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- Kelly Roell
- 24/7: Twenty-four hours a day; seven days a week; all the time; constantly. My little sister irritates me 24/7!
- A short fuse: A quick temper. Jamie is known for his short fuse; just a few days ago he screamed at his coach for not letting him play.
- A taste of your own medicine: Bad treatment deservedly received for treating other people badly. After constantly being prank-called, Julian decided to give Juan a taste of his own medicine and ordered twenty-seven pizzas to be delivered to Juan’s house.
- Butterflies in my stomach: To be nervous. Liam had butterflies in his stomach before he went on stage to play the violin.
- Contents
- English Idioms About Emotions and Feelings
- English Idioms About Money
- English Idioms with Body Parts
- English Idioms About Food
- English Idioms About Weather
- English Idioms About Nature
1. Hit the hay
If someone says they’re going to hit the hay, it means they are going to bed. It reflects a need for rest, possibly due to emotional exhaustion or weariness. After a long day at work, I can’t wait to hit the hayand get some good sleep.
2. Bite the bullet
To bite the bullet is to endure a painful or difficult situation with courage and resilience, often involving facing uncomfortable emotions or challenges. I had to bite the bulletand apologize even though I didn’t think I was wrong.
3. Cry over spilled milk
Crying over spilled milk means to dwell on past mistakes or misfortunes, often implying that it’s unproductive to worry about things that cannot be changed. There’s no use crying over spilled milk; let’s focus on finding a solution.
21. Pitch in
This phrase may once have had a literal meaning to do with farm work (think pitchfork), but it isn’t used that way now. Figuratively speaking, it means to contribute (give) or to join in. Let’s all pitch ina few dollars so we can buy Sally a really good present for her birthday.
22. Cutting corners
Cutting corners refers to trying to save money by finding cheaper or quicker ways of doing something, often with the risk of sacrificing quality. We need to finish this project on time, but let’s be careful not to cut cornersand compromise its quality.
23. Break the bank
If something breaks the bank, it means it is extremely expensive or costs more than one can afford. I’d love to go on a luxury cruise, but the prices for those trips would break the bank.
53. Cost an arm and a leg
If something costs an arm and a leg, it means it is very expensive, potentially causing financial strain and emotional stress. Going on that luxury vacation would be amazing, but it would cost an arm and a leg.
54. All ears
If someone is all ears, it means they are eagerly listening and paying full attention. When the teacher mentioned a surprise, the students were all ears.
55. Heart of gold
Having a heart of gold means being kind, generous and compassionate. Despite facing hardships, she has a heart of goldand always helps those in need.
71. Spice things up
To spice things upmeans to make them more interesting or exciting. Instead of just buying Sam a birthday gift, let’s spice things upby taking him out for dinner.
72. A piece of cake
A piece of cake refers to a task or job that’s easy to do, like eating a delicious piece of cake! If you don’t prefer cake, you can also say it’s easy as pie. I expected the English test to be difficult, but it was a piece of cake.
73. Cool as a cucumber
Cucumbers have a refreshing taste and leave you with a cool, calm feeling. If you’re cool as a cucumber, you’re someone who’s very calm and relaxed. My friend is nervous about taking his driving test, but I’m cool as a cucumber.
98. Under the weather
If you’re feeling under the weather, you’re not your usual self and could be feeling a little sick. I was feeling under the weather, so I called my work and told them I wasn’t coming in.
99. A storm is brewing
This idiom is used in anticipation of trouble. Usually it means there’s been some kind of sign that this trouble is coming. She decided to go ahead with their wedding, even though all they’ve been doing lately is arguing. I can sense a storm is brewing.
100. Calm before the storm
The air may be still before a storm actually hits. To say there is a calm before the stormis basically saying that things may be peaceful now, but it won’t last. They had a bit of a honeymoon phase, but that was just the calm before the storm.
114. Get into deep water
This idiom is pretty close to the literal meaning: being in deep watermeans you’re in a tricky situation that is hard to escape. He got into deep waterwhen he borrowed a lot of money from a loan shark.
115. Up in the air
If someone tells you that things are up in the air, it means that a situation is uncertain or unsure. It’s as though a ball has been tossed upward, and no one knows exactly where it will land. Our plans for this weekend are up in the airuntil Jen tells us when she gets off of work.
116. Pour oil on troubled waters
If you pour oil into the sea, it has a calming effect on the waves. You shouldn’t do that in reality, but you can use this idiom to say that you’re trying to soothe the tension following an argument. She hated seeing her two best friends arguing, so she got them together and poured oil on troubled waters.
Learn the meanings and usage of common English idioms with this comprehensive online resource. Browse the top 10 most popular idioms, the latest idioms, and the alphabetical list of idioms.
- A blessing in disguise. Meaning: Something that seems bad or unlucky at first but turns out to be good. Example: Losing that job was a blessing in disguise because it pushed me to start my own business.
- A dime a dozen. Meaning: Very common and easy to find. Example: Those souvenir keychains are a dime a dozen at the tourist shops.
- All ears. Meaning: Fully listening and paying attention. Example: Go ahead, I’m all ears. Tell me what’s been on your mind.
- All in the same boat. Meaning: In the same situation or predicament. Example: Everybody on staff got a pay cut – we’re all in the same boat.
Nov 20, 2023 · Learn what idioms are, how to use them effectively, and explore common and less common examples. This guide covers animal, food, and preposition idioms, as well as their origins and challenges.
May 19, 2022 · Learn the meaning and usage of 30 common American English idioms, such as add insult to injury, beat around the bush, and piece of cake. Idioms are phrases that have meaning in their own culture or language, but not when taken literally.
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Learn the meanings and usage of 7,230 English idioms and idiomatic expressions, categorised by topic and country of origin. Browse, search, quiz yourself and access member-only definitions of idioms and slang expressions.
