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.
hand over fist
[for money and merchandise to be exchanged] very rapidly.
What a busy day. We took in money hand over fist.
hard on the heels of something
soon after something. (Informal.)
There was a rainstorm hard on the heels of the high winds.
hard-and-fast rule
a strict rule.
It’s a hard-and-fast rule that you must be home by midnight.
hardly have time to breathe
to be very busy.
This was such a busy day. I hardly had time to breathe.
hark(en) back to something
( Harken is an old form of hark, which is an old word meaning “listen.”) 1. to have originated as something; to have started out as something.
The word icebox harks back to the old-fashioned refrigerators which were cooled by ice.
haul someone over the coals
to give someone a severe scolding.
My mother hauled me over the coals for coming in late last night.
have (high) hopes of something
to be expecting something.
I have hopes of getting there early.
have a thin time (of it)
to experience a difficult or unfortunate time, especially because of a shortage of money.
Jack had a thin time of it when he was a student. He didn’t have enough to eat.
have another think coming
to have to rethink something because one was wrong the first time. (Informal.)
She’s quite wrong. She’s got another think coming if she wants to walk in here like that.
have bats in one’s belfry
to be slightly crazy.
Poor old Tom has bats in his belfry.
have been through the mill
to have been badly treated; to have suffered hardship or difficulties. (Informal.)
This has been a rough day. I’ve really been through the mill.
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 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.
have other fish to fry
to have other things to do; to have more important things to do. (Informal. Other can be replaced by bigger, better, more important, etc.)
I don’t have time for your problems. I have other fish to fry.
have the time of one’s life
to have a very good or entertaining time; to have the most exciting time in one’s life. (Informal.)
What a great party! I had the time of my life.
have to live with something
to have to endure something.
I have a slight limp in the leg that I broke last year. The doctor says I’ll have to live with it.
heads will roll
some people will get into trouble. (Informal. From the use of the guillotine to execute people.)
When company’s endof-year results are known, heads will roll.
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.
hit rock bottom
to reach the lowest or worst point. (Informal.)
Our profits have hit rock bottom. This is our worst year ever.
Hobson’s choice
the choice between taking what is offered and getting nothing at all. (From the name of a stable owner in the seventeenth century who offered customers the hire of the horse nearest the door.)
We didn’t really want that holiday cottage, but it was a case of Hobson’s choice. We booked very late and there was nothing else left.
hold one’s own
to do as well as anyone else.
I can hold my own in a running race any day.
hold true
[for something] to be true; [for something] to remain true.
Does this rule hold true all the time?
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.
