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.
(all) at sea (about something)
confused; lost and bewildered.
Mary is all at sea about the process of getting married.
(as) calm as a millpond
[for water to be] exceptionally calm. (Referring to the still water in a pond around a mill in contrast to the fast-flowing stream which supplies it.)
The English channel was calm as a millpond that day.
(as) quiet as the grave
very quiet; silent.
The house is as quiet as the grave when the children are at school.
(come) rain or shine
no matter whether it rains or the sun shines. (Informal.)
Don’t worry. I’ll be there come rain or shine.
as a duck takes to water
easily and naturally. (Informal.)
She took to singing just as a duck takes to water.
by leaps and bounds and in leaps and bounds
rapidly; by large movements forward.
Our garden is growing by leaps and bounds.
catch the sun
to become sunburnt. (Informal.)
The baby’s face is red—she’s caught the sun.
come down to earth
to become realistic or practical, especially after a period of day-dreaming; to become alert to what is going on around one. (Informal.)
You have very good ideas, John, but you must come down to earth. We can’t possibly afford any of your suggestions.
cost the earth
to cost an enormous sum of money. (Compare with pay the earth.)
That huge car must have cost the earth!
cross the Rubicon
to do something which inevitably commits one to a following course of action. (The crossing of the River Rubicon by Julius Caesar inevitably involved him in a war with the Senate in 49 b.c. )
Jane crossed the Rubicon by signing the contract.
Davy Jones’s locker
the bottom of the sea, especially when it is the final resting place for someone or something. (From seamen’s name for the evil spirit of the sea.)
They were going to sail around the world, but ended up in Davy Jones’s locker.
dig one’s own grave
to be responsible for one’s own downfall or ruin.
The manager tried to get rid of his assistant, but he dug his own grave. He got the sack himself.
donkey-work
hard or boring work. (Informal.)
His wife picks flowers, but he does all the donkey-work in the garden.
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.
down to earth
practical; realistic; not theoretical; not fanciful.
Her ideas for the boutique are always very down to earth.
find one’s own level
to find the position or rank to which one is best suited. (As water “seeks its own level.”)
You cannot force junior staff to be ambitious. They will all find their own level.
forbidden fruit
someone or something that one finds attractive or desirable partly because the person or thing is unobtainable. (From the fruit in the garden of Eden that was forbidden to Adam by God.)
Jim is in love with his sister-in-law only because she’s forbidden fruit.
get something off one’s chest
to tell something that has been bothering you. (Also with have. See the note at get a black eye. )
I have to get this off my chest. I broke your window with a stone.
go sky-high
to go very high. (Informal.)
Prices go sky-high whenever there is inflation.
go to Davy Jones’s locker
to go to the bottom of the sea; to drown. (Thought of as a nautical expression.)
My uncle was a sailor. He went to Davy Jones’s locker during a terrible storm.
have a heart of stone
to be cold and unfriendly.
Sally has a heart of stone. She never even smiles.
have green fingers
to have the ability to grow plants well.
Just look at Mr. Simpson’s garden. He has green fingers.
hit rock bottom
to reach the lowest or worst point. (Informal.)
Our profits have hit rock bottom. This is our worst year ever.
hold out the olive branch
to offer to end a dispute and be friendly; to offer reconciliation. (The olive branch is a symbol of peace and reconciliation. A biblical reference.)
Jill was the first to hold out the olive branch after our argument.
hold water
to be able to be proved; to be correct or true. (Usually negative.)
Jack’s story doesn’t hold water. It sounds too unlikely.
in deep water
in a dangerous or vulnerable situation; in a serious situation; in trouble. (As if one were swimming in or had fallen into water which is over one’s head. In can be replaced with into. See comment at in a jam and the examples below.)
John is having trouble with his wife. He’s in deep water.
in the pink (of condition) and in the peak of condition
in very good health; in very good condition, physically and emotionally. (Informal. In can be replaced with into. See comment at in a jam and the examples below.)
The garden is lovely. All the flowers are in the pink of condition.
jolly someone along
to keep someone happy and satisfied in order to obtain compliance with one’s wishes.
If you jolly Jim along, he will help you with the garden.
keep one’s head above water
to stay ahead of one’s problems; to keep up with one’s work or responsibilities. (Also used literally. Also with have.)
I can’t seem to keep my head above water. Work just keeps piling up.
kids’ stuff
a very easy task. (Informal.)
Climbing that hill is kids’ stuff.
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.
