125+ Idiomatic Expressions and Their Meanings

An idiom is an expression that takes a meaning that cannot be reached through the meaning of its parts or by knowing the meanings of words in it, at least partly and often largely.

Idiomatic expressions are sets of words that have a meaning that is not related to the combined meanings of the individual words.

Therefore, their meanings extend beyond their literal sense.

Here are helpful examples of over 125 English idioms or idiomatic expressions and their meanings.

[01]

Idiom: A bad egg. 

Meaning: A worthless person.

[02]

Idiom: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. 

Meaning: Certainty is better than possibility.

[03]

Idiom: A bone of contention. 

Meaning: A cause of dispute.

[04]

Idiom: A bookworm. 

Meaning: A person always poring over books.

[05]

Idiom: A feather in one cap. 

Meaning: An honour or distinction.

[06]

Idiom: A friend in need is a friend indeed. 

Meaning: A friend who helps someone in a difficult time is a real friend.

[07]

Idiom: A good for nothing person. 

Meaning: A worthless person.

[08]

Idiom: A hard nut to crack. 

Meaning: A person that is difficult to convince.

[09]

Idiom: A wet blanket. 

Meaning: A person who discourages others.

[10]

Idiom: An Adonis. 

Meaning: A very handsome man.

[11]

Idiom: An Ananias. 

Meaning: A liar.

[12]

Idiom: An Apollo. 

Meaning: A man with a perfect physique.

[13]

Idiom: As fit as fiddle. 

Meaning: In excellent health.

[14]

Idiom: As fit as fiddle. 

Meaning: Very well and strong.

[15]

Idiom: As you make your bed, you lie on it.

Meaning: You will have to beat the consequences of your own mistakes or misdeeds.

[16]

Idiom: At the eleventh hour. 

Meaning: At the last moment.

[17]

Idiom: Bad and baggage. 

Meaning: With all one’s belongings.

[18]

Idiom: Bad form. 

Meaning: Bad manners.

[19]

Idiom: Baptism of fire. 

Meaning: A soldier’s first experience of actual war.

[20]

Idiom: Bed and board. 

Meaning: Lodgings and food.

[21]

Idiom: Behind the scene. 

Meaning: Out of sight.

[22]

Idiom: Between the devil and deep blue sea. 

Meaning: In dilemma.

[23]

Idiom: Black sheep. 

Meaning: A person who brings disgrace.

[24]

Idiom: Blood is thicker than water.

Meaning: One usually takes the side or one’s relation against others who are not one’s own blood.

[25]

Idiom: Blow one’s money. 

Meaning: Spend one’s money recklessly.

[26]

Idiom: Breach of promise. 

Meaning: Failure to keep a promise.

[27]

Idiom: Come to one’s senses. 

Meaning: Become conscious after fainting.

[28]

Idiom: Cut one’s coat according to one’s clothes. 

Meaning: Suit expenditure within one’s income.

[29]

Idiom: Do not put all your eggs in one basket. 

Meaning: Do not stake all your money on a single industry.

[30]

Idiom: Every cloud has a silver living. 

Meaning: There is something good in every evil.

[31]

Idiom: Fishing in trouble water.

Meaning: Trying to win advantage to oneself from a disturbed state.

[32]

Idiom: Foul play. 

Meaning: Unfair dealing in a game or cheating.

[33]

Idiom: Give a devil his due. 

Meaning: Be fair to even your enemy.

[34]

Idiom: His better half. 

Meaning: A man’s wife.

[35]

Idiom: In cold blood. 

Meaning: Not in passion.

[36]

Idiom: In the same boat. 

Meaning: In the same misfortune.

[37]

Idiom: Keep one head above. 

Meaning: Out of debts and difficulties.

[38]

Idiom: Keep one’s head above water.

Meaning: Out of debts and difficulties.

[39]

Idiom: Let bye gone be bye gone. 

Meaning: Forgive and forget the past.

[40]

Idiom: Let me see it in black and white. 

Meaning: Write it out.

[41]

Idiom: Let sleeping dogs lie. 

Meaning: Avoid trouble.

[42]

Idiom: Look before you leap. 

