50 idiomatic expressions examples meaning

50 idiomatic expressions examples meaning

Idioms About Weather

Come rain or shineWhatever happens
On cloud nineVery happy
BrainstormTo generate many ideas quickly
Take sth by stormto overwhelm s.one or s.thing by becoming famous quickly
Stealing my thunderMaking people pay attention to you
A cold day in JulySomething that will never happen
Take a rain checkDecline an invitation but maybe you will accept it another time
A ray of sunshineSomething that brings happiness to someone
Once in a blue moonVery rarely

Idioms About Color

Red tape

Official or bureaucratic tasks

 

To be yellow

To be cowardly

 

To see red

To be very angry

 

Black out

Faint

 

Black and blue

Describe something that is badly bruised

 

Golden opportunity

The perfect chance

 

Have the blues

Be sad or depressed

 

Black sheep

A person who is a disgrace to a family or group

Idioms About Human Body

All ears

Fully listening

 

Keep an eye on

Take care of, watch in order to protect

 

Joined at the hip

To be exceptionally close to someone

 

Pat on the back

Recognition or a thank-you

 

See eye to eye

Agree

 

On the nose

Precisely, at an exact time

 

A sight for sore eyes

Someone that you’re pleased to see

 

Cost an arm and a leg

Be very expensive

Pick his brain

You should pick Mary’s brain sometime; she knows all about math.

 

Be common knowledge

It’s common knowledge that she is a beautiful girl.

 

As far as anyone knows

As far as anyone knows, this is the last of the great herds of buffalo.

 

Knowledge is power

In this situation, knowledge is power.

 

Idioms About SCHOOL

As easy as ABC

Very easy

 

Cover a lot of ground

Complete a lot of material in a class

 

Eager beaver

Someone who works hard and is very enthusiastic

 

Copycat

Someone who copies the work of another person

 

Bookworm

Someone who reads a lot

 

Brainstorm something

To think of new ideas

 

Skip class

To not go to school when you should

 

Teacher’s pet

The teacher’s favorite student

 

Idioms About Knowledge 

Two heads are better than one

My son, don’t forget; Two heads are better than one

 

Learn the ropes

It didn’t take her new assistant long to learn the ropes.

 

Doing your homework

You can’t play game any more until you do your homework!

 

Under one’s belt

She has almost a year as minister under her belt.

 

Pick his brain

You should pick Mary’s brain sometime; she knows all about math.

 

Be common knowledge

It’s common knowledge that she is a beautiful girl.

 

As far as anyone knows

As far as anyone knows, this is the last of the great herds of buffalo.

 

Knowledge is power

In this situation, knowledge is power.

 

American Idioms

About time: An idiom that describes the upcoming and even passing time.

Example: About time to buy a new house and car.

Easy-going: It means tolerant, easy to understand and naive.

Example: Arya is easy-going person I have ever seen. He is never happy and upset for any event.

Enough is enough: This statement means that it should not be enough and more. It is generally said when a certain situation is sufficient.

Example: You just eat enough is enough. If you eat more, you will gain excess weight.

Money talks: In a case, it means a statement stating that the money has more money.

Example: Money talks from this football game.

 

Idioms About Heart

Have a heartBe merciful
Have you heart set on somethingTo want something very much
Eat your heart outWe say this when we make someone jealous
In a heartbeatVery quickly withous any hesitation
A heart of stoneNo feelings
Lose one’s heart toFall in love
Cross my heartTell the truth
Heart and soulCompletely; entirely
Wears heart on his sleeveAlways lets feeling be known
Broken heartTo lose love
Know by heartMemorize

Medical and Health Idioms

As fit as a fiddleTo be heathy and physically fit
At death’s doorVery near death
As pale as a ghostExtremely pale
Bitter pill to swallowAn unpleasant fact that one must accept
Get a charley horseTo develop a cramp in the arm or the leg
Have one foot in the graveTo be near death
Run in the familyTo be a common family characteristic
Under the weatherNot feeling well
Sick and tired ofExtremely annoyed by something that occurs repeatedly
Go under the knifeUndergo surgery

Idioms About Family

Accident Of Birth

Luck in something due to family good fortune

One big happy family

A group of people who live or work together or in close proximity

Family man

A man devoted to taking care of his wife and children

Spitting Image

Have a strong resemblance, often familiar

My Old Man, My Old Lady

My spouse

Pop the Question

Propose marriage

Up the Duff

Pregnant

Like Taking Candy from a Baby

Very easy

 

Idioms About Friendship

strike up a friendship
to become friends

to see eye to eye with someone
to agree with someone

Friends in high places
has friends who have important or influential positions

to know someone inside out
to know someone very well

to build bridges
to promote friendly relations between people or groups

like two peas in a pod
very similar

to be as thick as thieves
to be very close or friendly

to bury the hatchet
to end a conflict

to clear the air
to defuse the tension

a shoulder to cry on
someone who listens to your problems

 

Idioms About Money

To cut your losses

To stop doing something for avoid loosing money

To make a killing

To earn a lot of money

As sound as a dollar

Very secure and dependable

Cash-and–carry

Selling something for cash only and with no delivery

Get a run for one’s money

to receive a challenge, to receive what one deserves

Money talks

Rich people can get what they want

Be made of money

If you are made of money, you are rich man

Banner Year

A year marked by strong successes

Money to burn

Extra money to spend however one likes

 

IdiomsIdioms About Sports

Come Out Swinging

Respond to something very aggressively

Ball’s in Your Court

It’s your turn to make an offer or decision

Take the Gloves off

Negotiate in a more aggressive way

Play ball

Cooperate, agree to participate

Hit the Ground Running

To begin a job or project with no learning period needed

Heavy Hitter

A powerful, influential person

Against The Run Of Play

Atypical of the way a game has been going

Ballpark figure

A rough estimate

Throw in the Towel

To give up, admit defeat

 

Idioms About Animals

Loaded for bear

Prepared for problems, well prepared for a challenge

Flew the coop

Escape, left

Get someone’s goat

To irritate someone deeply

Fat cat

A highly placed, well-paid executive

Hold your horses

Wait and be patient

Cash cow

A good way to make money

Cat nap

A short sleep

Get the lion’s share

Get the greatest percentage

Kill two birds with one stone

Get two things done at once

 

Idioms About Fruits

Cool as a cucumber

Calm even in difficult or frustrating situations

The apple of someone’s eye

At the present moment; for now

As red as a cherry

Very red

To go bananas

To go crazy

Go pear-shaped

To fail; to go wrong

Second banana

A person in a subservient position

The cherry on the cake

The final thing that makes something perfect

A bite at the cherry

An opportunity to achieve something

A plum job

An easy, pleasant job that also pays well

Peaches and cream

A situation that has no trouble or problems