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An idiom is a phrase or a fixed expression that has a figurative, or sometimes literal, meaning. An idiom's figurative meaning is different from the litera…
- At a crossroads – Needing to make an important decision. When you are at a crossroads, you are at a point in your life where you need to make a decision.
- Bad apple – Bad person. You can use this idiom to describe someone who is not nice and maybe even criminal.
- Barking up the wrong tree – Pursuing the wrong course. When you “bark up the wrong tree” you are pursuing the wrong solution to your problems.
- Be closefisted – Stingy. If you are being “closefisted”, you don’t want to spend a lot of money.
Idiomatic expressions are informal phrases that aren't interpreted literally. Idioms often showcase a culture's history, values, and social norms. For many idioms, you need to use a very specific formulation of words. These expressions are only idioms when they are not used literally.
- As Free as A Bird
- Clip Someone’S Wings
- Spread Your Wings
- Born Free
- Elbow Room
- Freedom of Speech
- Free Spirit / Free-Spirited
- There’S No Such Thing as A Free Lunch
- Freeloader
- Free Rein
Many freedom idioms have a similar meaning to this one, which is also a simile. Someone who is as free as a bird has no worries, commitments, or problems. It’s interesting to see how different idioms about birdsdraw on different aspects of their nature.
Birds are free to go where they please, but if you clip their wings, they can’t fly anymore. So when you figuratively clip someone’s wings, you are limiting their freedom or restricting their ability to perform a task. There are plenty of idioms associated with animalsin English. Why not take a look?
The complete opposite of having your wings clipped, to spread your wings (and soar/fly) is to make the most of the freedom you have to do something or go somewhere. It often refers to a new season of life, whether it’s moving to a new place, starting a new job, taking up a new hobby, or simply traveling.
Officially, to be born free means you were born after the end of the Apartheid era in South Africa. It can also describe, more literally, someone not born into slavery. As an idiom about freedom, though, it describes someone who is free to make their own choices. We have more idioms about travelon a separate page for you to explore.
Can you imagine being in a space so tight that you cannot move your elbows around? That would feel like the opposite of freedom! Elbow room is the space or freedom to do something. Although this expression can be used in terms of physical space, you can also use it figuratively to refer to the leeway to do something or say something.
Freedom idioms are used around the world, but you may hear this particular one used more as an American idiom, or in reference to the USA. Freedom of speech is the right to say what you want without fear. But do you really have the right to say whatever you want wheneveryou want to?
When you act in an uninhabited way, do your own thing, and never worry about normal social rules or constraints, you could be called free-spirited. Another way to explain it would be ‘nonconformist’.
This is an example of a ‘free’ idiom about money. When someone comments that there is no such thing as a free lunch, they are suggesting that even if something is offered for free, there is usually a hidden cost or consequence. Another way to express this is: ‘If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
Sadly, not all free idioms are positive ones. A freeloader is someone who doesn’t pay their own way, or share a financial burden. They take advantage of other people’s kindness and generosity.
When you are given free rein, you are given permission to do something your own way. You’re asked to complete a task but not limited in the way you do it. This is a good example of a work idiomas it often applies in business settings.
Feb 2, 2023 · idiom. Definition of free of charge. Synonyms for free of charge. And just like last year, The Dinky Rink is free of charge to use. Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel , 2 Feb. 2023. The agency said Ford will repair the cars free of charge. Ramishah Maruf, CNN , 13 Oct. 2023.
Apr 15, 2017 · So free from is used to indicate protection from something problematic, and free of (which doesn't correspond neatly to freedom of) is used to indicate the absence of something: this shampoo is free of parabens.
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May 19, 2022 · How to Master Common English Idioms. Nikki Piontek. Updated on May 19, 2022 Grammar. Idioms can be heard everywhere: in the workplace, at the local bar, and even at home. Each language has its own set of unique idioms, but they don’t often translate well across languages. So what exactly is an idiom?
