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.
aid and abet someone
to help someone, especially in a crime or misdeed; to incite someone to do something which is wrong.
He was scolded for aiding and abetting the boys who were fighting.
armed to the teeth
heavily armed with weapons.
The bank robber was armed to the teeth when he was caught.
at full stretch
with as much energy and strength as possible.
The police are working at full stretch to find the murderer.
black sheep (of the family)
a member of a family or group who is unsatisfactory or not up to the standard of the rest; the worst member of the family.
Mary is the black sheep of the family. She’s always in trouble with the police.
blow the lid off (something)
to reveal something, especially wrongdoing; to make wrongdoing public. (Informal.)
The police blew the lid off the smuggling ring.
business end of something
the part or end of something that actually does the work or carries out the procedure.
Keep away from the business end of the electric drill in case you get hurt.
cook the books
to cheat in bookkeeping; to make the accounts appear to balance when they do not.
Jane was sent to jail for cooking the books of her mother’s shop.
curry favour (with someone)
to try to win favour from someone.
The solicitor tried to curry favour with the judge.
doubting Thomas
someone who will not easily believe something without strong proof or evidence. (From the biblical account of the apostle Thomas, who would not believe that Christ had risen from the grave until he had touched Him.)
Mary won’t believe that I have a dog until she sees him. She’s such a doubting Thomas.
fall foul of someone or something
to do something that annoys or offends someone or something; to do something that is contrary to the rules.
He has fallen foul of the police more than once.
foul play
illegal activity; a criminal act.
The police investigating the death suspect foul play.
get off lightly
to receive very little punishment (for doing something wrong).
It was a serious crime, but Mary got off lightly.
go so far as to say something
to put something into words; to risk saying something.
I think that Bob is dishonest, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say he’s a thief.
hang in the balance
to be in an undecided state; to be between two equal possibilities.
The prisoner stood before the judge, his life hanging in the balance.
have a brush with something
to have a brief contact with something; to have a brief experience of something, especially with the law. (Sometimes a close brush.)
Ann had a close brush with the law. She was nearly arrested for speeding.
have a case (against someone)
to have much evidence which can be used against someone in court. ( Have can be replaced with build, gather, assemble, etc.)
Do the police have a case against John?
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 the right of way
to possess the legal right to occupy a particular space or proceed before others on a public roadway.
I had a traffic accident yesterday, but it wasn’t my fault. I had the right of way.
hell for leather
moving or behaving recklessly. (Informal.)
They took off after the horse thief, riding hell for leather.
Hobson’s choice
the choice between taking what is offered and getting nothing at all. (From the name of a stable owner in the seventeenth century who offered customers the hire of the horse nearest the door.)
We didn’t really want that holiday cottage, but it was a case of Hobson’s choice. We booked very late and there was nothing else left.
holier-than-thou
excessively pious; acting as though one is more virtuous than other people.
Jack always adopts a holier-than-thou attitude to other people, but people say he has been in prison.
in broad daylight
publicly visible in the daytime.
The thief stole the car in broad daylight.
in the line of duty
as part of one’s expected (military, police, or other) duties.
When soldiers fight people in a war, it’s in the line of duty.
iron hand in a velvet glove
a strong, ruthless type of control that gives the appearance of being gentle and liberal.
In that family, it is a case of the iron hand in a velvet glove. The father looks gentle and loving, but he is a tyrant.
Jekyll and Hyde
someone with both an evil and a good personality. (From The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.)
Bill thinks Mary is so soft and gentle, but she can be very cruel—she is a real Jekyll and Hyde.
kiss of death
an act that puts an end to someone or something. (Informal.)
The mayor’s veto was the kiss of death for the new law.
laugh something out of court
to dismiss something as ridiculous.
The committee laughed the suggestion out of court.
law unto oneself
one who makes one’s own laws or rules; one who sets one’s own standards of behaviour.
You can’t get Bill to follow the rules. He’s a law unto himself.
lay about one
to strike at people and things in all directions around one; to hit everyone and everything near one.
When the police tried to capture the robber, he laid about him wildly.
lay down the law
to state firmly what the rules are (for something).
Before the meeting, the managing director laid down the law. We all knew exactly what to do.
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.
