English Idioms A to Z with Their Meanings and Examples

In English, idioms are short expressions whose meanings differ from their individual words. They appear across everyday talk and writing, from phrases like “spill the beans” to “hit the nail on the head.”

This article gathers common idioms from A to Z with meanings and sentences so learners can study how English words form useful expressions.

English Idioms A to I

A Idioms

A blessing in disguise: Something that seems bad but leads to good results.

• Losing that job was a blessing in disguise because it opened a better path.

A dime a dozen: Very common or easy to find.

• Coffee shops in the city are a dime a dozen.

A leopard can’t change its spots: People do not change their true nature.

• He tried to act kind, but a leopard can’t change its spots.

A piece of cake: Very easy to do.

• For her, learning new words is a piece of cake.

Actions speak louder than words: What you do matters more than what you say.

• He talks big, but actions speak louder than words.

Add fuel to the fire: Make a bad situation worse.

• His rude reply only added fuel to the fire.

All in the same boat: Facing the same problem or challenge.

• During the exam week, all students were in the same boat.

Apple of one’s eye: A person loved very much.

• His little daughter is the apple of his eye.

At the drop of a hat: Instantly, without delay.

• She can sing at the drop of a hat.

B Idioms

Back to square one: Start again after a setback.

• The plan failed, and they were back to square one.

Beat around the bush: Avoid saying something directly.

• Don’t beat around the bush; tell me the truth.

Better late than never: Doing something late is better than not doing it.

• He finally apologized, better late than never.

Break a leg: Wishing good luck, especially before a performance.

• Before the play, her friends said, break a leg.

Burn the midnight oil: Work late into the night.

• He burned the midnight oil to finish his report.

Bite off more than you can chew: Take on more than you can handle.

• She joined four clubs and bit off more than she could chew.

By the book: Following rules exactly.

• The manager likes things done by the book.

Bring to light: Reveal or make known.

• The report brought to light many hidden problems.

Burst into tears: Start crying suddenly.

• She burst into tears after hearing the sad news.

C Idioms

Call it a day: Stop working for now.

• After long hours, they decided to call it a day.

Caught between a rock and a hard place: Stuck between two difficult choices.

• He was caught between a rock and a hard place choosing between jobs.

Cross your fingers: Hope for good luck.

• She crossed her fingers before opening the results.

Cry over spilled milk: Complain about something that cannot be changed.

• Don’t cry over spilled milk; learn and move on.

Cut corners: Do something cheaply or quickly, ignoring quality.

• The builder cut corners and the wall cracked soon.

Come rain or shine: No matter what happens.

• She goes jogging come rain or shine.

Cost an arm and a leg: Very expensive.

• That new phone costs an arm and a leg.

Catch someone red-handed: Catch someone in the act of doing wrong.

• The guard caught him red-handed stealing.

Cool as a cucumber: Very calm, even under stress.

• She stayed cool as a cucumber during the test.

D Idioms

Dead in the water: Without progress or chance of success.

• The plan was dead in the water after losing funding.

Devil’s advocate: Someone who argues against a point for discussion.

• He played devil’s advocate to test their idea.

Down to earth: Practical and realistic.

• Despite fame, she is down to earth.

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch: Don’t expect results before they happen.

• Wait for confirmation; don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

Drive someone up the wall: Annoy someone greatly.

• The loud noise drove her up the wall.

Drop the ball: Make a mistake or miss an opportunity.

• The team dropped the ball by missing the deadline.

Draw the line: Set a limit to what you will accept.

• He drew the line at rude behavior.

Dog days: The hottest period of summer or a dull time.

• They rested during the dog days of August.

Dutch courage: Bravery gained from alcohol.

• He needed some Dutch courage before giving the speech.

E Idioms

Easier said than done: Harder to do than to talk about.

• Quitting junk food is easier said than done.

Every cloud has a silver lining: There is something good in every bad situation.

• After the failure, she believed every cloud has a silver lining.

Eat like a bird: Eat very little.

• She’s so thin because she eats like a bird.

