If you love watching English movies, series, or enjoy reading books and newspapers, you’ve probably come across many idioms in English. Sometimes, these expressions can be confusing because their meanings are not the same as the words themselves. But once you learn what idioms mean and how they are used, you’ll find them fun and easy to understand, sometimes even hilarious when you revisit the scenes or lines you didn’t get before!

In this article, you’ll explore the meaning and definition of idioms in English, how to use them correctly, and some of the most common examples. You’ll also see idioms taken from movies, TV shows, and books to help you understand them better and use them with confidence.

Idioms in English - Meaning and Definition
How to Use Idiomatic Expressions Well
List of 100+ Common Idioms and Their Meanings
Examples of Interesting Idioms
Frequently Asked Questions on Idioms in English

Idioms in English - Meaning and Definition

Idioms in English are special expressions where the meaning is different from the actual words used. For example, if someone says “I’m pulling your leg,” you might imagine someone literally tugging at your leg! But in reality, this idiom means that the person is joking or teasing you.

Idioms make language more colourful and interesting. Instead of saying something in a plain way, idioms create vivid pictures that carry a deeper meaning. They are also linked to culture and history. Many idioms come from old traditions, beliefs, or practices. Even if those traditions are no longer followed, the idioms often remain in use. That’s why idioms can give us clues about how people used to think and live.

Sometimes idioms can become very common, turning into clichés. Others may develop into slang or be used mainly by certain groups or professions. Idioms can be positive or negative, and they can express almost any feeling, like happiness, sadness, love, anger, bravery, or even fear. They can also describe ideas of time, place, or size creatively.

In short, idioms are an important part of English because they make communication richer, more expressive, and fun to learn!

How to Use Idiomatic Expressions Well

Now that you know these common idioms in English, here are some tips to help you use them:

Understand when to use them: Make sure you know the right situation for each expression.
Use them in the right context: Idioms should fit naturally into the situation. For example, saying “break the ice” works when starting a conversation, but not when talking about food!
Practice in conversations: Try using these phrases when you speak English every day.
Listen for idioms: Pay attention to how native speakers use these expressions.
Match the audience: Some idioms are informal, so they may not suit essays or formal writing. Choose wisely depending on who you’re speaking or writing to.
Don’t use too many: Using some idioms is good, but using too many can sound strange.

Remember, learning to use idiomatic expressions takes time and practice. Don’t worry if you make mistakes; even native speakers sometimes use idioms wrong. Keep learning and practising, and soon you’ll use these colourful phrases confidently!

List of 100+ Common Idioms and Their Meanings

To make your learning process a lot easier, here is a table with the most common idioms in the English language along with their meanings, for your reference.

