
[for someone or something] to be experimented on.
Try it on someone else! I don’t want to serve as a guinea pig!
ships that pass in the night
people who meet each other briefly by chance and are unlikely to meet again.
Mary would have liked to see Jim again, but to him, they were ships that passed in the night.
shot in the dark
a random or wild guess or try. (Informal.)
I don’t know how I guessed the right answer. It was just a shot in the dark.
sink our differences
to forget or to agree to set aside disagreements of opinion, attitude, etc. (Also with their or your, as in the examples.)
We decided to sink our differences and try to be friends for Mary’s sake.
six of one and half a dozen of the other
about the same one way or another.
It doesn’t matter to me which way you do it. It’s six of one and half a dozen of the other.
spike someone’s guns
to spoil someone’s plans; to make it impossible for someone to carry out a course of action. (From driving a metal spike into the touch-hole of an enemy gun to render it useless.)
The boss was going to sack Sally publicly, but she spiked his guns by resigning.
split hairs
to quibble; to try to make petty distinctions.
They don’t have any serious differences. They are just splitting hairs.
spoil the ship for a ha’porth of tar
to risk ruining something valuable by not buying something relatively inexpensive but essential for it. ( Ha’porth is a halfpenny’s worth. From the use of tar to make boats watertight.)
Meg spent a lot of money on a new dress but refused to buy shoes. She certainly spoilt the ship for a ha’porth of tar.
sporting chance
a reasonably good chance.
If you hurry, you have a sporting chance of catching the bus.
stand a chance
to have a chance.
Do you think I stand a chance of winning first place?
steal a march on someone
to get some sort of an advantage over someone without being noticed.
I got the contract because I was able to steal a march on my competitor.
stick one’s neck out
to take a risk. (Informal.)
Why should I stick my neck out to do something for her? What’s she ever done for me?
stick to one’s guns
to remain firm in one’s opinions and convictions; to stand up for one’s rights. (Informal.)
I’ll stick to my guns on this matter. I’m sure I’m right.
storm in a teacup
an uproar about something trivial or unimportant.
This isn’t a serious problem—just a storm in a teacup.
strike while the iron is hot
to do something at the best possible time; to do something when the time is ripe.
He was in a good mood, so I asked for a loan of £200. I thought I’d better strike while the iron was hot.
sweep something under the carpet and brush something under the carpet
to try to hide something unpleasant, shameful, etc., from the attention of others.
The boss said he couldn’t sweep the theft under the carpet, that he’d have to call in the police.
take a stab at something
to make a try at something, sometimes without much hope of success. (Informal. Also with have. )
I don’t know if I can do it, but I’ll take a stab at it.
teach one’s grandmother to suck eggs
to try to tell or show someone more knowledgeable or experienced than oneself how to do something.
Don’t suggest showing Mary how to knit. It will be teaching your grandmother to suck eggs. She’s an expert.
touch a sore spot and touch a sore point
to refer to a sensitive matter which will upset someone. (Also used literally.)
I seem to have touched a sore spot. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.
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.
