English idioms, with definitions or synonyms and examples

 

 

 

English idioms, with definitions or synonyms and examples

 

The following texts are the property of their respective authors and we thank them for giving us the opportunity to share for free to students, teachers and users of the Web their texts will used only for illustrative educational and scientific purposes only.

 

All the information in our site are given for nonprofit educational purposes

The information of medicine and health contained in the site are of a general nature and purpose which is purely informative and for this reason may not replace in any case, the council of a doctor or a qualified entity legally to the profession.

 

 

English idioms, with definitions or synonyms and examples

Idioms, with definitions or synonyms

Examples

 A above board - honest, open

His business dealings are above board.

ad lib - improvise, interpolate

The actor forgot his lines and ad libbed.

after all - in spite of the situation; nevertheless

I knew it! After all, I was right! He returned to his hometown after all.

against the grain - contrary to someone's feelings, principles

His plan goes against the grain with her because she doesn't like cheating.

all along - all the time

I knew about his little secret all along.

all ears - eager to listen

I am all ears.

all of a sudden - suddenly

All of a sudden, he refused to pay.

all the same - no difference

If it's all the same to you, let's start at two.

all thumbs - clumsy

He can't fix anything, he's all thumbs.

apple of one's eye - very dear, precious

Her son is the apple of her eye.

apple of discord - subject of envy or quarrel

This question is an apple of discord in our family.

as a rule - generally, usually

As a rule, we offer a 5% discount.

as far as I know - if I have correct information

As far as I know, he stayed home all day.

as far as someone / something is concerned - concerning; in reference to

As far as I am concerned, both the book and the movie are good. As far as your report is concerned, we'll discuss it tomorrow.

as for / as to - concerning; in reference to

As for me, you can always rely on my support. As for your report, we'll discuss it tomorrow.

as well - also; too

He knows math and physics as well.

at all - (not) in the smallest degree

He doesn't know French at all. I don't like it at all.

at first sight - from the first glance; at once; at first glance

It was love at first sight. At first sight, it seems easy to do.

at odds with - in disagreement

He is at odds with everyone!

at random - without order or plan

He chose those places at random.

at this point - at this time

At this point, we can't turn back.

B backseat driver - a passenger who tells you how to drive

His wife is a backseat driver always telling him how to drive.

ballpark figure - approximate estimate (in figures)

I can give you only a ballpark figure at this time.

bark up the wrong tree - make a false assumption or wrong choice

The detective was sure he got a suspect, but he was barking up the wrong tree.

be about to do something - be close to doing something; be on the verge of doing something

I was about to leave when you called. I was about to open the door, but something stopped me.

be all in - be extremely tired

I'm all in, I'd better go to bed now.

be back on one's feet - be healthy again or better financially

He's back on his feet after a long period of debt and unemployment.

be behind the times - be old-fashioned, outdated

Some of the managers here are behind the times; their methods are not modern.

be beside oneself - be very upset, nervous, worried

She was beside herself with worry / with grief.

be beside the point - be off the point

What I said to him privately is beside the point.

be better off - be in a better situation (financially)

He'll be better off with a new job.

be broke - have no money at all; be penniless, bankrupt

I spent all my money, I'm broke.

be cut out to be someone; be cut out for it - have the ability to do something

He is cut out to be a leader. She isn't cut out to be a surgeon. She isn't cut out for it.

be hard on something or someone - treat roughly

My son is hard on shoes; they don't last long with him. Life was pretty hard on Tom.

be high on one's list - be one of the most important things

A new car is high on my list of priorities. A new TV is not high on my list.

be in charge of something - be responsible for

He is in charge of marketing.

be in good health - be healthy

She is in good health.

be in poor health - be not healthy

She is in poor health.

be in good shape - be physically fit

He is in good shape because he exercises regularly.

be in bad shape - be in bad state

The patient is in bad shape. His affairs are in bad shape.

be in the red - be in debt

Our sales were in the red last year.

be on one's way

I'm on my way.