Elephant in the room: An obvious problem no one talks about.

• The budget cut was the elephant in the room.

End of the line: The point where something stops or finishes.

• Without funding, the project reached the end of the line.

Eye for an eye: Equal punishment for a wrong done.

• The law followed an eye for an eye approach.

F Idioms

Face the music: Accept the results of your actions.

• He had to face the music after missing the exam.

Fish out of water: Someone uncomfortable in a new situation.

• In the new school, she felt like a fish out of water.

Feeling under the weather: Not feeling well.

• He stayed home because he was under the weather.

Fly off the handle: Lose temper suddenly.

• She flew off the handle when she saw the mess.

From scratch: Start from the beginning.

• They built the business from scratch.

Full of beans: Very energetic and lively.

• The kids were full of beans at the party.

G Idioms

Get cold feet: Lose courage suddenly.

• He got cold feet before his first performance.

Go the extra mile: Make more effort than expected.

• She always goes the extra mile for her students.

Get a taste of your own medicine: Be treated the same bad way you treated others.

• He was rude and finally got a taste of his own medicine.

Give someone the benefit of the doubt: Believe someone without proof.

• She gave him the benefit of the doubt and trusted him again.

Grin from ear to ear: Smile widely.

• He was grinning from ear to ear after hearing the news.

Go down in flames: Fail completely.

• The plan went down in flames due to poor timing.

H Idioms

Hit the nail on the head: Say exactly the right thing.

• Her comment hit the nail on the head.

Hold your horses: Wait and be patient.

• Hold your horses; the results are not out yet.

Hang in there: Don’t give up.

• Keep studying; hang in there and you’ll succeed.

Head in the clouds: Not paying attention or being unrealistic.

• He’s always got his head in the clouds thinking of dreams.

Have a sweet tooth: Like sweet foods a lot.

• She has a sweet tooth and loves desserts.

Hit the sack: Go to bed.

• After working late, he hit the sack immediately.

I Idioms

In hot water: In trouble.

• He found himself in hot water after missing the deadline.

It’s not rocket science: Something easy to understand.

• Fixing this issue is not rocket science.

In the same boat: In the same situation as others.

• We’re all in the same boat during exam week.

In black and white: Written or printed clearly.

• Get the agreement in black and white.

In a nutshell: Summed up briefly.

• In a nutshell, it was a successful event.

In the nick of time: Just before it’s too late.

• The ambulance arrived in the nick of time.

If the shoe fits, wear it: Accept criticism if it’s true.

• He got angry, but if the shoe fits, wear it.

English Idioms J to R

J Idioms

Jump on the bandwagon: Join something popular or trending.

• Many users jumped on the bandwagon when the new app went viral.

Jack of all trades: Someone skilled at many things.

• He’s a jack of all trades who can fix anything.

Just in the nick of time: At the last possible moment.

• The team finished the project just in the nick of time.

Join the club: Used when you share the same problem as someone else.

• “I’m tired.” — Join the club!

Jump to conclusions: Decide too quickly without facts.

• Don’t jump to conclusions before hearing both sides.

Jog someone’s memory: Help someone remember something.

• The old photo jogged his memory of childhood.

K Idioms

Keep an eye on: Watch carefully.

• Please keep an eye on the kids near the pool.

Kick the bucket: Die (informal).

• The farmer kicked the bucket last year.

Keep your chin up: Stay positive in difficulty.

• Keep your chin up; things will improve soon.

Kill two birds with one stone: Do two things at once.

• He killed two birds with one stone by shopping and visiting a friend.

Knock on wood: Wish for continued good luck.

• The team is winning, knock on wood.

Keep a straight face: Not laugh at something funny.

• It was hard to keep a straight face during the joke.

L Idioms

Let the cat out of the bag: Reveal a secret.

• She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise.

Light at the end of the tunnel: Sign of improvement after trouble.

• After months of work, they saw light at the end of the tunnel.

Leave no stone unturned: Do everything possible to find or achieve something.

• The police left no stone unturned in their search.

