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.
sacred cow
something that is regarded by some people with such respect and veneration that they don’t like it being criticized by anyone in any way. (From the fact that the cow is regarded as sacred in India.)
University education is a sacred cow in the Smith family. Fred is regarded as a failure because he left school at sixteen.
sail through something
to finish something quickly and easily. (Informal.)
The test was not difficult. I sailed through it.
saved by the bell
rescued from a difficult or dangerous situation just in time by something which brings the situation to a sudden end. (From the sounding of a bell marking the end of a round in a boxing match.)
James didn’t know the answer to the question, but he was saved by the bell when the teacher was called away from the room.
scrimp and save
to be very thrifty; to live on very little money, often to save up for something.
We had to scrimp and save to send the children to college.
send someone to Coventry
to refuse to speak to or associate with someone or a group of people as a punishment.
The other children sent Tom to Coventry for telling tales to the teacher.
shot across the bows
something acting as a warning. (A naval term.)
The student was sent a letter warning him to attend lectures, but he ignored the shot across the bows.
sink or swim
fail or succeed.
After I’ve studied and learned all I can, I have to take the test and sink or swim.
smell of the lamp
[for a book] to show signs of being revised and researched carefully and to lack spontaneity.
I preferred her earlier spontaneous novels. The later ones smell of the lamp.
spoon-feed
to treat someone with too much care or help; to teach someone with methods that are too easy and do not stimulate the learner to independent thinking.
The teacher spoon-feeds the pupils by dictation notes on the novel instead of getting the children to read the books themselves.
start (off) with a clean slate
to start out again afresh; to ignore the past and start over again.
James started off with a clean slate when he went to a new school.
straw in the wind
an indication or sign of what might happen in the future.
The student’s argument with the lecturer was a straw in the wind in terms of student-teacher relations. The students are planning a strike.
survival of the fittest
the idea that the most able or fit will survive (while the less able and less fit will perish). (This is used literally as a part of the theory of evolution.)
In college, it’s the survival of the fittest. You have to keep working in order to survive and graduate.
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.