Idioms	Examples
Acid test	Proves the effectiveness of something
An arm and a leg	Very expensive or costly. A large amount of money
Around the corner	Will happen soon
Around the clock	At any time of the day or night
As time goes by	The passing of one moment to the next.
At the drop of a hat	Without any hesitation, instantly.
Back to basics	An approach that uses traditional ideas that have previously worked.
Bad Apple	Troublemaker or undesirable person in a group
Barking up the wrong tree	Looking in the wrong place. Accusing the wrong person.
Beat around the bush	Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking directly about the issue.
Beat the clock	Do something quickly before it's too late.
Behind the times	Being old-fashioned
Best of both worlds	Enjoying the advantage of two things simultaneously
Big cheese	Influential person
Black sheep	Undesirable member of a group.
Break a leg	Have good luck
Blow a fuse	Suddenly get very angry, perhaps over something unexpected.
Blow up in the face	A plan or project that suddenly fails.
Blue in the face	Try hard to win an agreement, but are usually unsuccessful.
Brainstorm	Develop or think of new ideas.
Buckle down	Working hard with determination and full attention
Bun in the oven	Pregnant
By degrees	Something happens or develops gradually or little by little.
Cash cow	Dependable source of income.
Catch someone red-handed	Catch someone in the act of committing a crime or doing something they shouldn't.
Chase rainbows	Try to achieve something very difficult, impossible or very desirable.
Chase your tail	Spend a lot of time and energy but achieve nothing.
Cheesy	Tacky, silly, inauthentic or cheap.
Cold shoulder	Pay no attention to.
Couch potato	A lazy person who watches too much TV.
Cry over spilt milk	Complain about a loss from the past.
Curiosity killed the cat	Being Inquisitive can lead you into an unpleasant or dangerous situation.
Cut one's own throat	Doing something that will cause your own failure or downfall.
Dead wood	Plan or project that has ceased to function and is not expected to re-activate.
Donkey's years	A very long period of time
Don't count your chickens before they've hatched	Don't make plans for something that might not happen
Don't put all your eggs in one basket	Don't make everything dependent on only one thing.
Double date	Social interaction that involves two couples
Drastic times call for drastic measures	When you are extremely desperate, you need to take drastic actions
Dwell on the past	Thinking too much about something that happened in the past
Easy as ABC	Very simple or easy
Eat, sleep & breathe something	Being so enthusiastic and passionate about something that you think about it all the time.
Egg head	Studious and academic person.
Elbow room	Enough space to move or work in
Eleventh hour	At the very last minute or just in time.
Explore all avenues	Investigating or examining every option.
Far cry from	Very different from.
Feeling blue	Feeling depressed or disconnected.
Feeling under the weather	Feeling unwell.
Fever pitch	When a feeling is very intense and exciting
Full of beans	Excited or very energetic and lively.
Getting the show on the road	Putting a plan or idea into action.
Grease someone's palm	Give someone money in order to persuade them to do something dishonest
Green thumb	Ability to make plants grow or be good at gardening.
Hanging on by fingernails	Continuing to do something in a very difficult situation.
Hard as nails	Without sentiment or sympathy for anyone
Having one's heart set on something	Possessing a determination to achieve something
Head over heels in love	Very much in love with someone.
Hear it on the grapevine	Hear something through informal or unofficial means, like gossip.
Here today, gone tomorrow	When desirable things, such as money or happiness, are temporary.
Hit the nail on the head	Do or say something exactly right.
Hit the panic button	Act quickly and without thinking in reaction to an unexpected event.
Hit the sack (or sheets, or hay)	Go to bed.
Hot potato	Speak of a current issue which many people are talking about and which is usually disputed.
In the blink of an eye (or an instant)	Something that happens very quickly
In the heat of the moment	Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment.
Keeping your finger on the pulse	Being constantly aware of current developments.
Kill time	Do something whilst waiting.
Kill two birds with one stone	Accomplish two different things at the same time.
Landslide victory	Overwhelming victory.
Let me see the colour of your money	Prove that you can afford something
Let slip through fingers	Failing to obtain or retain a good opportunity.
Let the cat out of the bag	Share information that was previously concealed.
Living beyond your means	Spending more than you can afford.
Lump in your throat	Tight feeling in the through because of an emotion like sadness, pride or gratitude.
Monkey business	Mischievous or deceitful behaviour.
Never in a million years	Will never happen
No time like the present	The belief it is better to do something right away instead of waiting.
No time to lose	Start something right away; otherwise, it won't be finished on time.
Off to a flying start	Something that is immediately successful or has begun well.
Old school Once in a blue moon	Holding ideas that were popular and important in the past , but which are no longer so. Happens very rarely or once in a lifetime.
Paint the town red	Go out and have a really good time at a party.
Pass with flying colours	Pass with a high score.
Raining cats and dogs	Raining very heavily.
Roll out the red carpet	Greet a person with great respect and give them a big, warm welcome
Show of hands	Raising hands to vote about something.
Silver screen	Film industry
Sit on the fence	Unable or unwilling to choose or make a decision.
Speak of the devil	When the person you have just been talking about arrives.
Spill the beans	Reveal a secret.
Steal someone's thunder	Take the credit for something someone else did.
Storm in a teacup	Exaggerate a problem.
Straight from the horse's mouth	From the authoritative source.
Swallow one's pride	Accepting something humiliating or embarrassing.
Take with a grain (or pinch) of salt	Not to take what someone says too seriously. Be sceptical about something.
Taste of your own medicine	Something happens to you, or is done to you, that you have done to someone else.
Time after time (time and time again)	Do something repeatedly
Time flies	When time passes quickly.
Too many chiefs and not enough Indians	Too many people telling others what to do.
Top banana	Most important person in a group.
Tough cookie	Very determined person.
Until hell freezes over	Something will never happen, no matter how hard or long you try for it to.
Up in smoke	Something that ends before getting a result.
Waiting in the wings	Waiting for an opportunity to take action.
Walk out on someone	Leave a partner and end the relationship.
Well-oiled machine	A unit of people or a group of things working well together
Whale of a time	Enjoying something thoroughly.
White as a sheet (or ghost)	In a state of great fear or anxiety.
White elephant	An expensive item that's costly to maintain and not particularly useful.
Works like a charm	Works very well or as expected.
Year in, year out	Happens every year for many years in a row.
Yellow-bellied	Coward
You can't teach an old dog new tricks	People used to doing things a certain way are often unable to change their ways.
Your guess is as good as mine	Not knowing the answer.