Lose your touch: Lose skill in something once mastered.

• He used to be great at chess, but he’s lost his touch.

Look before you leap: Think carefully before acting.

• Always look before you leap when making decisions.

Let sleeping dogs lie: Avoid restarting old conflicts.

• They agreed to let sleeping dogs lie about that issue.

Learn the ropes: Understand how to do a new job or task.

• The new intern is still learning the ropes.

M Idioms

Make ends meet: Earn enough to live on.

• They struggle to make ends meet each month.

Miss the boat: Be too late for an opportunity.

• He missed the boat by not applying early.

Mind your own business: Stay out of others’ affairs.

• She told him to mind his own business.

Move mountains: Achieve something very difficult.

• Together they moved mountains to help the project succeed.

Meet halfway: Compromise.

• The two sides agreed to meet halfway.

Make waves: Cause trouble or attract attention.

• He doesn’t want to make waves at work.

Money talks: Money influences decisions.

• They got special treatment because money talks.

N Idioms

No pain, no gain: Effort is needed to succeed.

• Keep practicing; no pain, no gain.

Needle in a haystack: Something very hard to find.

• Finding that file was like a needle in a haystack.

Nip it in the bud: Stop something early before it grows.

• They nipped the rumor in the bud.

Not one’s cup of tea: Not something you like.

• Horror movies are not my cup of tea.

Not playing with a full deck: Acting strangely or foolishly.

• He must be not playing with a full deck to believe that story.

Not the end of the world: Not as bad as it seems.

• Failing once is not the end of the world.

O Idioms

On cloud nine: Extremely happy.

• She was on cloud nine after the results.

On the fence: Unable to decide.

• He’s still on the fence about the offer.

Once in a blue moon: Very rarely.

• They visit their hometown once in a blue moon.

Out of the blue: Suddenly and unexpectedly.

• He called out of the blue after many years.

Out of the woods: Free from danger or trouble.

• The patient is finally out of the woods.

Over the moon: Very happy.

• She was over the moon with her new job.

On thin ice: In a risky situation.

• He’s on thin ice after missing two meetings.

P Idioms

Piece of cake: Very easy to do.

• The test was a piece of cake.

Pull someone’s leg: Joke or tease.

• Don’t take him seriously; he’s pulling your leg.

Put all your eggs in one basket: Rely on one plan only.

• Don’t put all your eggs in one basket when investing.

Play it by ear: Decide as you go.

• They’ll play it by ear during the trip.

Put your money where your mouth is: Prove your words with action.

• If you believe it, put your money where your mouth is.

Put your foot down: Be firm about something.

• She put her foot down and refused the change.

Pull out all the stops: Use all efforts to achieve something.

• They pulled out all the stops for the event.

Q Idioms

Quick on the draw: Respond fast or think quickly.

• The reporter was quick on the draw with questions.

Queer the pitch: Spoil someone’s plan.

• His sudden talk queered the pitch for the deal.

Quiet as a mouse: Very silent.

• The kids were quiet as mice during the movie.

Question of time: Certain to happen sooner or later.

• It’s just a question of time before prices rise.

Quit while you’re ahead: Stop before things go wrong.

• You’ve won enough; quit while you’re ahead.

R Idioms

Rain cats and dogs: Rain very heavily.

• It was raining cats and dogs all night.

Read between the lines: Understand hidden meaning.

• You must read between the lines of his message.

Ring a bell: Sound familiar.

• That name rings a bell, but I can’t recall where I heard it.

Roll out the red carpet: Give a special welcome.

• They rolled out the red carpet for the guest.

Rule of thumb: General practical rule.

• As a rule of thumb, save ten percent of income.

Run out of steam: Lose energy or interest.

• The team ran out of steam after hours of work.

Rock the boat: Cause trouble in a stable situation.

• Don’t rock the boat with unnecessary changes.

English Idioms S to Z

S Idioms

Speak of the devil: Someone you’re talking about appears.

• Speak of the devil — we were just discussing you.

Spill the beans: Reveal a secret.

• She accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise party.

