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 an itchy palm and have an itching palm
to be in need of a tip; to tend to ask for tips. (Informal. As if placing money in the palm would stop its itching. Note the variations in the examples.)
All the waiters at that restaurant have itchy palms.
have bats in one’s belfry
to be slightly crazy.
Poor old Tom has bats in his belfry.
have money to burn
to have lots of money; to have more money than one needs. (Informal.)
Look at the way Tom buys things. You’d think he had money to burn.
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 the Midas touch
to have the ability to be successful, especially the ability to make money easily. (From the name of a legendary king whose touch turned everything to gold.)
Bob is a merchant banker and really has the Midas touch.
have the wherewithal (to do something)
to have the means to do something, especially money.
He has good ideas, but he doesn’t have the wherewithal to carry them out.
hush-money
money paid as a bribe to persuade someone to remain silent and not reveal certain information. (Informal.)
Bob gave his younger sister hush-money so that she wouldn’t tell Jane that he had gone to the cinema with Sue.
ill-gotten gains
money or other possessions acquired in a dishonest or illegal fashion.
Fred cheated at cards and is now living on his ill-gotten gains.
in a fix
in a bad situation. (Informal. In can be replaced with into. See comment at in a jam and the examples below.)
I really got myself into a fix. I owe a lot of money on my car.
in a jam
in a tight or difficult situation. ( In can be replaced with into to show movement towards or into the state described by a jam. Especially get into. )
I’m in a jam. I owe a lot of money.
in arrears
overdue; late, especially in reference to bills and money.
This bill is three months in arrears. It must be paid immediately.
in clover
with good fortune; in a very good situation, especially financially. (Informal.)
If I get this contract, I’ll be in clover for the rest of my life.
in league (with someone)
in co-operation with someone; in a conspiracy with someone.
The mayor is in league with the Council Treasurer. They are misusing public money.
in Queer Street
in a difficult situation, especially because of lack of money. (Informal.)
We’re in Queer Street. We’ve no money to pay the rent.
in the market (for something)
wanting to buy something.
I’m in the market for a video recorder.
in the money
wealthy. (Informal.)
John is really in the money. He’s worth millions.
jockey for position
to try to push or manoeuvre one’s way into an advantageous position at the expense of others.
All the staff in that firm are jockeying for position. They all want the manager’s job.
johnny-come-lately
someone who joins in (something) after it is under way.
Don’t pay any attention to Sally. She’s just a johnnycome-lately and doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
keep body and soul together
to feed, clothe, and house oneself.
I hardly have enough money to keep body and soul together.
keep someone posted
to keep someone informed (of what is happening); to keep someone up to date.
If the price of corn goes up, I need to know. Please keep me posted.
keep the wolf from the door
to maintain oneself at a minimal level; to keep from starving, freezing, etc.
I don’t make a lot of money, just enough to keep the wolf from the door.
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.
lead a dog’s life
to lead a miserable life.
Poor Jane really leads a dog’s life.
leave a bad taste in someone’s mouth
[for something] to leave a bad feeling or memory with someone. (Informal.)
The whole business about the missing money left a bad taste in his mouth.
left, right, and centre
everywhere; to an excessive extent. (Informal.)
John lent money left, right, and centre.
live from hand to mouth
to live in poor circumstances; to be able to get only what one needs for the present and not save for the future. (Informal.)
When both my parents were out of work, we lived from hand to mouth.
lose face
to lose status; to become less respectable.
John is more afraid of losing face than losing money.
make (both) ends meet
to manage to live on a small amount of money.
It’s hard these days to make ends meet.
make do (with someone or something)
to do as well as possible with someone or something.
You’ll have to make do with less money next year. The economy is very weak.
make good money
to earn a large amount of money. (Informal.)
Ann makes good money at her job.
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.
