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.
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.
find it in one’s heart to do something
to have the courage or compassion to do something; to persuade oneself to do something.
She couldn’t find it in her heart to refuse to come home to him.
flash in the pan
something that draws a lot of attention for a very brief time. (Informal.)
I’m afraid that my success as a painter was just a flash in the pan.
foam at the mouth
to be very angry. (Informal. Related to a “mad dog”—a dog with rabies—which foams at the mouth.)
Bob was furious—foaming at the mouth. I’ve never seen anyone so angry.
follow one’s heart
to act according to one’s feelings; to obey one’s sympathetic or compassionate inclinations.
I couldn’t decide what to do, so I just followed my heart.
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.
fools rush in (where angels fear to tread)
people with little experience or knowledge often get involved in difficult or delicate situations which wiser people would avoid.
I wouldn’t ask Jean about her divorce, but Kate did. Fools rush in, as they say.
forbidden fruit
someone or something that one finds attractive or desirable partly because the person or thing is unobtainable. (From the fruit in the garden of Eden that was forbidden to Adam by God.)
Jim is in love with his sister-in-law only because she’s forbidden fruit.
get a lump in one’s throat
to have the feeling of something in one’s throat—as if one were going to cry; to become emotional or sentimental. (Also with have. See the note at get a black eye. )
Whenever they play the national anthem, I get a lump in my throat.
get away (from it all)
to get away from one’s work or daily routine; to go on a holiday.
I just love the summer when I can take time off and get away from it all.
get butterflies in one’s stomach
to get a nervous feeling in one’s stomach. (Informal. Also with have. See the note at get a black eye. )
Whenever I have to go on stage, I get butterflies in my stomach.
get carried away
to be overcome by emotion or enthusiasm (in one’s thinking or actions).
Calm down, Jane. Don’t get carried away.
give one butterflies in one’s stomach
to cause someone to have a nervous stomach.
Exams give me butterflies in my stomach.
give someone a black eye
to hit someone near the eye so that a dark bruise appears.
John became angry and gave me a black eye.
give voice to something
to express a feeling or an opinion in words; to speak out about something.
The bird gave voice to its joy in the golden sunshine.
go back on one’s word
to break a promise which one has made.
I hate to go back on my word, but I won’t pay you £100 after all.
go by the board
to get ruined or lost. (This is a nautical expression meaning to fall or be washed overboard.)
I hate to see good food go by the board. Please eat up so we won’t have to throw it out.
go off the deep end
to become angry or hysterical; to lose one’s temper. (Informal. Refers to going into a swimming-pool at the deep end—rather than the shallow end.)
Her father went off the deep end when she came in late.
go to someone’s head
to make someone conceited; to make someone overly proud.
You did a fine job, but don’t let it go to your head.
grit one’s teeth
to grind one’s teeth together in anger or determination; to show determination.
I was so angry that all I could do was stand there and grit my teeth.
hate someone’s guts
to hate someone very much. (Informal.)
Oh, Bob is terrible. I hate his guts!
have a chip on one’s shoulder
to feel resentful; to bear resentment.
What are you angry about? You always seem to have a chip on your shoulder.
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 a heart of stone
to be cold and unfriendly.
Sally has a heart of stone. She never even smiles.
have a heart-to-heart (talk)
to have a sincere and intimate talk.
I had a heart-to-heart talk with my father before I went off to college.
have a low boiling-point
to get angry easily. (Informal.)
Be nice to John. He’s upset and has a low boiling-point.
have one’s heart in one’s boots
to be very depressed; to have little or no hope.
My heart’s in my boots when I think of going back to work.
have someone in one’s pocket
to have control over someone. (Informal.)
Don’t worry about the mayor. She’ll co-operate. I’ve got her in my pocket.
have something hanging over one’s head
to have something bothering or worrying one; to have a deadline worrying one. (Informal. Also used literally.)
I keep worrying about being declared redundant. I hate to have something like that hanging over my head.
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.