be on the point of something, be at the point of something - be on the verge of something; be close to doing something

He was on the point of death two years ago. She was on the point of telling him the truth, but his words stopped her.

be out of date - be outdated

This information is out of date.

be out of sorts - be in bad temper

Leave him alone, he's out of sorts today.

be pressed for time, for money - not to have enough time, money

I'm pressed for time now. We are pressed for money at the moment.

be to blame - be responsible for a mistake, for something wrong

Who is to blame for this awful mistake? Tom is to blame for this mix-up.

be touch and go - risky; dangerous; uncertain of the result

He was very sick, and for some time it was touch and go, but he is better now.

be up and around / about - able to be out of bed after an illness

He was sick for a month, but now he is up and around.

be up to one's ears in (work) - be very busy

I'm up to my ears in work.

beat around the bush; beat about the bush - avoid giving a clear or definite answer

Stop beating around the bush! Get to the point!

beat one's brains out - make great efforts, often unsuccessfully

He beats his brains out at work, but his boss doesn't even notice his hard work.

before long - soon

He will understand before long what a terrible mistake he has made.

big shot - important person

He is a big shot around here.

bite off more than one can chew - try to do more than one can

I couldn't handle two jobs and family. I really bit off more than I could chew.

bite the bullet - accept painful but necessary action

Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and to do what's necessary to do.

bite the dust - die; be killed; suffer defeat

Many of them bit the dust in that war.

bite the hand that feeds one - repay kindness with evil

She is so ungrateful! She is biting the hand that feeds her!

black sheep - a good-for-nothing member of the family

Their second son is the black sheep of the family; he is good for nothing.

blind date - a meeting between a man and a woman (who have never met before) arranged by their friends

She refuses to go on a blind date again because she had bad experience.

blow it - lose the chance

He understood that he blew it.

bottom line - main result; main factor

The bottom line is, I don't have enough money.

break someone's heart - hurt deeply

The news of her death broke his heart.

break the ice - overcome shyness in making the first step

The party was dull until someone broke the ice with a joke, and we all laughed.

break the news - tell new important facts

CNN is breaking the news right now.

bring home the bacon - earn the living for the family

He works very hard at several places to bring home the bacon.

by all means - definitely, certainly

Do you need my help? - By all means.

by heart - by memorizing

Learn this poem by heart for tomorrow.

by hook or by crook - by any possible means

She will get what she wants by hook or by crook.

by oneself (by myself, by himself, etc.) - alone; on one's own

She spent the evening by herself. He did it all by himself.

by the way - incidentally

By the way, I found the book that you recommended.

C call a halt to something - terminate, stop something

His father called a halt to his activity.

call a spade a spade - use plain, direct words

He always tells the truth and calls a spade a spade.

call it a day - consider work finished for the day

We've been working for ten straight hours. Let's call it a day.

call the shots - give orders; be in control of something

He calls the shots in this company.

call the tune - give orders; be the most important person in some situation

Since he was paying for it, he called the tune.

carry weight - be important

His advice always carries weight here.

castles in the air - daydreaming about success

Instead of working hard, he spends time building castles in the air.

catch someone's eye - attract attention

This picture caught my eye.

catch one's breath - stop and rest

I'm too tired to run further. I need to catch my breath.

catch someone off guard - catch someone unprepared

He caught me off guard with his question.

catch someone red-handed - find someone in the act of doing wrong

The manager caught the boy red-handed when he was stealing cigarettes.

close call - a narrow escape; a bad thing that almost happened

The speeding car almost hit the man. That was really a close call.

come to one's senses - act normally and reasonably again

He finally came to his senses, began to work hard, and passed his exams.

come true - become reality

His dream came true when he met Kate.

cross one's mind - occur to someone

It never crossed my mind that he might be ill.

cut corners - 1. take a short-cut; 2. limit one's spending

He ran fast, cutting corners where he could. I have to cut corners this week.

