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.
in the market (for something)
wanting to buy something.
I’m in the market for a video recorder.
in the same breath
[stated or said] almost at the same time.
He told me I was lazy, but then in the same breath he said I was doing a good job of work.
instrumental in doing something
playing an important part in doing something.
John was instrumental in getting the contract to build the new building.
job lot
a mixed collection of varying quality. (Informal.)
Mike found a valuable vase in that job lot he bought at the auction.
Job’s comforter
someone who makes matters worse when trying to comfort or console someone. (Biblical.)
Jane is a Job’s comforter. She told me how many other people were looking for jobs when I lost mine.
jockey for position
to try to push or manoeuvre one’s way into an advantageous position at the expense of others.
All the staff in that firm are jockeying for position. They all want the manager’s job.
just the job
exactly what is required. (Informal.)
Those pills were just the job for Jean’s headache.
keep on the good side of someone
to stay in someone’s favour.
You have to work hard to keep on the good side of the manager.
keep one’s eye on the ball
to remain alert to the events occurring around one. (Informal.)
If you want to get along in this office, you’re going to have to keep your eye on the ball.
keep one’s hand in (something)
to retain one’s control of something.
I want to keep my hand in the business.
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.
keep one’s nose out of someone’s business
to refrain from interfering in someone else’s business.
Let John have his privacy, and keep your nose out of my business, too!
keep one’s nose to the grindstone
to keep busy doing one’s work. (Also with have and get, as in the examples.)
The manager told me to keep my nose to the grindstone or be sacked.
kick up a fuss and kick up a row
to become a nuisance; to misbehave and disturb (someone). (Informal. Row rhymes with cow. )
The customer kicked up such a fuss about the food that the manager came to apologize.
kill time
to waste time. (Informal.)
Stop killing time. Get to work!
know all the tricks of the trade
to possess the skills and knowledge necessary to do something. (Also without all.)
Tom can repair car engines. He knows the tricks of the trade.
know the ropes
to know how to do something. (Informal.)
I can’t do the job because I don’t know the ropes.
late in the day
far on in a project or activity; too late in a project or activity for action, decisions, etc., to be taken.
It was a bit late in the day for him to apologize.
laugh something out of court
to dismiss something as ridiculous.
The committee laughed the suggestion out of court.
lay down the law
to state firmly what the rules are (for something).
Before the meeting, the managing director laid down the law. We all knew exactly what to do.
learn something by heart
to learn something so well that it can be written or recited without thinking; to memorize something.
The director told me to learn my speech by heart.
learn the ropes
to learn how to do something; to learn how to work something. (Informal.)
I’ll be able to do my job very well as soon as I learn the ropes.
leave a bad taste in someone’s mouth
[for something] to leave a bad feeling or memory with someone. (Informal.)
The whole business about the missing money left a bad taste in his mouth.
lie down on the job
to do one’s job poorly or not at all. (Informal.)
Tom was sacked because he was lying down on the job.
live and let live
not to interfere with other people’s business or preferences.
I don’t care what they do! Live and let live, I always say.
live by one’s wits
to survive by being clever.
When you’re in the kind of business I’m in, you have to live by your wits.
live from hand to mouth
to live in poor circumstances; to be able to get only what one needs for the present and not save for the future. (Informal.)
When both my parents were out of work, we lived from hand to mouth.
look like the cat that swallowed the canary and look like the cat that swallowed the cream
to appear self-satisfied, as if one had just had a great success.
After the meeting John looked like the cat that swallowed the canary. I knew he must have been a success.
make a clean sweep
to do something completely or thoroughly, with no exceptions. (Informal.)
The managing director decided to sack everybody, so he made a clean sweep.
make a comeback
to return to one’s former (successful) career. (Informal.)
After ten years in retirement, the singer made a comeback.
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.
