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Idioms and phrases

128 idioms, sayings and fixed phrases whose meaning is more than their words, A to Z, each with its main meaning in simple words.

A

  1. a dime a dozen adjectiveSo common and easy to get that it has almost no value.
  2. actions speak louder than words proverbWhat a person does shows how they really feel better than what they say.
  3. add insult to injury verbTo make a bad situation even worse by saying or doing something hurtful.
  4. all things considered adverbLooking at the whole picture instead of just one part of it.
  5. an arm and a leg nounA very large amount of money, or a price that is much too high.
  6. and so forth phraseUsed at the end of a list to say there are more things like the ones named.
  7. as a matter of fact prepositional phraseUsed to add a true point, often one that may surprise the listener or correct them.
  8. as if conjunctionUsed to say how someone or something seems, or what a way of acting makes you think.
  9. as long as conjunctionUsed to say one thing is true only if another thing happens or is true.
  10. as such prepositional phraseIn the role or job of the thing just mentioned.
  11. as well adverbToo, or added to the things already named.
  12. at all adverbEven a tiny bit, in any way, at any time, or in any situation.
  13. at least prepositional phraseNo less than a certain number or amount, and maybe more.
  14. at the drop of a hat prepositional phraseVery quickly, without waiting or stopping to think first.
  15. at the end of the day prepositional phraseAfter thinking about everything, what really matters in the end.

B

  1. back to the drawing board adverbSaid when a plan has failed and you need to start again with a new idea.
  2. beat around the bush verbTo avoid talking about something hard or unpleasant by speaking about other things instead.
  3. bend over backwards verbTo try very hard to help someone or to do something especially well.
  4. best of both worlds nounA situation where you get the good parts of two different things at the same time.
  5. beyond the pale prepositional phraseDescribes a person or action that is too wrong or unwise to be accepted.
  6. birds of a feather flock together proverbPeople who are similar tend to spend time together, and it is easier to make friends with people like you.
  7. birthday suit nounThe state of having no clothes on, with only your bare skin showing.
  8. bite the bullet verbTo accept something unpleasant so that you can move forward.
  9. bless you interjectionWhat you say to be polite when someone sneezes.
  10. break a leg interjectionA cheerful way to wish someone good luck before they perform or try something hard.
  11. break the ice verbTo say or do something friendly so people relax when they first meet.
  12. bucket list nounA list of things you want to do before you die.
  13. burn the midnight oil verbTo stay up very late at night to work hard or study.
  14. by no means prepositional phraseNot at all, used to say very strongly that something is not so.
  15. by the skin of one's teeth prepositional phraseOnly just, with no room or time to spare.
  16. by the way prepositional phraseUsed when you add something that is not the main thing you are talking about.

C

  1. call it a day verbTo stop working on something, either because it is going badly or because you have done enough.
  2. class clown nounA student who often tells jokes and makes fun of things in class.
  3. cloud nine nounA feeling of being extremely happy. People often say they are "on cloud nine."
  4. cut corners verbTo do a job in a fast, careless way by skipping important steps.
  5. cut to the chase verbTo stop wasting time and talk about the most important thing right away.

E

  1. easier said than done adjectiveUsed to say that something sounds simple to suggest but is really hard to do.
  2. elephant in the room nounA big, clear problem that people ignore because talking about it would be hard or uncomfortable.
  3. every cloud has a silver lining proverbEven bad situations have something good in them.
  4. excuse me phraseWords you say politely to get a person to notice you.

F

  1. face the music verbTo accept the bad results of something you did, instead of hiding from them.
  2. fall asleep verbTo go to sleep after being awake.
  3. for example prepositional phraseUsed to show that what comes next is one example of what you mean.

G

  1. get lost verbTo not know where you are or how to get where you are going.
  2. give birth verbTo push a baby or a young animal out of the body when it is born.
  3. give someone the cold shoulder verbTo treat someone in a cold, unfriendly way to show you do not want them around.
  4. go the extra mile verbTo do more than you need to so you can help someone or do a great job.
  5. good night phraseWhat you say to someone when you leave them in the evening or go to bed.

H

  1. hit rock bottom verbTo reach the worst, lowest point in your life, where things cannot get any worse.
  2. hit the nail on the head verbTo say or guess exactly the right thing about something.
  3. hit the road verbTo leave where you are and go away.
  4. how are you phraseA friendly way to say hello, asked as a question that does not need a real answer.

I

  1. in a nutshell adverbSaid in only a few words, giving just the main idea.
  2. in addition adverbAlso, as one more thing on top of what was already said.
  3. in any case prepositional phraseUsed to say that something is true or will happen no matter what else happens.
  4. in light of prepositionBecause of something. It gives the reason why something happened.
  5. in my opinion prepositional phraseUsed to show that you are saying what you think, not a fact.
  6. in particular prepositional phraseUsed to point out one thing from a group, more than the others.
  7. in spite of prepositionUsed to show that something happens even though there is a reason it might not.
  8. in the long run prepositional phraseAfter a long time has passed, looking at the final result rather than right now.
  9. in the same boat adjectiveFacing the same trouble or hard situation as someone else.
  10. in vain adverbWithout success, so that all the trying does not work.
  11. it takes two to tango proverbSome things can only happen when two people work together, so both share the blame in a fight.

