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.
have been through the mill
to have been badly treated; to have suffered hardship or difficulties. (Informal.)
This has been a rough day. I’ve really been through the mill.
have clean hands
to be guiltless.
Don’t look at me. I have clean hands.
have egg on one’s face
to be embarrassed because of an error which is obvious to everyone. (Informal.)
Bob has egg on his face because he wore jeans to the affair and everyone else wore formal clothing.
have eyes bigger than one’s stomach
to have a desire for more food than one could possibly eat.
I know I have eyes bigger than my stomach, so I won’t take a lot of food.
have eyes in the back of one’s head
to seem to be able to sense what is going on beyond one’s vision.
My teacher seems to have eyes in the back of her head.
have feet of clay
to have a defect of character.
All human beings have feet of clay. No one is perfect.
have green fingers
to have the ability to grow plants well.
Just look at Mr. Simpson’s garden. He has green fingers.
have half a mind to do something
to have almost decided to do something, especially something unpleasant. (Informal.)
I have half a mind to go off and leave you here.
have it both ways
to have both of two seemingly incompatible things. (See also want it both ways. )
John wants the security of marriage and the freedom of being single. He wants to have it both ways.
have money to burn
to have lots of money; to have more money than one needs. (Informal.)
Look at the way Tom buys things. You’d think he had money to burn.
have no business doing something
to be wrong to do something; to be extremely unwise to do something.
You have no business bursting in on me like that!
have no staying-power
to lack endurance; not to be able to last.
Sally can swim fast for a short distance, but she has no staying-power.
have none of something
to tolerate or endure no amount of something.
I’ll have none of your talk about leaving school.
have one’s back to the wall
to be in a defensive position; to be in (financial) difficulties. (Informal.)
He’ll have to give in. He has his back to the wall.
have one’s ear to the ground and keep one’s ear to the ground
to listen carefully, hoping to get advance warning of something.
John had his ear to the ground, hoping to find out about new ideas in computers.
have one’s feet on the ground and keep one’s feet on the ground
to be or remain realistic or practical.
Sally will have no trouble keeping her feet on the ground even when she is famous.
have one’s finger in the pie
to be involved in something.
I like to have my finger in the pie so I can make sure things go my way.
have one’s hand in the till
to be stealing money from a company or an organization. (Informal. The till is a cash box or drawer.)
Mr. Jones had his hand in the till for years before he was caught.
have one’s head in the clouds
to be unaware of what is going on.
“Bob, do you have your head in the clouds?” said the teacher.
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 one’s nose in a book
to be reading a book; to read books all the time. (Informal.)
Bob has his nose in a book every time I see him.
have one’s nose in the air and keep one’s nose in the air
to be conceited or aloof.
Mary always seems to have her nose in the air.
have one’s wits about one
to concentrate; to have one’s mind working.
You have to have your wits about you when you are dealing with John.
have one’s work cut out (for one)
to have a large and difficult task prepared for one.
They sure have their work cut out for them, and it’s going to be hard.
have other fish to fry
to have other things to do; to have more important things to do. (Informal. Other can be replaced by bigger, better, more important, etc.)
I don’t have time for your problems. I have other fish to fry.
have seen better days
to be worn or worn out. (Informal.)
This coat has seen better days. I need a new one.
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 someone on a string
to have someone waiting for one’s decision or actions. (Informal.)
Sally has John on a string. He has asked her to marry him, but she hasn’t replied yet.
have someone or something on
[with someone ] to kid or deceive someone. (Informal.)
You can’t be serious. You’re having me on!
have someone under one’s thumb
to have control over someone; to dominate someone.
His wife has him under her thumb.
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.
