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 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.
high-flyer
a person who is ambitious or who is very likely to be successful. (Informal.)
Jack was one of the high-flyers of our university year and he is now in the Foreign Office.
in a quandary
uncertain about what to do; confused. ( In can be replaced with into. See comment at in a jam and the examples below.)
Mary was in a quandary about which college to go to.
in fear and trembling
with anxiety or fear; with dread.
In fear and trembling, I went into the room to take the exam.
in one’s book
in one’s opinion. (Informal.)
He’s okay in my book.
in one’s own time
not while one is at work.
My employer made me write the report in my own time. That’s not fair.
in one’s spare time
in one’s leisure time; in the time not reserved for doing something else.
I write novels in my spare time.
in turn
one at a time in sequence.
Each of us can read the book in turn.
keep one’s side of the bargain
to do one’s part as agreed; to attend to one’s responsibilities as agreed.
Tom has to learn to cooperate. He must keep his side of the bargain.
keep the home fires burning
to keep things going at one’s home or other central location.
My uncle kept the home fires burning when my sister and I went to school.
kill the fatted calf
to prepare an elaborate banquet (in someone’s honour). (From the biblical story recounting the return of the prodigal son.)
When Bob got back from college, his parents killed the fatted calf and threw a great party.
labour of love
a task which is either unpaid or poorly paid and which one does simply for one’s own satisfaction or pleasure or to please someone whom one likes or loves.
Jane made no money out of the biography she wrote. She was writing about the life of a friend, and the book was a labour of love.
learn something by rote
to learn something without giving any thought to what is being learned.
I learned history by rote, and then I couldn’t pass the examination, which required me to think.
learn the ropes
to learn how to do something; to learn how to work something. (Informal.)
I’ll be able to do my job very well as soon as I learn the ropes.
less than pleased
displeased.
We were less than pleased to learn of your comments.
make good as something
to succeed in a particular role.
I hope I make good as a teacher.
meet one’s Waterloo
to meet one’s final and insurmountable challenge. (Refers to Napoleon at Waterloo.)
This teacher is being very hard on Bill, unlike the previous one. It seems that Bill has met his Waterloo.
moment of truth
the point at which someone has to face the reality or facts of a situation.
The moment of truth is here. Turn over your exam papers and begin.
nothing to write home about
nothing exciting or interesting. (Informal.)
I’ve been busy, but nothing to write home about.
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.
on the eve of something
just before something, possibly the evening before something.
John decided to leave college on the eve of his graduation.
open book
someone or something that is easy to understand.
Jane’s an open book. I always know what she is going to do next.
out of order
not in the correct order.
This book is out of order. Please put it in the right place on the shelf.
out of print
no longer available for sale. (Said of a book or periodical.)
The book you want is out of print, but perhaps I can find a used copy for you.
pack someone off (to somewhere)
to send someone away to somewhere, often with the suggestion that one is glad to do so.
His parents packed him off to boarding-school as soon as possible.
plain sailing
progress made without any difficulty; an easy situation.
Once you’ve passed that exam, it will be plain sailing.
play devil’s advocate
to put forward arguments against or objections to a proposition—which one may actually agree with—purely to test the validity of the proposition. (The devil’s advocate was given the role of opposing the canonization of a saint in the mediaeval Church to prove that the grounds for canonization were sound.)
I agree with your plan. I’m just playing devil’s advocate so you’ll know what the opposition will say.
play on something
to make use of something for one’s own ends; to exploit something; to manage something for a desired effect. (The on can be replaced by upon. )
The shop assistant played on my sense of responsibility in trying to get me to buy the book.
play the fool
to act in a silly manner play safe to amuse other people.
The teacher told Tom to stop playing the fool and sit down.
play up to someone
to try to gain someone’s favour; to curry someone’s favour; to flatter someone or to pretend to admire someone to gain favour.
Bill is always playing up to the teacher.
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.
