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.
one in a thousand and one in a hundred; one in a million
unique; one of a very few.
He’s a great friend. He’s one in a million.
open secret
something which is supposed to be secret, but which is known to a great many people.
Their engagement is an open secret. Only their friends are supposed to know, but in fact, the whole town knows.
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.
pack them in
to draw a lot of people. (Informal.)
It was a good night at the theatre. The play really packed them in.
packed out
very crowded; containing as many people as possible. (Informal.)
The theatre was packed out.
paper over the cracks (in something)
to try to hide faults or difficulties, often in a hasty or not very successful way.
The politician tried to paper over the cracks in his party’s economic policy.
par for the course
typical; about what one could expect. (This refers to a golf-course.)
So he went off and left you? Well, that’s about par for the course. He’s no friend.
parting of the ways
a point at which people separate and go their own ways. (Often with come to a, arrive at a, reach a, etc.)
Jane and Bob finally came to a parting of the ways and divorced.
party line
the official ideas and attitudes which are adopted by the leaders of a particular group, usually political, and which the other members are expected to accept.
Tom has left the club. He refused to follow the party line.
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.
play the field
to date many different people rather than going steady with just one. (Informal.)
Tom wanted to play the field, so he said goodbye to Ann.
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.
powers that be
the people who are in authority.
The powers that be have decided to send back the immigrants.
practise what you preach
to do what you advise other people to do.
If you’d practise what you preach, you’d be better off.
praise someone or something to the skies
to give someone much praise.
He wasn’t very good, but his friends praised him to the skies.
press-gang someone into doing something
to force someone into doing something. (From the noun press-gang, a group of sailors employed to seize men and force them to join the navy.)
Aunt Jane press-ganged me into helping with the church fête.
put ideas into someone’s head
to suggest something—usually something that is bad or unfortunate for someone—to someone (who would not have thought of it otherwise).
Jack can’t afford a holiday abroad. Please don’t put ideas into his head.
put on one’s thinking-cap
to start thinking in a serious manner.
Let’s put on our thinking-caps and decide where to go on holiday.
put something right and set something right
to correct something; to alter a situation to make it more fair.
This is a very unfortunate situation. I’ll ask the people responsible to set this matter right.
raise a few eyebrows
to shock or surprise people mildly by doing or saying something.
What you just said may raise a few eyebrows, but it shouldn’t make anyone really angry.
read someone the Riot Act
to give someone a severe scolding. (Under the Riot Act of 1715, an assembly of people could be dispersed by magistrates reading the act to them.)
The manager read me the Riot Act for coming in late.
red tape
over-strict attention to the wording and details of rules and regulations, especially by government or public departments. (From the colour of the tape used by government departments to tie up bundles of documents.)
Because of red tape, it took weeks for Frank to get a visa.
ride roughshod over someone or something
to treat someone or something with disdain or scorn.
Tom seems to ride roughshod over his friends.
rub along with someone
to get along fairly well with someone. (Informal.)
Jack and Fred manage to rub along with each other, although they’re not best friends.
rub salt in the wound
deliberately to make someone’s unhappiness, shame, or misfortune worse.
Don’t rub salt in the wound by telling me how enjoyable the party was.
run in the family
for a characteristic to appear in all (or most) members of a family.
My grandparents lived well into their nineties, and longevity runs in the family.
salt of the earth
the most worthy of people; a very good or worthy person. (A biblical reference.)
Mrs. Jones is the salt of the earth. She is the first to help anyone in trouble.
see double
to see two of everything instead of one.
When I was driving, I saw two people on the road instead of one. I’m seeing double. There’s something wrong with my eyes.
separate the sheep from the goats
to divide people into two groups in order to distinguish the good from the bad, etc.
Working in a place like this really separates the sheep from the goats.
ships that pass in the night
people who meet each other briefly by chance and are unlikely to meet again.
Mary would have liked to see Jim again, but to him, they were ships that passed in the night.
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.
