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.
burn the candle at both ends
to exhaust oneself by doing too much, for example by working very hard during the day and also staying up very late at night.
No wonder Mary is ill. She has been burning the candle at both ends for a long time.
burn the midnight oil
to stay up working, especially studying, late at night. (Refers to working by the light of an oil-lamp.)
I have to go home and burn the midnight oil tonight.
bury the hatchet
to stop fighting or arguing; to end old resentments.
All right, you two. Calm down and bury the hatchet.
bush telegraph
the informal, usually rapid spreading of news or information by word of mouth.
The bush telegraph tells me that the manager is leaving.
business end of something
the part or end of something that actually does the work or carries out the procedure.
Keep away from the business end of the electric drill in case you get hurt.
busman’s holiday
leisure time spent doing something similar to what one does at work.
Tutoring pupils in the evening is too much of a busman’s holiday for our English teacher.
buy a pig in a poke
to purchase or accept something without having seen or examined it. ( Poke means “bag.”)
Buying a car without test driving it is like buying a pig in a poke.
buy something for a song
to buy something cheaply.
No one else wanted it, so I bought it for a song.
by fits and starts
irregularly; unevenly; with much stopping and starting. (Informal.)
Somehow, they got the job done, by fits and starts.
by leaps and bounds and in leaps and bounds
rapidly; by large movements forward.
Our garden is growing by leaps and bounds.
by no means
absolutely not; certainly not.
I’m by no means angry with you.
by return post
by a subsequent immediate posting (back to the sender). (A phrase indicating that an answer is expected soon, by mail.)
Since this bill is overdue, would you kindly send us your cheque by return post?
by the same token
in the same way; reciprocally.
Tom must be good when he comes here, and, by the same token, I expect you to behave properly when you go to his house.
by the seat of one’s pants
by sheer luck and very little skill. (Informal. Especially with fly. )
I got through school by the seat of my pants.
by the skin of one’s teeth
just barely; by an amount equal to the thickness of the (imaginary) skin on one’s teeth. (Informal.)
I got through that exam by the skin of my teeth.
by the sweat of one’s brow
by one’s efforts; by one’s hard work.
Tom grew these vegetables by the sweat of his brow.
by virtue of something
because of something; owing to something.
She’s permitted to vote by virtue of her age.
by word of mouth
by speaking rather than writing.
I learned about it by word of mouth.
call a spade a spade
to call something by its right name; to speak frankly about something, even if it is unpleasant.
Well, I believe it’s time to call a spade a spade. We are just avoiding the issue.
call it a day
to leave work and go home; to say that a day’s work has been completed; to bring something to an end; to stop doing something. (Informal.)
I’m tired. Let’s call it a day even though it’s only three o’clock.
call of nature
the need to go to the lavatory. (Humorous.)
Stop the car here! I have to answer the call of nature.
can’t hold a candle to someone
not equal to someone; unable to measure up to someone. (Also with cannot. )
Mary can’t hold a candle to Ann when it comes to playing the piano.
can’t make head nor tail of someone or something
unable to understand someone or something. (Also with cannot. )
John is so strange. I can’t make head nor tail of him.
can’t see beyond the end of one’s nose
unaware of and uncaring for the things which might happen in the future; not far-sighted. (Also with cannot. )
John is a very poor planner. He can’t see beyond the end of his nose.
can’t see one’s hand in front of one’s face
unable to see very far, usually owing to darkness or fog. (Also with cannot. )
It was so dark that I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face.
carry a torch for someone
to be in love with someone who does not return love; to brood over a hopeless love affair.
John is carrying a torch for Jane.
carry all before one
to be exceptionally successful.
He carried all before him on school prize day.
carry the weight of the world on one’s shoulders
to appear to be burdened by many problems.
Look at Tom. He seems to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
carte blanche
complete freedom to act or proceed as one pleases. (Literally, a white or blank card.)
We were given carte blanche to choose the colour scheme.
cast in the same mould
very similar.
The two sisters are cast in the same mould—equally mean.
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.