D do one's best - try very hard

I did my best to help him in his work.

do one's bit - do what's needed

I'll do my bit, you can count on me.

do someone good - be good for someone

Fresh air and exercise will do you good

do something behind someone's back - do (harmful) things secretively

I hate people who do things behind my back. He did it behind my back again.

down to earth - practical

He's quiet, sensible, and down to earth.

draw the line - set a limit; impose a restriction

I draw the line at spending so much on food. He drew the line for her at $100 a day.

duty calls - must fulfill obligations

He said, "Duty calls", put on his coat, and left for work.

E easier said than done

It's easier said than done, but I'll try to do it.

eat one's words - take back one's words

He had to eat his words after her report.

even so - nevertheless; but

I work hard. Even so, I like my job.

every now and then - occasionally

Every now and then I visit my old aunt.

every other - every second one

She washes her hair every other day.

F fall in love (with) - begin to love

Tom fell in love with Sue at first sight.

fall out of love - stop loving

They soon fell out of love and divorced.

false alarm - untrue signal; untrue rumor

I heard that he quit his job, but it was a false alarm.

a far cry from something - not nearly as good

His second book wasn't bad, but it was a far cry from his first book.

feel it in one's bones - expect something bad to happen

I feel it in my bones that something terrible is going to happen.

feel like doing something - want to do; be inclined to do something

I feel like going for a walk. I don't feel like working now, I'm tired.

few and far between - rare, scarce

Her visits are few and far between.

find fault with someone or something - criticize; complain about

He finds fault with everybody. She always finds fault with my cooking.

first things first - important things come before others

First things first: how much money do we have to pay right away?

fly off the handle - get angry

He flew off the handle and yelled at me.

follow in someone's footsteps - do the same thing

Igor followed in his father's footsteps. He became a doctor too.

foot the bill - pay the bill

Her father footed the bill for the party.

for good - forever

After her death he left town for good.

for the time being - for now; at this time

For the time being, this house is all right for us.

frame of mind - mental state

I can't do it in this frame of mind.

from A to Z - completely; from beginning to end

He knows this town from A to Z.

from now on - now and in the future

From now on I forbid you to go there.

from the word go - from the very beginning

He was lying to all of us from the word go.

G get a grip on oneself - take control of one's feelings

Stop crying! Get a grip on yourself!

get carried away - get too excited and enthusiastic about something

He got carried away with opening a store and lost most of his money.

get cold feet - be afraid to do something

He wanted to try it, but he got cold feet at the last moment.

get even with someone - have one's revenge

I'll get even with him for everything!

get in touch with someone - contact someone

Get in touch with Mr. Smith for help.

get lost - lose one's way

She got lost in the old part of town.

Get lost! (slang) - Lay off!

I don't want to see you again. Get lost!

get mixed up - get confused

I got mixed up, went the wrong way, and got lost.

get off someone's back - stop bothering someone

Stop bothering me! Get off my back!

get one's foot in the door - get an initial opportunity; make the first step in something (e.g., in getting a job)

Nina was able to get her foot in the door because her friend worked in that company.

get on one's high horse - behave haughtily towards someone

Every time I ask her to help me with typing, she gets on her high horse.

get out of hand - get out of control, beyond control

If he gets out of hand again, call me right away. The situation is getting out of hand.

get rid of someone or something - dispose of; discard

He got rid of his old useless car.

get to the bottom of something - know deeply

He usually gets to the bottom of things.

get to the point - speak directly about the subject; come to the point

Please get to the point, I don't have much time now.

Give me a break! - Stop it! Enough!

Come on, stop it! Give me a break!

give someone a hand - help someone

Can you give me a hand with cooking?

give someone a lift; give someone a ride - take someone to some place by car

Can you give me a lift to the bank? He gave her a ride in his new Porsche.

give someone a piece of one's mind - criticize frankly

She lost my umbrella again, so I gave her a piece of my mind about her carelessness.

go back on one's word - break a promise

First he said he would help me, but then he went back on his word.

go for it - make an attempt at something new; give it a try

If I were you, I would go for it. Go for it! Give it a try!

go from bad to worse - become much worse

His business went from bad to worse.

go out of one's way - try very hard

He goes out of his way to please her.

go to one's head - 1. make dizzy; 2. make too proud, conceited

1. Champagne went to her head right away. 2. His acting success went to his head.

go to pieces - get very upset; fall apart

She went to pieces when she heard it.

go with the flow - lead a quiet life

She always goes with the flow.

