100 Most Popular English Idioms
Learn the most common idioms with simple meanings
| # | Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Break the ice | Start a conversation |
| 2 | Piece of cake | Very easy |
| 3 | Once in a blue moon | Very rarely |
| 4 | Hit the nail on the head | Say exactly the right thing |
| 5 | Under the weather | Feeling sick |
| 6 | Cost an arm and a leg | Very expensive |
| 7 | Spill the beans | Reveal a secret |
| 8 | Let the cat out of the bag | Accidentally reveal a secret |
| 9 | Beat around the bush | Avoid the main topic |
| 10 | Bite the bullet | Face a difficult situation |
| 11 | Burn the midnight oil | Work late into the night |
| 12 | Call it a day | Stop working |
| 13 | Better late than never | Better to do it late than never |
| 14 | Actions speak louder than words | Actions matter more than words |
| 15 | Barking up the wrong tree | Blaming the wrong person |
| 16 | The ball is in your court | It's your decision now |
| 17 | Blessing in disguise | Something good that seemed bad at first |
| 18 | Cut corners | Do something carelessly |
| 19 | Cry over spilled milk | Don't worry about the past |
| 20 | Don't judge a book by its cover | Don't judge by appearance |
| 21 | Every cloud has a silver lining | Every bad situation has something good |
| 22 | Get cold feet | Become nervous |
| 23 | Hang in there | Don't give up |
| 24 | Hit the sack | Go to bed |
| 25 | Kill two birds with one stone | Achieve two things at once |
| 26 | Miss the boat | Miss an opportunity |
| 27 | On cloud nine | Extremely happy |
| 28 | Pull someone's leg | Tease someone |
| 29 | See eye to eye | Agree completely |
| 30 | Sit on the fence | Be unable to decide |
| 31 | Take it with a pinch of salt | Don't believe completely |
| 32 | The best of both worlds | Enjoy two advantages |
| 33 | Through thick and thin | In good and bad times |
| 34 | Time flies | Time passes quickly |
| 35 | When pigs fly | Never |
| 36 | Your guess is as good as mine | I don't know either |
| 37 | Add fuel to the fire | Make things worse |
| 38 | All ears | Listening carefully |
| 39 | At the drop of a hat | Immediately |
| 40 | Back to square one | Start again |
| 41 | Bite off more than you can chew | Take on too much |
| 42 | By the book | Follow rules exactly |
| 43 | Cross your fingers | Hope for good luck |
| 44 | Cut to the chase | Get to the point |
| 45 | Easy does it | Go slowly |
| 46 | Fish out of water | Feel uncomfortable |
| 47 | Go the extra mile | Make extra effort |
| 48 | In hot water | In trouble |
| 49 | In the same boat | Same situation |
| 50 | Jump the gun | Start too early |
| 51 | Keep an eye on | Watch carefully |
| 52 | Know the ropes | Know how things work |
| 53 | Leave no stone unturned | Try every possible way |
| 54 | Make ends meet | Manage expenses |
| 55 | No pain, no gain | Success needs hard work |
| 56 | Off the hook | Free from responsibility |
| 57 | On the same page | Agree |
| 58 | Out of the blue | Unexpectedly |
| 59 | Pull yourself together | Calm yourself |
| 60 | Put all your eggs in one basket | Risk everything |
| 61 | Rain on someone's parade | Spoil happiness |
| 62 | Read between the lines | Understand hidden meaning |
| 63 | Rome wasn't built in a day | Great things take time |
| 64 | Saved by the bell | Rescued at last moment |
| 65 | Speak of the devil | Person appears |
| 66 | Steal the show | Be center of attention |
| 67 | Take the bull by the horns | Face bravely |
| 68 | The early bird catches the worm | Early action succeeds |
| 69 | Throw in the towel | Give up |
| 70 | Up in the air | Uncertain |
| 71 | Water under the bridge | Past doesn't matter |
| 72 | Wrap your head around | Understand |
| 73 | Burn bridges | Damage relationships |
| 74 | Keep your chin up | Stay positive |
| 75 | Hit the road | Leave |
| 76 | Lose your touch | No longer good |
| 77 | Make a long story short | Tell briefly |
| 78 | Not my cup of tea | Not what I like |
| 79 | On thin ice | Risky situation |
| 80 | Play it by ear | Decide as you go |
| 81 | Put your foot down | Be strict |
| 82 | Ring a bell | Sound familiar |
| 83 | Rock the boat | Cause trouble |
| 84 | Take a rain check | Another time |
| 85 | The last straw | Final problem |
| 86 | Think outside the box | Think creatively |
| 87 | Turn a blind eye | Ignore |
| 88 | Twist someone's arm | Persuade |
| 89 | Up to you | Your choice |
| 90 | Wear your heart on your sleeve | Show emotions |
| 91 | Whole nine yards | Everything |
| 92 | Wild goose chase | Useless search |
| 93 | Zip your lip | Keep quiet |
| 94 | Burn your fingers | Suffer from mistake |
| 95 | Keep something under wraps | Keep secret |
| 96 | Pull the plug | Stop |
| 97 | Throw caution to the wind | Take a risk |
| 98 | Walk on eggshells | Be careful |
| 99 | Hit below the belt | Act unfairly |
| 100 | In black and white | In writing |
| 101 | Like a fish out of water | Feel out of place |
| 102 | On the ball | Alert |
| 103 | Lose track of time | Forget the time |