J

  1. jack of all trades nounA person who is good at many different things, but who some think is great at none.
  2. jump on the bandwagon verbTo start doing or supporting something just because many other people already are.
  3. jump the gun verbTo start doing something too soon, before the right moment to begin.
  4. just deserts nounA punishment or reward that a person gets and that people feel they deserved.

K

  1. kick the bucket verbA joking, informal way of saying that someone dies.
  2. kill two birds with one stone verbTo finish two tasks with just one action.
  3. knock on wood interjectionSaid when you hope your good luck will keep going and bad luck stays away.

L

  1. last straw nounThe final small problem that makes an already hard situation impossible to bear.
  2. let alone conjunctionUsed after saying that something is not true or possible, to add something even less likely.
  3. let the cat out of the bag verbTo tell a secret, often by accident.
  4. lip service nounSaying that you support something but doing nothing to help it.
  5. long story short adverbUsed when you tell only the ending or main point of a story, not all the details.
  6. long time no see interjectionA friendly way to say hello to someone you have not seen in a long time.

M

  1. make ends meet verbTo have just enough money to pay for the things you need.
  2. more often than not adverbUsually, or more than half of the time, but not always.

N

  1. needless to say adverbUsed to say something is so clear it hardly needs saying.
  2. never mind verbSaid to make someone feel better, meaning that it does not matter and they should not worry.
  3. no way interjectionUsed to say a strong no to something.
  4. not at all adverbNot even a little, or not in any way.

O

  1. off the hook adjectiveFree from a duty, or no longer in trouble for something.
  2. on cloud nine prepositional phraseFeeling extremely happy and full of joy.
  3. on second thought prepositional phraseAfter thinking about something again and changing your mind or choice.
  4. on the ball prepositional phraseQuick to notice things and ready to act.
  5. on the fence prepositional phraseNot yet able to choose between two sides or two choices.
  6. on the other hand prepositional phraseUsed to introduce a different or opposite idea from the one just mentioned.
  7. on the same page prepositional phraseIn agreement, or understanding something the same way as another person.
  8. on top of that prepositional phraseUsed to add one more fact or point to what was just said.
  9. once in a blue moon adverbVery rarely — only every now and then, almost never.
  10. out of the blue prepositional phraseSuddenly, when no one expected it at all.
  11. over the moon prepositional phraseVery happy and excited about something good that has happened.

P

  1. penny for your thoughts phraseA friendly way to ask what someone is thinking when they seem quiet or far away.
  2. pie in the sky nounA silly or unrealistic idea, or a promise of something good that will probably never happen.
  3. piece of cake nounSomething that is very easy to do.
  4. pipe dream nounA wish, idea, or plan that is very unlikely to come true or to work.
  5. pot calling the kettle black nounWhen someone blames another person for a fault that they have too.
  6. pull someone's leg verbTo tease or trick someone by telling a funny lie, just for fun.

R

  1. read between the lines verbTo understand a meaning that someone hints at but does not say directly.
  2. reap what one sows verbTo get the good or bad results you deserve because of what you did or meant to do.

S

  1. see eye to eye verbTo agree with someone and get along well.
  2. see red verbTo get angry or very annoyed.
  3. see the forest for the trees verbTo notice the big picture instead of only the small details, usually said of someone who can't.
  4. see you later phraseA friendly way to say goodbye. It does not always mean you will see the person again soon.
  5. sit on the fence verbTo avoid choosing a side when people disagree about something.
  6. speak of the devil phraseSaid when a person you were just talking about suddenly shows up.
  7. spill the beans verbTo tell people a secret.

T

  1. take it easy verbTo relax and stop working or worrying for a while.
  2. the bee's knees nounSomeone or something that is really great or cool.
  3. the early bird catches the worm proverbAlternative form of the early bird gets the worm. Use it to say that people who start early do best.
  4. third time's a charm proverbPeople often succeed on the third try, even after failing the first two times.
  5. throw in the towel verbTo stop trying because something is too hard, and accept that you have failed.
  6. time flies phraseUsed to say that time goes by very fast, often faster than you expect.
  7. tip of the iceberg nounA small sign of a much bigger problem that is mostly still hidden.
  8. to be honest phraseUsed before saying what you really think, even when it might be hard to hear.
  9. to each their own proverbAlternative form of to each his own. Use this when saying people can like different things.
  10. turn a blind eye verbTo pretend not to see something wrong so you don't have to deal with it.

U

  1. under the weather adjectiveA little sick, often with a cold or the flu.
  2. used to verbUsed before a verb to say that something happened often in the past, but maybe not now.

W

  1. well done interjectionSaid to tell someone they did a good job.
  2. what's up phraseA friendly, casual way to say hello.
  3. when in Rome proverbYou should follow the customs of the place you are in.
  4. when pigs fly adverbUsed to say that something will never happen.
  5. wild-goose chase nounA long, hard search or task that turns out to be useless.
  6. with flying colors prepositional phraseIn a very good and successful way, so well that people clearly notice.

Y

  1. you can't judge a book by its cover proverbDon't decide what someone or something is really like just from how it looks on the outside.
  2. you only live once proverbAlternative form of you only go around once. People say this when they want someone to enjoy life and take a chance.

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