Meaning: To avoid hasty conclusion.

[43]

Idiom: Make bricks without straw. 

Meaning: Attempt a difficult task.

[44]

Idiom: More haste, less speed.

Meaning: Work done hurriedly is apt to be badly done.

[45]

Idiom: Nail a lie to the counter.

Meaning: Prove that a statement is wrong or false to die.

[46]

Idiom: Not to know a bull from a bull’s foot.

Meaning: To be ignorant of even the simple things.

[47]

Idiom: Nothing to write home about. 

Meaning: To have nothing remarkable.

[48]

Idiom: Off one’s own bat. 

Meaning: On one’s own initiative.

[49]

Idiom: One man’s meat is another man’s poison.

Meaning: What one likes is not what the other likes.

[50]

Idiom: One’s bread and butter. 

Meaning: One’s means of livelihood.

[51]

Idiom: See something with a half eye. 

Meaning: See it at a glance.

[52]

Idiom: The breadwinner.

Meaning: One provides the means for livelihood for himself and his family.

[53]

Idiom: The heel of Achilles.

Meaning: A weak spot.

[54]

Idiom: The other side of the coin. 

Meaning: Other aspect of the matter.

[55]

Idiom: Tit for tat. 

Meaning: To return evil for evil.

[56]

Idiom: To assume airs. 

Meaning: To affect superiority.

[57]

Idiom: To avoid starvation.

Meaning: To live in a dream land.

[58]

Idiom: To backbite someone. 

Meaning: To slander or to speak ill of someone.

[59]

Idiom: To bandy words. 

Meaning: To wrangle or exchange arguments.

[60]

Idiom: To be cook sure. 

Meaning: To be absolutely certain.

[61]

Idiom: To be in the doldrums. 

Meaning: To be in a low spirit.

[62]

Idiom: To beat about the bush. 

Meaning: To approach a matter in an indirect and roundabout manner.

[63]

Idiom: To bell the cat. 

Meaning: To do something that is extremely dangerous.

[64]

Idiom: To bite the dust. 

Meaning: To be defeated in battle or to die.

[65]

Idiom: To blow hot and cold. 

Meaning: To do something at one time and the opposite soon after.

[66]

Idiom: To break the back of anything. 

Meaning: To perform the most difficult part of it.

[67]

Idiom: To breathe one’s last. 

Meaning: To die.

[68]

Idiom: To buckle on one’s armour. 

Meaning: To set to work energetically. 

[69]

Idiom: To buckle up. 

Meaning: To fasten one’s seat belt.

[70]

Idiom: To build castle in the air. 

Meaning: To think of something impossible of realisation.

[71]

Idiom: To burn the candle at both ends. 

Meaning: To expend energy in two directions at the same time.

[72]

Idiom: To burn the candle at both ends. 

Meaning: To use much energy by working early and late.

[73]

Idiom: To bury the hatch. 

Meaning: To forget past quarrels and be friends again.

[74]

Idiom: To call to bar. 

Meaning: To admit as a barrister.

[75]

Idiom: To catch one’s eyes. 

Meaning: To attract attention.

[76]

Idiom: To cause bad blood. 

Meaning: To cause strife and enmity.

[77]

Idiom: To come out with flying colours. 

Meaning: To succeed brilliantly. 

[78]

Idiom: To cry over spilt milk. 

Meaning: Crying over an error of no remedy.

[79]

Idiom: To fight like cats and rats. 

Meaning: To quarrel always.

[80]

Idiom: To foot the bill.

Meaning: To pay the bill.

[81]

Idiom: To get one’s back up. 

Meaning: To rouse one’s anger.

[82]

Idiom: To give a person a wide berth. 

Meaning: To keep as far away from him as possible.

[83]

Idiom: To give up the ghost. 

Meaning: To die.

[84]

Idiom: To go begging. 

Meaning: To be sold very cheaply because one cares to buy.

[85]

Idiom: To go the extra mile. 

Meaning: To break beyond your limit.

[86]

Idiom: To hang up one’s hat. 

Meaning: To make oneself comfortable in another person’s home.

[87]

Idiom: To have a bee in one’s bonnet. 

