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.
have a brush with something
to have a brief contact with something; to have a brief experience of something, especially with the law. (Sometimes a close brush.)
Ann had a close brush with the law. She was nearly arrested for speeding.
have a case (against someone)
to have much evidence which can be used against someone in court. ( Have can be replaced with build, gather, assemble, etc.)
Do the police have a case against John?
have a chip on one’s shoulder
to feel resentful; to bear resentment.
What are you angry about? You always seem to have a chip on your shoulder.
have a down on someone
to treat someone in an unfair or hostile way; to have hostile feelings towards someone; to resent and oppose someone.
That teacher’s had a down on me ever since I was expelled from another school.
have a familiar ring
[for a story or an explanation] to sound familiar.
Your excuse has a familiar ring. Have you done this before?
have a foot in both camps
to have an interest in or to support each of two opposing groups of people.
The shop steward had been promised promotion and so had a foot in both camps during the strike—workers and management.
have a go (at something)
to give something a try. (Informal.)
I’ve never fished before, but I’d like to have a go at it.
have a good command of something
to know something well.
Bill has a good command of French.
have a good head on one’s shoulders
to have common sense; to be sensible and intelligent.
Mary doesn’t do well in school, but she’s got a good head on her shoulders.
have a heart
to be compassionate; to be generous and forgiving.
Oh, have a heart! Give me some help!
have a heart of gold
to be generous, sincere, and friendly.
Mary is such a lovely person. She has a heart of gold.
have a heart of stone
to be cold and unfriendly.
Sally has a heart of stone. She never even smiles.
have a heart-to-heart (talk)
to have a sincere and intimate talk.
I had a heart-to-heart talk with my father before I went off to college.
have a lot going for one
to have many things working to one’s benefit. (Informal.)
Jane is so lucky. She has a lot going for her.
have a low boiling-point
to get angry easily. (Informal.)
Be nice to John. He’s upset and has a low boiling-point.
have a near miss
nearly to crash or collide.
The planes—flying much too close—had a near miss.
have a penchant for doing something
to have a taste, desire, or inclination for doing something.
John has a penchant for eating fattening foods.
have a price on one’s head
to be wanted by the authorities, who have offered a reward for one’s capture. (Informal.)
We captured a thief who had a price on his head, and the police gave us the reward.
have a say (in something) and have a voice (in something)
to have a part in making a decision.
I’d like to have a say in choosing the carpet.
have a snowball’s chance in hell
to have no chance at all. (A snowball would melt in hell. Use hell with caution.)
He has a snowball’s chance in hell of passing the test.
have a soft spot for someone or something
to be fond of someone or something.
John has a soft spot for Mary.
have a sweet tooth
to have the desire to eat many sweet foods— especially candy and pastries.
I have a sweet tooth, and if I don’t watch it, I’ll really get fat.
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 a word with someone
to speak to someone, usually privately.
The manager asked to have a word with me when I was not busy.
have an axe to grind
to have something to complain about or discuss with someone. (Informal.)
Tom, I need to talk to you. I have an axe to grind.
have an itchy palm and have an itching palm
to be in need of a tip; to tend to ask for tips. (Informal. As if placing money in the palm would stop its itching. Note the variations in the examples.)
All the waiters at that restaurant have itchy palms.
have an out
to have an excuse; to have a (literal or figurative) means of escape or avoiding something. (Informal.)
He’s very clever. No matter what happens, he always has an out.
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 ants in one’s pants
to become restless; to fidget. (Informal.)
Sit still! Have you got ants in your pants?
have bats in one’s belfry
to be slightly crazy.
Poor old Tom has bats in his belfry.
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.
