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.
(fresh fields and) pastures new
new places; new activities. (From a line in Milton’s poem Lycidas.)
I used to like living here, but it’s fresh fields and pastures new for me now.
face the music
to receive punishment; to accept the unpleasant results of one’s actions. (Informal.)
Mary broke a dining-room window and had to face the music when her father got home.
face value
outward appearance; what something first appears to be. (From the value printed on the “face” of a coin or banknote.)
Don’t just accept her offer at face value. Think of the implications.
fair crack of the whip
a fair share of something; a fair opportunity of doing something.
He doesn’t want to do all the overtime. He only wants a fair crack of the whip.
Fair do’s!
Be fair!; Be reasonable!
Fair do’s! You said you would lend me your bike if I took your books home.
fair game
someone or something that it is quite permissible to attack.
I don’t like seeing articles exposing people’s private lives, but politicians are fair game.
fall about
to laugh heartily. (Informal.)
We fell about at the antics of the clown.
fall apart at the seams
to break into pieces; to fall apart.
This old car is about ready to fall apart at the seams.
fall between two stools
to come somewhere between two possibilities and so fail to meet the requirements of either.
The material is not suitable for an academic book, and it is not suitable for a popular one either. It falls between two stools.
fall by the wayside
to give up and quit before the end (of something); not to succeed. (As if one became exhausted and couldn’t finish a foot-race.)
John fell by the wayside and didn’t finish college.
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 foul of someone or something
to do something that annoys or offends someone or something; to do something that is contrary to the rules.
He has fallen foul of the police more than once.
fall from grace
to cease to be held in favour, especially because of some wrong or foolish action.
He was the teacher’s prize pupil until he fell from grace by failing the history exam.
fall into line
to conform.
If you are going to work here, you will have to fall into line.
fancy someone’s chances
to have confidence in someone’s [including one’s own] ability to be successful. (Informal.)
We all think she will refuse to go out with him, but he certainly fancies his chances.
far cry from something
a thing which is very different from something else.
What you did was a far cry from what you said you were going to do.
feast one’s eyes (on someone or something)
to look at someone or something with pleasure, envy, or admiration.
Just feast your eyes on that beautiful juicy steak!
feather in one’s cap
an honour; something of which one can be proud.
Getting a new client was really a feather in my cap.
feather one’s (own) nest
to use power and prestige selfishly to provide for oneself, often immorally or illegally.
The mayor seemed to be helping people, but was really feathering her own nest.
feel fit
to feel well and healthy.
If you want to feel fit, you must eat the proper food and get enough rest.
feel it beneath one (to do something)
to feel that one would be humbling oneself or reducing one’s status to do something.
Tom feels it beneath him to scrub the floor.
feel like a million dollars
to feel well and healthy, both physically and mentally.
A quick swim in the morning makes me feel like a million dollars.
feel like a new person
to feel refreshed and renewed, especially after getting well or getting dressed up.
I bought a new suit, and now I feel like a new person.
feel something in one’s bones
to sense something; to have an intuition about something. (Informal.)
The train will be late. I feel it in my bones.
fiddle while Rome burns
to do nothing or something trivial while something disastrous happens. (From a legend that the emperor Nero played the lyre while Rome was burning.)
The Opposition doesn’t seem to be doing anything to stop this terrible parliamentary bill. It’s fiddling while Rome burns.
fight shy of something
to avoid something; to keep from doing something.
She fought shy of borrowing money from her father, but had to in the end.
fighting chance
a good possibility of success, especially if every effort is made.
They have at least a fighting chance of winning the race.
fill someone’s shoes
to take the place of some other person and perform satisfactorily in that role. (As if you were wearing the other person’s shoes.)
I don’t know how we’ll be able to do without you. No one can fill your shoes.
fill the bill
to be exactly the thing that is needed.
Ah, this steak is great. It really fills the bill.
find it in one’s heart to do something
to have the courage or compassion to do something; to persuade oneself to do something.
She couldn’t find it in her heart to refuse to come home to him.
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.
