English Idioms and Phrases: A List with Meanings & Examples

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Search for English Idioms and Phrases with Meanings and Examples

This page features a complete list of common English idioms and phrases for language learners and teachers. The meanings for each expression are provided, along with example sentences to clarify the meanings in context.

Discover Common English Phrases and Their Meanings in Context

Learn phrases in English with meanings and examples.

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Search the complete list of idioms and phrases in the table below…

Searchable List of 489 Common English Idioms and Phrases

*Updated: February 2024

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Idiom / Phrase	Meaning	Example Sentence

Idiom / Phrase	Meaning	Example Sentence
a barking dog never bites	a person who constantly threatens never acts	Don't worry about his vocal threats. He won't hurt you physically.
a breeze	easy	Riding a tricycle is such a breeze.
a cat in gloves catches no mice	being too careful can result in failure	You need to tell her how you really feel if you want to marry her. Remember that a cat in gloves catches no mice.
a dime a dozen	common and available anywhere	Corrupt cops are a dime a dozen in this city.
a field day	a very enjoyable time	My children had a field day at the carnival.
a hell of a time	a difficult (or exciting) experience	Her grandmother had a hell of a time trying to connect to the internet.
a little bird told me	someone told me a secret	A little bird told me that you're getting a divorce.
a lot on my plate	very busy	I've got a lot on my plate tonight. I don't think I won't finish until midnight.
a matter of time	when something is inevitable	It's only a matter of time until they find a cure for cancer.
a penny for your thoughts	ask for advice	Could I have a penny for your thoughts? I don't know how to solve this problem.
a whale of a time	an exciting experience	The family had a whale of a time at the theme park.
about time	said to convey impatience	I've been waiting for you for an hour. It's about time you arrived!
ace in the hole	a hidden strength or advantage	They'll win the game since their rookie goalkeeper is an ace in the hole.
Achilles heel	someone's weakness	Vodka is his Achilles heel. He only loses his composure when he drinks it.
actions speak louder than words	judge what someone does rather than what they say	He said he was faithful, but he always comes home late at night. His actions certainly speak louder than words.
add insult to injury	worsen an unfavorable situation	She added insult to injury by picking her little brother's ice cream off the dirty floor and sticking it in his mouth.
ahead of time	earlier than the deadline	Finish your work ahead of time so you can enjoy your hobbies.
all ears	listen carefully	Jane asked if I was paying attention. I told her, "I'm all ears!"
all hands on deck	everyone's help is needed	We need all hands on deck if we want to reduce carbon emissions.
all the rage	popular	Those new shoes are all the rage these days.
all thumbs	clumsy	I'm all thumbs today. I keep dropping my phone!
an arm and a leg	very expensive	That new car costs an arm and a leg.
ants in your pants	anxious or nervous	Frank had ants in his pants before taking his exam.
apple of my eye	an adored person	My precious daughter is the apple of my eye.
around the clock	without stopping	The pharmacy is open around the clock. It never closes.
as white as a sheet	very fearful or anxious	Walter went as white as a sheet when he saw Hank get shot.
ask out	ask someone on a date	Bobby asked her out, but she decided to stay home and do laundry.
at the drop of a hat	instantly	At the drop of a hat, I called my sister when I heard she was pregnant!
at the wheel	in control	She felt saver at the wheel working as a freelance writer.
back to the drawing board	begin something all over again	It was back to the drawing board after the team failed to make the playoffs.
backseat driver	someone who gives unwanted advice	The teenager told the banker to buy a cryptocurrency that dropped 90 percent. What a backseat driver!
bad egg	a troublesome person	Bart is the bad egg of the class. He is always throwing paper airplanes.
bad news travels fast	negative news is shared fast	Everyone knows she's in the hospital. Bad news travels fast.
ball is in your court	the decision is up to you	We offered him an extra million dollars. The ball is in his court if he wants to sign the contract.
bark up the wrong tree	look in the wrong place or falsely accuse	He asked me if I broke his laptop. I said he was barking up the wrong tree.
bark up the wrong tree	pursue misguided action	Stop accusing me. I'm innocent. You're barking up the wrong tree!
basket case	erratic or panicky	She became such a basket case when she discovered her ex was at the party.
be an item	be a couple	Apparently, Tiffany and Tim are an item. I always see them together.
be nuts about	really enjoy	She is nuts about her new boyfriend.
beast of burden	someone carries others problems	I will never be your beast of burden. You have got to deal with your own problems.
beat a dead horse	dwell on a topic beyond resolution	I told you several times that I won't do it. Don't beat a dead horse!
beat around the bush	avoid talking about something specifically	Stop beating around the bush! Get to the point already!
beat the clock	finish something before the deadline	The paperwork was piled high, but she manages to beat the clock and finish it all.
beauty is in the eye of the beholder	everyone has different preferences for what is attractive	Ella likes guys with big beards. Her girlfriends say to her that beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder.
beet red	embarrassed or angry	Darren went beet red when he saw the scratch on his car.
bell the cat	take on a difficult task	Politicians should bell the cat and start reducing the inflation rate.
best of both worlds	enjoy two different opportunities	Joe got the best of both worlds when he married Amy who was his best friend and a supermodel.
better late than never	doing something late is better than not doing it	You finally visited the dentist. Better late than never!
bide your time	relax and take your time doing something	Bide your time and take a look through the restaurant menu. There are no other customers.
big cheese	an important person	Where is the director? I want to talk to the big cheese.

Showing 1 to 50 of 982 entries

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