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.
cut and thrust
intense competition. (From sword-fighting.)
Peter tired of the cut and thrust of business.
cut one’s teeth on something
to gain one’s early experiences on something.
You can cut your teeth on this project before getting involved in a more major one.
daily grind
the everyday work routine. (Informal.)
I’m getting very tired of the daily grind.
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.
do justice to something
to do something well; to represent or portray something accurately.
Sally really did justice to the contract negotiations.
do one’s bit
to do one’s share of the work; to do whatever one can do to help.
Everybody must do their bit to help get things under control.
do someone down
to do something to someone’s disadvantage.
He really did me down when he applied for the same job.
donkey-work
hard or boring work. (Informal.)
His wife picks flowers, but he does all the donkey-work in the garden.
dressed (up) to the nines
dressed in one’s best clothes. (Informal. Very high on a scale of one to ten.)
The applicants for the job were all dressed up to the nines.
drive a hard bargain
to work hard to negotiate prices or agreements in one’s own favour.
All right, sir, you drive a hard bargain. I’ll sell you this car for £12,450.
elbow-grease
physical exertion; hard work. (The “grease” may be the sweat that exertion produces.)
It’ll take some elbow-grease to clean this car.
fall down on the job
to fail to do something properly; to fail to do one’s job adequately. (Informal.)
The team kept losing because the coach was falling down on the job.
fall into line
to conform.
If you are going to work here, you will have to fall into line.
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.
fish in troubled waters
to involve oneself in a difficult, confused, or dangerous situation, especially with a view to gaining an advantage.
Frank is fishing in troubled waters by buying more shares in that firm. They are supposed to be in financial difficulties.
fly a kite
to spread rumours or suggestions about something, such as a new project, in order to find out people’s attitudes to it.
The government is flying a kite with these stories of a new airport.
fly-by-night
irresponsible; untrustworthy. (Refers to a person who sneaks away secretly in the night.)
The carpenter we employed was a fly-by-night worker who did a very bad job of work.
follow suit
to follow in the same pattern; to follow someone else’s example. (From card-games.)
Mary went to work for a bank, and Jane followed suit. Now they are both head cashiers.
fun and games
playing around; someone’s lively behaviour. (Informal.)
All right, Bill, the fun and games are over. It’s time to get down to work.
get a lucky break
to have good fortune; to receive a bit of luck. (Informal. Also with have. See the note at get a black eye. )
Mary really got a lucky break when she got that job.
get a start
to receive training or a big opportunity in beginning one’s career.
She got a start in show business in Manchester.
get away (from it all)
to get away from one’s work or daily routine; to go on a holiday.
I just love the summer when I can take time off and get away from it all.
get down to business
to begin to get serious; to begin to negotiate or conduct business.
All right, everyone. Let’s get down to business. There has been enough playing around.
get off to a flying start
to have a very successful beginning to something.
The new business got off to a flying start with those export orders.
get one’s nose out of someone’s business
to stop interfering in someone else’s business; to mind one’s own business. (Informal.)
Go away! Get your nose out of my business!
get someone off the hook
to free someone from an obligation. (Informal.)
Thanks for getting me off the hook. I didn’t want to attend that meeting.
get the hang of something
to learn how to do something; to learn how something works. (Informal. Also with have. See the note at get a black eye. )
As soon as I get the hang of this computer, I’ll be able to work faster.
get the runaround
to receive a series of excuses, delays, and referrals. (Informal.)
You’ll get the runaround if you ask to see the manager.
get to one’s feet
to stand up, sometimes in order to address the audience.
On a signal from the director, the singers got to their feet.
get wind of something
to hear about something; to receive information about something. (Informal.)
I just got wind of the job vacancy and have applied.
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.
