30 most commonly used idioms
Understanding English idioms might me tricky. But here is a list of commonly used idioms to help you understand their meanings as well as use them whenever and wherever needed.
As per “Definitions from Oxford languages”, an idiom is a group of words established by usage as having a meaning deducible from those for those of the individual words. In simple words, a characteristic mode of expressions.
This article helps you understand the meaning of each idiom mentioned here so that you can use it either while speaking or writing.
Idiom | Meaning |
Old as hill. | Very old. |
Barrel of laugh. | Someone who is very funny. |
Don't judge a book by it's cover. | Don't judge primarily by its appearance. |
Spill the beans. | To reveal a secret. |
It takes two to tango. | Both parties involved in a situation are responsible. |
Up for grabs. | Available. |
Raise a red flag. | Warn of trouble ahead. |
Music to my ears. | Good to hear. |
Chin music. | Meaningless/Idle talk. |
It's raining cats and dogs. | To rain heavily. |
Oddball. | A strange person. |
Out of work. | Unemployed. |
Hit the hay. | Go to bed. |
Move up in the world. | To become successful. |
Cry your eyes out. | To cry for a long time. |
Burn the midnight oil. | Working late into the night. |
Think outside the box. | To think creatively. |
Other half. | Partner/Spouse |
A piece of cake. | Very easy. |
Going bananas. | To become crazy. |
Beat around the bush. | Talk about unimportant matters because you don't want to talk about what is important. |
Pie in the sky. | Something you hope will happen, but is very likely. |
Go pear-shaped. | To fail or to go wrong. |
To tie the knot. | To get married. |
Out of the loop. | Not part of the group. |
Add fuel to the fire. | To worsen the already existing question. |
On cloud nine. | Very happy. |
Get cold feet. | A loss or lack of courage or confidence. |
In touch. | In contact or in communication. |
Let your hair down. | To relax. |
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