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.
cock a snook at someone
to show or express defiance or scorn at someone.
He cocked a snook at the traffic warden and tore up the ticket.
cock of the walk
someone who acts in a more important manner than others in a group.
The deputy manager was cock of the walk until the new manager arrived.
cock-and-bull story
a silly, made-up story; a story which is untrue.
Don’t give me that cock-and-bull story.
cold comfort
no comfort or consolation at all.
She knows there are others worse off than her, but that’s cold comfort.
come a cropper
to have a misfortune; to fail. (Literally, to fall off one’s horse.)
Bob invested all his money in the shares market just before it fell. Did he come a cropper!
come away empty-handed
to return without anything.
All right, go gambling if you must. Don’t come away empty-handed, though.
come down in the world
to lose one’s social position or financial standing.
Mr. Jones has really come down in the world since he lost his job.
come down to earth
to become realistic or practical, especially after a period of day-dreaming; to become alert to what is going on around one. (Informal.)
You have very good ideas, John, but you must come down to earth. We can’t possibly afford any of your suggestions.
come down with something
to become ill with some disease.
I’m afraid I’m coming down with a cold.
come from far and wide
to come from many different places.
Everyone was there. They came from far and wide.
come full circle
to return to the original position or state of affairs.
The family sold the house generations ago, but the wheel has come full circle and one of their descendants lives there now.
come home to roost
to return to cause trouble (for someone).
As I feared, all my problems came home to roost.
come in for something
to receive something; to acquire something.
Mary came in for a tremendous amount of money when her aunt died.
come into something
to inherit something.
Jane came into a small fortune when her aunt died.
come of age
to reach an age when one is old enough to own property, get married, and sign legal contracts.
When Jane comes of age, she will buy her own car.
come off second-best
to be in second place or worse; to be the loser.
You can fight with your brother if you like, but you’ll come off second-best.
come out in the wash
to work out all right. (Informal. This means that problems or difficulties will go away as dirt goes away in the process of washing.)
Don’t worry about their accusation. It’ll all come out in the wash.
come out of nowhere
to appear suddenly.
Suddenly, a container lorry came out of nowhere.
come out of one’s shell
to become more friendly; to be more sociable.
Ann, you should come out of your shell and spend more time with your friends.
come round
finally to agree or consent (to something).
I thought he’d never agree, but in the end he came round.
come to a bad end
to have a disaster, perhaps one which is deserved or expected; to die an unfortunate death.
I just know that the young man will come to a bad end.
come to a head
to come to a crucial point; to come to a point when a problem must be solved.
Remember my problem with my neighbours? Well, last night the whole thing came to a head.
come to a pretty pass
to develop into a bad, unfortunate, or difficult situation.
Things have come to a pretty pass when people have to beg in the streets.
come to an untimely end
to come to an early death.
Poor Mr. Jones came to an untimely end in a car accident.
come to grief
to fail or be unsuccessful; to have trouble or grief.
The artist wept when her canvas came to grief.
come to light
to become known; to be discovered.
Some interesting facts about your past have just come to light.
come to the fore
to become obvious or prominent; to become important.
The question of salary has now come to the fore.
conspicuous by one’s absence
having one’s absence noticed (at an event).
We missed you last night. You were conspicuous by your absence.
contradiction in terms
a seeming contradiction in the wording of something.
A wealthy pauper is a contradiction in terms.
cook someone’s goose
to damage or ruin someone. (Informal.)
I cooked my own goose by not showing up on time.
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.