H have a ball - have a good time

Yesterday we had a ball at the party.

have a bone to pick with someone - complain or discuss something unpleasant

Mr. Brown, I have a bone to pick with you. My mail was lost because of you.

have a sweet tooth - love eating sweet things

He has a sweet tooth.

have a word with someone - talk to someone

Can I have a word with you?

have words with someone - argue with someone

I had words with my coworker today because he used my computer again.

have it in someone - have the ability

Laura has it in her to be a good doctor.

have no business doing something - have no right to do something

You have no business staying here without my permission.

have one's back to the wall - be hard-pressed; on the defensive

I had no choice, I had my back to the wall.

have one's hands full - be very busy

He has his hands full with hard work.

have one's heart set on something - want something very much

She has her heart set on going to New York. He has his heart set on Betty.

have pull - have influence

Does he have pull with the director?

(not) have the heart to do something - (not) have the courage to do something unpleasant

I don't have the heart to tell him that he wasn't accepted; he'll be so unhappy.

hit the nail on the head - say exactly the right thing

You hit the nail on the head when you said that!

(not) hold it against someone - (not) blame somebody for doing something

I lost his book, but he doesn't hold it against me.

Hold it! - Stop! Wait!

Hold it! I forgot my key.

hold one's own - maintain oneself in a situation; behave as needed

He can hold his own in any situation. We need men who can hold their own.

hold one's tongue - keep silent; refrain from speaking

She can't hold her tongue at all.

I ill at ease - uncomfortable

She felt ill at ease because of her cheap dress.

in advance - well before

He told her about his plan in advance.

in a nutshell - in a few words

In a nutshell, my plan is to buy land.

in care of - write to one person at the address of another person

I'm going to stay at Tom's house in Chicago. Write to me in care of Tom Gray, 321 Main Street, Chicago, Illinois.

in cold blood - mercilessly

He killed her in cold blood.

in fact - actually; in reality

In fact, he works as a manager here.

in general - generally; generally speaking

In general, he likes to be alone. He described the place only in general.

in hot water - in trouble; in a difficult situation (especially with the law or one's superiors)

He said a couple of unpleasant things about the boss's wife, and now he is in hot water.

in one's element - what one likes

He's in his element when he's arguing.

in other words - using other words

In other words, you left her when she needed your help.

in plain English - in simple, frank terms

I didn't really like the concert. In plain English, the concert was terrible.

the ins and outs - all information about something

He knows the ins and outs of this business.

in someone's shoes - in another person's position

I wouldn't want to be in his shoes now. He lost his job, and his wife is in the hospital.

in the long run - in the end

In the long run, it will be better to buy it.

in the same boat - in the same situation

Stop arguing with me. We're in the same boat and should help each other.

in the clear - free from blame

Pay the bill, and you'll be in the clear.

in time (to do something) - early enough; before something begins

I came in time to have a cup of coffee before class.

it goes without saying - should be clear without words

It goes without saying that he must pay what he owes right away.

it's time - should do it right away

Hurry up, it's time to go.

It's worth it. It's not worth it. It's (not) worth buying, visiting, watching, etc.

Watch this film, it's worth it. Don't buy this coat, it is not worth it. This museum is worth visiting. This film is not worth watching.

J jump at the opportunity - accept the opportunity eagerly

His boss mentioned a job in Europe, and Peter jumped at the opportunity.

just as soon - prefer; would rather

I'd just as soon stay home, I'm tired.

just in case - to be on the safe side

Take an extra shirt, just in case.

Just my luck! - Bad luck! Hard luck!

They lost my job application. Just my luck!

