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.
not long for this world
about to die.
Our dog is nearly twelve years old and not long for this world.
not move a muscle
to remain perfectly motionless.
Be quiet. Sit there and don’t move a muscle.
not open one’s mouth and not utter a word
not to say anything at all; not to tell something (to anyone).
Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret. I won’t even open my mouth.
not see further than the end of one’s nose
not to care about what is not actually present or obvious; not to care about the future or about what is happening elsewhere or to other people.
Mary can’t see further than the end of her nose. She doesn’t care about what will happen to the environment in the future, as long as she’s comfortable now.
not set foot somewhere
not to go somewhere.
I wouldn’t set foot in John’s room. I’m very angry with him.
not show one’s face
not to appear (somewhere).
After what she said, she had better not show her face around here again.
not sleep a wink
not to sleep at all. (Informal.)
I couldn’t sleep a wink last night.
not someone’s cup of tea
not something one likes or prefers. (Informal.)
Playing cards isn’t her cup of tea.
not take no for an answer
not to accept someone’s refusal. (A polite way of being insistent.)
Now, you must drop over and see us tomorrow. We won’t take no for an answer.
not to darken someone’s door and never darken my door again
to go away and not come back.
The heroine of the drama told the villain not to darken her door again.
not up to scratch
not adequate. (Informal.)
Sorry, your essay isn’t up to scratch. Please do it over again.
not worth a penny and not worth a candle
worthless. (Informal.)
This land is all swampy. It’s not worth a penny.
nothing but skin and bones and all skin and bones
very thin or emaciated. (Informal.)
Bill has lost so much weight. He’s nothing but skin and bones.
nothing of the kind
no; absolutely not.
I didn’t insult him—nothing of the kind!
nothing short of something
more or less the same as something bad; as bad as something.
His behaviour was nothing short of criminal.
nothing to it
it is easy; no difficulty involved.
Driving a car is easy. There’s nothing to it.
nothing to write home about
nothing exciting or interesting. (Informal.)
I’ve been busy, but nothing to write home about.
null and void
cancelled; worthless.
I tore the contract up, and the entire agreement became null and void.
nuts and bolts (of something)
the basic facts about something; the practical details of something.
Tom knows all about the nuts and bolts of the chemical process.
odd man out
an unusual or atypical person or thing.
I’m odd man out because I’m not wearing a tie.
odour of sanctity and air of sanctity
an atmosphere of excessive holiness or piety. (Derogatory.)
I hate their house. There’s such an odour of sanctity, with Bibles and holy pictures everywhere.
of the first water
of the finest quality.
This is a very fine pearl— a pearl of the first water.
of the old school
holding attitudes and ideas that were popular and important in the past, but are no longer considered relevant or in line with modern trends.
Grammar was not taught much in my son’s school, but fortunately he had a teacher of the old school.
off colour
not very well; slightly ill.
Mary is a bit off colour after the long journey.
off the beaten track
in an unfamiliar place; on a route which is not often travelled.
Their home is in a quiet neighbourhood, off the beaten track.
off-centre
not exactly in the centre or middle.
The arrow hit the target a little off-centre.
old enough to be someone’s mother and old enough to be someone’s father
as old as someone’s parents. (Usually a way of saying that one person is much older than the other, especially when the difference in age is considered inappropriate.)
You can’t go out with Bill. He’s old enough to be your father!
old hand at doing something
someone who is experienced at doing something. (Informal.)
I’m an old hand at fixing clocks.
on a first-name basis (with someone) and on first-name terms (with someone)
knowing someone very well; good friends with someone. (Refers to using a person’s given name rather than a surname or title.)
I’m on a first-name basis with John.
on a fool’s errand
involved in a useless journey or task.
Bill went for an interview, but he was on a fool’s errand. The job had already been filled.
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.
