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Top 50 Idioms

These are the 50 most commonly used English idioms and their meanings. While learning idioms might seem difficult and time-consuming, it’ll help you to speak in more interesting ways and sound more natural among native English speakers.

Siddharth Raayan
Siddharth RaayanImproving English

a quick buck

  • phrase:a quick buck

1)easily and quickly earned money.

"they were seen as more eager to make a quick buck"

all the way up

  • phrase:all the way
  • phrase:all the way up

1)without limit or reservation.

"I'm with you all the way"

as thick as thieves

  • phrase:as thick as thieves

1)(of two or more people) very close or friendly; sharing secrets.

"he and Auntie Lou were as thick as thieves"

bat an eye

  • phrase:not bat an eye
  • phrase:bat an eye

1)show no surprise or concern.

"when he told me what he'd done, I didn't bat an eye"

been around

  • phrase:have been around
  • phrase:been around

1)have a lot of varied experience and understanding of the world.

"look, I've been around, I know what happens with kids like you"

bent out of shape

  • phrase:bent out of shape

1)angry or agitated.

"he'd changed a few things around, and Glen was a little bent out of shape about it"

  • phrase:out of shape
  • phrase:bent out of shape

1)no longer having the correct or original form or contours.

"the front wheel of the bicycle was all out of shape"

2)(of a person) in poor physical condition; unfit.

"he was overweight and out of shape"

beyond the pale

  • phrase:beyond the pale

1)outside the bounds of acceptable behaviour.

"the language my father used was beyond the pale"

bigger fish to fry

  • phrase:have bigger fish to fry
  • phrase:bigger fish to fry

1)have other or more important matters to attend to.

"the police and courts have bigger fish to fry"

bird’s eye view

  • unpunctuated:birds-eye view
  • noun:bird's-eye view
  • plural noun:bird's-eye views

1)a general view from above.

"at this vantage point it's possible to have a bird's-eye view"

blank check

  • noun:blank cheque
  • plural noun:blank cheques
  • noun:blank check
  • plural noun:blank checks

1)a bank check with the amount left for the payee to fill in.

break one’s back

  • phrase:break one's back
  • phrase:break one’s back

1)put great effort into achieving something.

"as soon as we finished I'd break my back to get home to her"

  • phrase:break the back of
  • phrase:break one’s back

1)accomplish the main or hardest part of (a task).

"we've broken the back of the problem"

come to grief

  • phrase:come to grief

1)have an accident; meet with disaster.

"many a ship has come to grief along this shore"

day in day out

  • phrase:day in, day out
  • phrase:day in day out

1)continuously or repeatedly over a long period of time.

"I worked with you day in, day out"

  • phrase:day after day
  • phrase:day in day out

1)on each successive day over a long period.

"the rain poured down day after day"

dig one’s own grave

  • phrase:dig one's own grave
  • phrase:dig one’s own grave

1)do something foolish which causes one's downfall.

"you're digging your own grave by walking away right now"

down for the count

  • phrase:out for the count
  • phrase:down for the count

1)defeated by being knocked to the ground and unable to rise within ten seconds.

easier said than done

  • phrase:be easier said than done
  • phrase:easier said than done

1)be more easily talked about than put into practice.

"going on an economy drive is easier said than done"

every man jack

  • phrase:every man jack
  • phrase:every man Jack

1)each and every person (used for emphasis).

"they're spies, every man jack of them"

fall on deaf ears

  • phrase:fall on deaf ears

1)(of a statement or request) be ignored.

"their pleas fell on deaf ears"

food for thought

  • phrase:food for thought

1)something that warrants serious consideration.

"his study certainly provides food for thought"

foot in the door

  • phrase:have a foot in the door
  • phrase:foot in the door

1)have or gain a first introduction to a profession or organization.

Showing 1 - 20 of 50 items
Showing 1 - 20 of 50 items