K keep an eye on someone or something - take care of; watch; look after

Betty keeps an eye on my sons for me. I'll keep an eye on your dog.

keep a straight face - try not to laugh

I tried to keep a straight face but failed.

keep company - accompany

She keeps me company quite often.

keep in mind - bear in mind; consider; remember

Keep in mind that he is not going to agree easily.

keep in touch - keep in contact with someone by calling, visiting, sending messages

Good-by and don't forget to keep in touch! Keep in touch with us. We may have new openings next week.

keep one's word - fulfill a promise

You promised, now keep your word.

keep someone posted - inform someone

Keep me posted about your plans.

keep one's fingers crossed - hope that nothing will go wrong

I have a job interview today. Keep your fingers crossed for me, will you? I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

kill time - fill time; spend empty time

I went to the show to kill time.

not to know the first thing about something - not to have any knowledge about something

I don't know the first thing about nuclear physics.

know the ropes - be very familiar with some business

He knows all the ropes in this company.

L last-minute notice - a message (information, instruction) at the last moment leaving little or no time for preparation

His arrival was a last-minute notice. We didn't have time to prepare for it.

lay one's cards on the table - be frank and open

Finally, we asked him to lay his cards on the table and tell us about his plans.

lay one's life on the line - put oneself in a dangerous situation

He laid his life on the line to fulfill this task, but nobody appreciated his efforts.

lead a dog's life - live in misery

He leads a dog's life.

leave it at that - stop saying anything else about some matter; leave as it is

I don't want to argue any further about it, so let's leave it at that. Leave it at that!

leave word - leave a message

He left word for you to meet him at the airport at six o'clock.

let bygones be bygones - forget and forgive bad things in the past

He said that to you many years ago. Forgive him. Let bygones be bygones.

let go of something - release the hold

Let go of my hand, or I'll call the guard.

let (it) go - forget bad experience; return to normal life

He's still in despair and can't let go. You can't change anything, so let it go.

let one's hair down - be relaxed and informal with other people

She is always so formal. She never lets her hair down.

let someone know - inform someone

Let me know when you find a job.

like father, like son - be like one's parent in something

Paul won a prize in a chess tournament. Great! Like father, like son!

little by little - step by step; bit by bit; gradually

Little by little, they saved enough money for a new car.

a long shot - an attempt with little chance of success

Checking the suspect's aunt was a long shot, but the detective was prepared to try anything.

lose one's temper - become angry

He loses his temper very often.

lose one's way - get lost

I lost my way. Can you help me?

lose track of someone - not to know where someone is

I lost track of him years ago.

lucky break - a lucky chance

He got his lucky break when he found that job.

M make a living - earn money to provide for life

He works hard. His family is large, and he has to make a living somehow.

make allowance(s) for something - take into consideration when judging

Don't criticize him so hard; make allowance for his inexperience.

make a point of - be sure to do something intentionally

Make a point of asking about his wife's health. Make it a point to be here by ten o'clock.

make ends meet - have little money to live on

His doesn't get much money. I wonder how he manages to make ends meet.

make friends - become friends

Anton makes new friends easily.

make fun of someone or something - laugh at; joke about

He made fun of her German accent. Everyone makes fun of him.

not to make head or tail of something - be unable to understand or decipher

I can't make head or tail of his letter.

make no bones about it - say openly, without hesitation

I'll make no bones about it: I don't like your attitude to work.

make room for someone - allow space for someone

We can make room for one more dog.

make sense - be logical

What you say makes sense.

make the most of something - do the best in the given situation

Let's make the most of our vacation.

make up one's mind - decide

Will you go there? Make up your mind.

make yourself at home - be comfortable; feel at home

Come in, please. Make yourself at home.

a man of his word - a person who keeps promises

You can depend on his promise to help. He's a man of his word.

mean well - have good intentions

He meant well, but it turned out that he spoiled a couple of things for me.

might as well - maybe it's a good idea

I might as well telephone him now.

missing person - someone who is lost and can't be located

The little boy disappeared. The police registered him as a missing person.

meet someone halfway - compromise with someone

He's reasonable and tries to meet his coworkers halfway when possible.

