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.
matter of opinion
the question of how good or bad someone or something is.
It’s a matter of opinion how good the company is. John thinks it’s great and Fred thinks it’s poor.
mind you
you must also take into consideration the fact that....
He’s very well dressed, but mind you he’s got plenty of money to buy clothes.
money for jam and money for old rope
payment for very little; money very easily obtained. (Informal.)
Baby-sitting is money for jam if the child does not wake up.
money is no object and expense is no object
it does not matter how much something costs.
Please show me your finest car. Money is no object.
money talks
money gives one power and influence to help get things done or get one’s own way. (Informal.)
Don’t worry, I have a way of getting things done. Money talks.
More fool you!
You are extremely foolish!
More fool you for agreeing to lend John money.
name of the game
the goal or purpose; the important or central thing. (Informal.)
The name of the game is sell. You must sell, sell, sell if you want to make a living.
needs must
if it is absolutely necessary for something to be done, then it must be done.
I don’t want to sell the car, but needs must. I can’t afford to run it.
never had it so good
[have] never had so much good fortune. (Informal.)
No, I’m not complaining. I’ve never had it so good.
never mind
forget it; pay no more attention (to something).
I wanted to talk to you, but never mind. It wasn’t important.
new one on someone
something one has not heard before and that one is not ready to believe. (Informal. The someone is often me.)
Jack’s poverty is a new one on me. He always seems to have plenty of money.
not for the world and not for anything in the world; not for love nor money
not for anything (no matter what its value).
I won’t do it for love nor money.
not worth a penny and not worth a candle
worthless. (Informal.)
This land is all swampy. It’s not worth a penny.
on second thoughts
having given something more thought; having reconsidered something.
On second thoughts, maybe you should sell your house and move into a flat.
out of luck
without good luck; having bad fortune. (Informal.)
If you wanted some icecream, you’re out of luck.
out-of-pocket expenses
the actual amount of money spent. (Refers to the money one person pays while doing something on someone else’s behalf. One is usually paid back this money.)
My out-of-pocket expenses for the party were nearly £175.
over my dead body
not if I can stop you; you’ll have to kill me first (so that I won’t stop you).
You’ll sell this house over my dead body!
over the odds
more than one would expect to pay. (From betting in horse-racing.)
We had to pay over the odds for a house in the area where we wanted to live.
pass the hat round
to attempt to collect money for some (charitable) project.
Bob is passing the hat round to collect money to buy flowers for Ann.
past someone’s or something’s best and past someone’s or something’s sell-by date; past it
less good or efficient now than someone or something was before. ( Past it and past someone’s or something’s sell-by date are informal.)
Joan was a wonderful singer, but she’s past her best now.
pay an arm and a leg (for something) and pay through the nose (for something)
to pay too much money for something. (Informal.)
I hate to have to pay an arm and a leg for a tank of petrol.
pay lip-service (to something)
to express loyalty, respect, or support for something insincerely.
You don’t really care about politics. You’re just paying lip-service to the candidate.
pay one’s debt to society
to serve a sentence for a crime, usually in prison.
The judge said that Mr. Simpson had to pay his debt to society.
pay one’s dues
to pay the fees required to belong to an organization.
If you haven’t paid your dues, you can’t come to the club picnic.
pay someone a back-handed compliment
to give someone an apparent compliment that is really an insult.
John said that he had never seen me looking better. I think he was paying me a backhanded compliment.
pay someone a compliment
to compliment someone.
Sally thanked me for paying her a compliment.
pay the earth
to pay a great deal of money for something. (Informal. Compare with cost the earth.)
Bob paid the earth for that ugly old sideboard.
pay the piper
to provide the money for something and so have some control over how the money is spent. (From the expression “He who pays the piper calls the tune.”)
The parents at a fee-paying school pay the piper and so should have a say in how the school is run.
pinch and scrape
to live on very little money, sometimes to save money.
Bob has to pinch and scrape all the time because of his low wages.
pipe-dream
a wish or an idea which is impossible to achieve or carry out. (From the dreams or visions induced by the smoking of an opium pipe.)
Going to the West Indies is a pipe-dream. We’ll never have enough money.
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.
