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.
see the light of day
[for something] to be finished or produced. (Often negative.)
The product will never see the light of day.
see the writing on the wall
to know that something unpleasant or disastrous is certain to happen. (From a biblical reference.)
If you don’t improve your performance, they’ll sack you. Can’t you see the writing on the wall?
seeing is believing
one must believe something that one sees.
I never would have thought that a cow could swim, but seeing is believing.
sell someone a pup
to cheat someone by selling the person something that is inferior or worthless. (Informal.)
Jack sold me a pup when I bought a bike from him. It broke down in two days.
sell someone or something short
to underestimate someone or something; to fail to see the good qualities of someone or something.
This is a very good restaurant. Don’t sell it short.
send someone or something up
to ridicule or make fun of someone or something; to satirize someone or something. (Informal.)
John is always sending Jane up by mocking the way she walks.
send someone packing
to send someone away; to dismiss someone, possibly rudely. (Informal.)
I couldn’t stand him any more, so I sent him packing.
send someone to Coventry
to refuse to speak to or associate with someone or a group of people as a punishment.
The other children sent Tom to Coventry for telling tales to the teacher.
separate the men from the boys and sort the men from the boys
to separate the competent ones from those who are less competent; to separate the brave or strong ones from those who are less brave or strong.
This is the kind of task that sorts the men from the boys.
separate the sheep from the goats
to divide people into two groups in order to distinguish the good from the bad, etc.
Working in a place like this really separates the sheep from the goats.
separate the wheat from the chaff
to separate what is of value from what is useless.
Could you have a look at this furniture and separate the wheat from the chaff?
serve as a guinea pig
[for someone or something] to be experimented on.
Try it on someone else! I don’t want to serve as a guinea pig!
serve notice
to announce something.
John served notice that he was leaving the company.
set foot somewhere
to go or enter somewhere. (Often in the negative.)
If I were you, I wouldn’t set foot in that town.
set great store by someone or something
to have positive expectations for someone or something; to have high hopes for someone or something.
I set great store by my computer and its ability to help me in my work.
set one back on one’s heels
to surprise, shock, or overwhelm someone.
Her sudden announcement set us all back on our heels.
set someone straight
to explain something to someone.
I don’t think you understand about taxation. Let me set you straight.
set someone’s teeth on edge
[for a sour or bitter taste] to irritate one’s mouth.
Have you ever eaten a lemon? It’ll set your teeth on edge.
set the record straight
to put right a mistake or misunderstanding; to make sure that an account, etc., is correct.
The manager thought Jean was to blame, but she soon set the record straight.
set the table and lay the table
to place plates, glasses, napkins, etc., on the table before a meal.
Jane, would you please lay the table?
set the world on fire
to do exciting things that bring fame and glory. (Frequently negative.)
I’m not very ambitious. I don’t want to set the world on fire.
set up shop somewhere
to establish one’s place of work somewhere. (Informal.)
Mary set up shop in a small office building in Oak Street.
set upon someone or something
to attack someone or something violently.
The dogs set upon the bear and chased it up a tree.
shades of someone or something
reminders of someone or something; reminiscent of someone or something.
When I met Jim’s mother, I thought “shades of Aunt Mary.”
shaggy-dog story
a kind of funny story which relies for its humour on its length and its sudden ridiculous ending.
Don’t let John tell a shaggy-dog story. It’ll go on for hours.
shake in one’s shoes and quake in one’s shoes
to be afraid; to shake from fear.
I was shaking in my shoes because I had to go and see the manager.
share and share alike
with equal shares.
I kept five and gave the other five to Mary—share and share alike.
sharp practice
dishonest or illegal methods or behaviour.
I’m sure that Jim’s firm was guilty of sharp practice in getting that export order.
shift one’s ground
to change one’s opinions or arguments, often without being challenged or opposed.
At first Jack and I were on opposite sides, but he suddenly shifted his ground and started agreeing with me.
ships that pass in the night
people who meet each other briefly by chance and are unlikely to meet again.
Mary would have liked to see Jim again, but to him, they were ships that passed in the night.
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.