N never mind - don't worry about it

I'm terribly sorry. - Never mind.

no go - impossible, futile, hopeless, useless

We tried to start the car again and again, but it was no go.

not a bit - not at all; not in the least

Are you tired? - Not a bit.

not to mention - in addition to

We have three dogs, not to mention two cats.

no wonder - not surprising

He ate three big fish. No wonder he's sick.

now and again - occasionally; now and then

I meet them now and again at the bank.

O odds and ends - a variety of small unimportant things or leftovers; bits and pieces

I went to the store because I needed to buy some odds and ends for my kitchen.

off the cuff - without preparation

Off the cuff, I can give you only a rough estimate.

off the point - beside the point

What I think about him is off the point.

off the record - not for the public; unofficially

Strictly off the record, I think the director is going to get married soon.

off the top of one's head - without thinking or calculation; impromptu; from memory

I can't give you the figure off the top of my head, but it may be around a thousand.

once and for all - decidedly

You must quit smoking once and for all.

on credit - not having to pay cash right away

He bought a car on credit.

on edge - nervous, irritable

He's been on edge ever since she left.

on guard - on the alert

He's cautious and always on guard.

on hand - available

Do you have a calculator on hand?

on one hand; on the one hand - considering one side of the question

On one hand, she knows quite a few poems by heart. On the other hand, she can't remember any dates.

on one's own (on my own, on his own, etc.) - alone; by oneself; independently

She likes to live and work on her own. She has been on her own for several years.

on one's toes - alert, attentive, prepared for difficulties

He was on his toes and produced a very good impression on them.

on purpose - intentionally

I didn't do it on purpose, it just happened so.

on second thought - after thinking again

I'd like to sit on the aisle. On second thought, I'd like a window seat.

on the alert - on guard

He's cautious and always on the alert.

on the carpet - called in by the boss for criticism

Yesterday the boss called her on the carpet for being rude to the coworkers.

on the go - on the move; busy, active

He is always on the go.

on the chance; on the off chance - in case; unlikely to happen, but there's still a small chance

On the chance that you don't find him at work, here's his home address. We went there on the off chance of seeing John.

on the other hand - considering the other side of the question

I'd like to have a dog. On the other hand, my wife likes cats.

on the spot - right there

I decided to do it on the spot.

on the spur of the moment - without previous thought or plan

He bought this car on the spur of the moment, and now he regrets it.

on the tip of one's tongue - on the verge of saying but unable to remember

His name is on the tip of my tongue, but I just can't remember it.

on time - punctually; at the specified time

Jim is always on time.

out of one's mind - crazy

If you think so, you're out of your mind.

out of one's way - away from one's usual route

I can't give you a lift to the bank, it's out of my way today.

out of the question - not to be considered; impossible

Paying him is out of the question!

P pack rat - a person who saves lots of unnecessary things

Why does she keep all those things she never uses? - She is a pack rat.

pay attention - note something; be attentive to something

Pay attention to his words.

pick a fight - start a quarrel

He often tries to pick a fight with me.

play one's cards right - choose the right steps in doing something

If you play your cards right, he'll agree to your plan.

potluck supper - a surprise meal where nobody knows what dishes other guests will bring

You know what happened at our last potluck supper? Everybody brought macaroni and cheese, apples, and beer!

pull the wool over someone's eyes - deceive, mislead someone

Are you trying to pull the wool over my eyes? It won't do you any good.

put a damper on something - discourage

She always puts a damper on my plans.

put in a word for someone - say positive things about someone

I'd be very grateful if you could put in a word for me when you speak to him.

put one's best foot forward - try to show one's best qualities; do one's best; do things as quickly as possible

He put his best foot forward during the interview. Put your best foot forward working at this project.

put one's finger on it - indicate exactly; point out the exact cause, fault, name, etc.