Meaning: To be cranky.

[88]

Idiom: To have a monkey on one’s back. 

Meaning: To be a drug addict or bear grudge.

[89]

Idiom: To have at one’s fingertips. 

Meaning: To know thoroughly.

[90]

Idiom: To have kissed the blame stone.

Meaning: To have a very persuasive tongue.

[91]

Idiom: To have one’s head in the clouds.

Meaning: To live in a dream land.

[92]

Idiom: To heap coals of fire. 

Meaning: To return good for evil.

[93]

Idiom: To hill the nail on the head. 

Meaning: To mention the true facts.

[94]

Idiom: To hit below the belt. 

Meaning: To act unfairly in a contest.

[95]

Idiom: To jump from the frying pan into the fire. 

Meaning: To come out of one trouble and get into a worse.

[96]

Idiom: To keep at arm’s length.

Meaning: To avoid coming in contact with someone.

[97]

Idiom: To keep the ball rolling. 

Meaning: To keep things going.

[98]

Idiom: To keep the wolf from the door.

Meaning: To avoid starvation.

[99]

Idiom: To kill the goose that laid the golden egg. 

Meaning: Sacrifice future gains to satisfy today.

[100]

Idiom: To lead by the nose. 

Meaning: To lead blindly.

[101]

Idiom: To lead to the altar. 

Meaning: To marry.

[102]

Idiom: To let the cat out of the bag. 

Meaning: To expose the trick.

[103]

Idiom: To look for a needle in a haystack. 

Meaning: To begin a search for something with only a slim chance of success.

[104]

Idiom: To lose one’s bearing. 

Meaning: To be uncertain of one’s position.

[105]

Idiom: To make hay while the sun shines. 

Meaning: To use early opportunities.

[106]

Idiom: To make one’s bed. 

Meaning: To be confined to bed as a result of sickness.

[107]

Idiom: To move heaven and earth. 

Meaning: To exert all effort.

[108]

Idiom: To paddle your own canoe.

Meaning: To act independently. 

[109]

Idiom: To pay one’s debt to nature. 

Meaning: To die.

[110]

Idiom: To pay the piper.

Meaning: To pay the expense.

[111]

Idiom: To pick holes in. 

Meaning: To find fault with.

[112]

Idiom: To play to the gallery. 

Meaning: To endeavour to gain cheap popularity.

[113]

Idiom: To pour oil on troubled water. 

Meaning: To make peace.

[114]

Idiom: To put in a nutshell. 

Meaning: To say in a few words.

[115]

Idiom: To put the cat before the house. 

Meaning: To do first what ought to be done afterwards.

[116]

Idiom: To rob Peter to pay Paul 

Meaning: To satisfy one person at the expense of another.

[117]

Idiom: To show one’s colours. 

Meaning: To reveal one’s true intention by no longer pretending.

[118]

Idiom: To sit on the fence. 

Meaning: To remain neutral.

[119]

Idiom: To stand aloof. 

Meaning: To keep to oneself and not mix with others.

[120]

Idiom: To step into deaf man’s shoes.

Meaning: To come into inherited shoes.

[121]

Idiom: To take the bite between one’s teeth. 

Meaning: To get out of control.

[122]

Idiom: To take the bull by the horns. 

Meaning: To take any difficulty in a bold and direct manner.

[123]

Idiom: To take the word out of somebody’s mouth. 

Meaning: To say what someone is about to say.

[124]

Idiom: To take their chair.

Meaning: To preside at a meeting.

[125]

Idiom: To take up arms. 

Meaning: To fight or to go to war.

[126]

Idiom: To throw cold water upon anything. 

Meaning: To discourage effort.

[127]

Idiom: To throw dust in one’s eyes. 

Meaning: To try to deceive someone.

[128]

Idiom: To throw somebody out of balance. 

Meaning: To confuse somebody.

[129]

Idiom: To tighten one’s belt. 

Meaning: To work harder.

Aside from the over one hundred and twenty-five (125) English idioms listed above, there are still many other idiomatic expressions you can use in writing or in speech.

So, learning is a continuous process.

Thanks for reading and sharing.