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.
hale and hearty
well and healthy.
Doesn’t Ann look hale and hearty after the baby’s birth?
hand in glove (with someone)
very close to someone.
John is really hand in glove with Sally, although they pretend to be on different sides.
hand it to someone
give credit to someone, often with some reluctance. (Informal. Often with have to or must. )
I must hand it to you. You did a fine job.
hand over fist
[for money and merchandise to be exchanged] very rapidly.
What a busy day. We took in money hand over fist.
hand over hand
[moving] one hand after the other (again and again).
Sally pulled in the rope hand over hand.
hand-me-down
something, such as an article of used clothing, which has been “handed down,” or given, to someone because another person no longer needs it. (Informal.)
Why do I always have to wear my brother’s hand-me-downs? I want some new clothes.
hardly have time to breathe
to be very busy.
This was such a busy day. I hardly had time to breathe.
have a big mouth
to be a gossiper; to be a person who tells secrets. (Informal.)
Mary has a big mouth. She told Bob what I was getting him for his birthday.
have a bone to pick (with someone)
to have a matter to discuss with someone; to have something to argue about with someone.
Look, Bill. I’ve got a bone to pick with you. Where is the money you owe me?
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 foot in both camps
to have an interest in or to support each of two opposing groups of people.
The shop steward had been promised promotion and so had a foot in both camps during the strike—workers and management.
have a good head on one’s shoulders
to have common sense; to be sensible and intelligent.
Mary doesn’t do well in school, but she’s got a good head on her shoulders.
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 price on one’s head
to be wanted by the authorities, who have offered a reward for one’s capture. (Informal.)
We captured a thief who had a price on his head, and the police gave us the reward.
have a sweet tooth
to have the desire to eat many sweet foods— especially candy and pastries.
I have a sweet tooth, and if I don’t watch it, I’ll really get fat.
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 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.
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.