I can't put my finger on it. He was able to put his finger on the exact cause of the computer malfunction.

put one's foot down - object strongly

Her father put his foot down when she said she wanted to marry Alan.

put one's foot in it / into it; put one's foot in one's mouth - do or say the wrong thing; make a blunder; make a fool of oneself

He put his foot in it when he told the boss that his younger daughter wasn't pretty at all.

Q quite a bit (of) - much; a lot (of)

I had quite a bit of trouble with that car.

quite a few - many; a lot of

He wrote quite a few good stories.

R rack one's brain - try hard to think

He racked his brain to solve the puzzle.

read between the lines - find or understand the implied meaning

His books are not easy to understand. You have to read between the lines.

Remember me to your family. - Say hello to your family for me.

Please remember me to your family.

right away - immediately

It' very important to do it right away.

ring a bell - remind someone of something familiar but half-forgotten

Annabel Lee? Yes, it rings a bell, but I can't place it right now.

rock the boat - make the situation unstable

Peter always rocks the boat when we discuss the company's spending policy.

rub elbows with; rub shoulders with - spend time together; mingle

He doesn't rub elbows with the rich and famous.

rub it in - embarrass even more by reminding repeatedly of some mistake, failure, etc.

I know I shouldn't have done it, and I apologized. There is no need to rub it in.

rub someone the wrong way - irritate, annoy; make angry

His remarks rub many coworkers the wrong way.

S save face - try to change the negative impression produced

He said a stupid thing, and then he tried to save face by saying he misunderstood me.

save one's breath - stop useless talk

There's no use talking to him about his spending habits, so save your breath.

scratch the surface - study something superficially

He examines all the facts closely, he doesn't just scratch the surface.

search high and low - search everywhere

I searched high and low for my lost cat.

see eye to eye - agree with each other

They see eye to eye on many things. I don't see eye to eye with him.

see red - become very angry

She sees red every time she remembers how he lied to her about it.

serve someone right - get what someone deserves

It serves him right that he didn't get that job. He despised all the other candidates.

serve one's purpose - be useful for some purpose

I doubt that hiring this man will serve your purpose.

a shot in the dark - a wild guess

My answer was just a shot in the dark.

show promise - be promising

This young actor shows promise.

sleep on it - postpone a decision till next morning

Don't make a decision now. Sleep on it.

a slip of the tongue - a mistake

It was just a slip of the tongue!

slip (from) one's mind - forget

It slipped my mind that she asked me to do it.

smell a rat - suspect deceit; suspect that something is wrong

I'm not sure what it is, but I smell a rat.

so far - up to now

So far, I have read three books by Stephen King.

so much the better - it's even better

If he can pay cash, so much the better.

spill the beans - tell a secret

Who spilled the beans about our plan?

stand a chance - have a chance (usually, have no chance)

He doesn't stand a chance of getting it. They don't stand a chance of winning the game.

stand to reason - be obvious, logical, naturally true

It stands to reason that studying spelling will let you improve your writing skills.

straight from the shoulder - frankly, honestly, openly

Why should you spare his feelings? Give it to him straight from the shoulder.

T take a dim view of something - disapprove of something

My sister takes a dim view of the way I raise my children.

take a break - stop for rest

Let's take a break, I'm tired.

take advantage of something - use for one's own benefit; to profit from

We took advantage of the low prices and bought a computer and a monitor.

take a stand (on something) - make a firm decision about something

People need to take a stand on the issue of nuclear weapons.

Take care! - Good-bye and be careful!