Examples of Interesting Idioms

Idioms are not just found in classrooms or textbooks; they appear all around us in daily life, especially in the stories we watch and read. Movies, TV shows, and literature are full of idiomatic expressions that make conversations sound more natural and engaging. When you notice these idioms in your favourite shows or books, you’ll realise how often native speakers use them without even thinking. Now, take a look at some of the most common idiom examples from various movies, TV shows, and literature that students will easily connect with:

Idioms From Movies

“May the odds be ever in your favour.” – The Hunger Games

While not a traditional idiom, it has become one, meaning good luck in difficult circumstances.

“Houston, we have a problem.” – Apollo 13

Used today as an idiomatic way to say something has gone wrong.

“I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.” – The Godfather

Idiomatic expression meaning to give someone no choice but to accept.

Idioms From TV Shows

“Suit up!” – Barney Stinson, How I Met Your Mother

An idiomatic catchphrase meaning get ready for action or an important event.

“Winter is coming.” – Game of Thrones

Used idiomatically to mean a warning that something bad is approaching.

“You know nothing, Jon Snow.” – Game of Thrones

An idiomatic way of saying you’re completely clueless.

Idioms From Literature

“Break the ice” – First recorded in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew

Means to start a conversation in a social setting.

“Green-eyed monster” – Shakespeare’s Othello

An idiom for jealousy.

“Down the rabbit hole” – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Used idiomatically today to mean entering a strange or complicated situation.

Frequently Asked Questions on Idioms in English

Q1. What are the 4 types of idioms?

Answer: There are four types of idioms: pure idioms, binomial idioms, partial idioms, and prepositional idioms.

Q2. What is the idiom for good luck?

Answer: Several idioms are used to wish someone good luck. Some common examples include "break a leg," "fingers crossed," "knock 'em dead," "best of luck," and "you got this". These phrases offer encouragement and positive wishes in various situations.

Q3. How many common idioms are there in English?

Answer: There are approximately 25,000 idioms in the English language. This might seem daunting, but you will soon learn the most common ones. And you become more confident to use them in a conversation. It is almost impossible to have a conversation in English without the use of an idiom.

Q4. What is the idiom of pink elephants?

Answer: "Seeing pink elephants" is a euphemism for hallucinations caused by delirium tremens or alcoholic hallucinosis, especially the former. The term dates back to at least the early 20th century, emerging from earlier idioms about seeing snakes and other creatures.

Q5. Is white elephant an idiom?

Answer: An unwanted or useless item, as in The cottage at the lake had become a real white elephant too run down to sell, yet costly to keep up, or Grandma's ornate silver is a white elephant; no one wants it, but it's too valuable to discard.