Take care now! See you tomorrow.

take care of someone or something - look after; see that something is done properly

Can you take care of my dog while I'm away? Tom takes good care of his car.

take hold of something - hold, grasp something

Take hold of this rope and pull.

take into account - take into consideration; consider

You must take into account her old age.

take it easy - relax; be calm

Take it easy, everything will be OK.

take something for granted - accept as given

Mother's love is always taken for granted by children.

take someone's breath away - surprise or impress someone

That great view took my breath away.

take one's time - do something without hurry

Don't hurry. Take your time.

take someone's word for it - believe

Take my word for it, he won't go there.

take pains - try hard to do it well

He took pains to make his report perfect.

take part in something - participate in something

Mary is going to take part in the show.

take place - happen

The accident took place on Oak Street.

take one's mind off things - distract from fixed ideas or gloomy thoughts

Go to a concert or a movie to take your mind off things.

take steps - take action; take measures

We need to take steps against it.

take the words right out of someone's mouth - say the same before someone else says it

I was about to say the same! You took the words right out of my mouth.

take time - take a long time

It takes time to get used to a new place.

take time off - be absent from work

He took time off to attend the wedding.

take turns - alternate doing something one after another

We went to Minsk by car. We didn't get tired because we took turns driving

That's just the point. - That's it.

That's just the point! I hate this job!

that will do - it's enough

Stop reading; that will do for now.

the writing on the wall - a sign of future events (usually, trouble)

The plane crashed. Tim said he saw the writing on the wall about that flight.

not to think much of something - not to think highly of something

I don't think much of her cooking.

till one is blue in the face - try very hard

I repeated it till I was blue in the face!

to be on the safe side - not to take any chances

Take an extra key, just to be on the safe side.

to make a long story short - in short

To make a long story short, we won.

to say the least - to make the minimum comment about something

The film was boring and long, to say the least.

try one's hand at something - test one's abilities in something new

I want to try my hand at painting. She decided to try her hand at writing stories.

turn over a new leaf - make a fresh start in life, in work

He promises to quit alcohol for good and to turn over a new leaf.

turn the tables - reverse the situation (exchanging places with the opponent)

He beat me at chess twice last week. But now I hope to turn the tables (on him).

turn the tide - reverse the course of events

The new evidence turned the tide, and the defendant was acquitted of charges.

twist someone's arm - force someone to agree

They twisted his arm to sell the house.

U under the weather - feeling a little ill, a little unwell

I'm a little under the weather today.

up-and-coming - showing promise of future success

He is an up-and-coming young lawyer who might help you with your case.

up in arms - hostile to; in strong protest against something

The employees are up in arms about the new retirement rules.

up in the air - undecided, unsettled

My vacation plans are still up in the air.

up to date - modern, latest, current

His reports are always up to date.

(not) up to par - (not) equal in standard

His behavior isn't up to par.

used to do something - did something regularly in the past but not now

He used to live on Maple Street. I used to play the piano when I was in school (but I don't play it now).

W walk on air - be very happy

He has been offered a great job. He is walking on air now.

waste one's breath - speak uselessly, to no purpose

Don't waste your breath trying to make him do it. He won't change his mind.

watch one's step - behave prudently; be careful

You have to watch your step in this business.

wet blanket - a pessimist, a killjoy who dampens enthusiasm and spoils everyone's fun

Remember what a wet blanket he was last time? Please don't invite him again.

What's the matter? - What is it?

What's the matter? What happened?

which way the wind blows - what the real situation is

He knows which way the wind blows and always acts accordingly.

white lie - unimportant lie

A white lie is told to spare your feelings.

word for word - in the same words

Tell me word for word what he said.

would rather - prefer

I'd rather stay home today.

 

 

Source : http://www.casacomunicarii.md/uploads/excell/Idioms.xlsx

Web site link: http://www.casacomunicarii.md/

Google key word : English idioms, with definitions or synonyms and examples file type : doc

Author : not indicated on the source document of the above text

If you are the author of the text above and you not agree to share your knowledge for teaching, research, scholarship (for fair use as indicated in the United States copyrigh low) please send us an e-mail and we will remove your text quickly.

 

English idioms, with definitions or synonyms and examples

 

If you want to quickly find the pages about a particular topic as English idioms, with definitions or synonyms and examples use the following search engine:

 

 

English idioms, with definitions or synonyms and examples

 

Please visit our home page

 

Larapedia.com Terms of service and privacy page

 

 

 

English idioms, with definitions or synonyms and examples