Sit tight: Wait patiently without acting.

• The manager asked everyone to sit tight until news arrives.

Sleep on it: Think carefully before deciding.

• I’ll sleep on it and tell you tomorrow.

Straight from the horse’s mouth: From a reliable source.

• I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth.

See eye to eye: Agree fully with someone.

• They rarely see eye to eye on politics.

Stick to your guns: Stay firm in your opinion.

• She stuck to her guns despite criticism.

Smell a rat: Suspect something wrong.

• I smell a rat; those numbers look off.

Snowed under: Overwhelmed with work.

• We’re snowed under with reports this week.

Steal someone’s thunder: Take credit for another’s idea.

• He stole her thunder by presenting her plan.

T Idioms

Take it with a grain of salt: Don’t fully believe something.

• Take his story with a grain of salt; he exaggerates.

The ball is in your court: It’s your decision now.

• I’ve done my part; the ball is in your court.

Throw in the towel: Give up.

• After many losses, they threw in the towel.

Touch wood: Wish for good luck.

• The project is going well — touch wood.

Turn a blind eye: Ignore wrongdoing.

• The guard turned a blind eye to the rule break.

Through thick and thin: In every situation.

• They’ve stayed friends through thick and thin.

Time flies: Time passes quickly.

• Time flies when you’re enjoying yourself.

Tip of the iceberg: Only a small part of a bigger issue.

• The leaks were just the tip of the iceberg.

U Idioms

Under the weather: Feeling ill.

• I’m under the weather today, staying home.

Up in the air: Unsettled or undecided.

• The travel plan is still up in the air.

Under your nose: In plain sight.

• The keys were under your nose the whole time.

Use your head: Think carefully.

• You need to use your head before acting.

V Idioms

Voice your opinion: Express what you think.

• Everyone should voice their opinion at meetings.

Virtue is its own reward: Doing good is satisfying in itself.

• He helps others because virtue is its own reward.

Vanish into thin air: Disappear completely.

• The document vanished into thin air.

W Idioms

When pigs fly: Something that will never happen.

• He’ll tidy his room when pigs fly.

Wild goose chase: A pointless search.

• The rumor sent them on a wild goose chase.

Word of mouth: Information shared verbally.

• The café became popular by word of mouth.

Wipe the slate clean: Start fresh.

• They decided to wipe the slate clean after the argument.

Walk on eggshells: Act carefully to avoid upsetting someone.

• He’s walking on eggshells around his boss.

Worth its weight in gold: Extremely valuable.

• A loyal friend is worth their weight in gold.

X Idioms

X marks the spot: Exact place where something is located.

• The treasure map said X marks the spot.

X factor: Special quality that makes something stand out.

• Her confidence gives her that X factor.

Y Idioms

You can’t judge a book by its cover: Appearances can mislead.

• He looked quiet, but you can’t judge a book by its cover.

You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours: Mutual help.

• I’ll support you if you help me — you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.

Young at heart: Lively despite age.

• My grandmother is young at heart.

Your guess is as good as mine: Both are equally unsure.

• About the weather, your guess is as good as mine.

Z Idioms

Zero tolerance: Complete refusal to accept bad behavior.

• The school has a zero tolerance policy for bullying.

Zip your lip: Stop talking.

• Zip your lip and listen for a while.

Zigzag course: Not straightforward, full of changes.

• The team took a zigzag course to success.

Zoom in on: Focus closely on something.

• The speaker zoomed in on key issues.

Conclusion

English idioms from A to Z add color and expression to language. Each idiom carries a unique meaning that often differs from its literal words. Understanding and using them naturally helps speakers sound fluent, confident, and connected to everyday English use.

FAQs About English Idioms

Q1. What are the most common English idioms used today?
Popular idioms include a blessing in disguise, once in a blue moon, and the ball is in your court. These appear often in conversation and writing.

Q2. How many idioms are there in English language?
English contains more than 25,000 idioms recorded in major dictionaries and corpora, with new informal ones appearing regularly in global use.

Q3. Which idioms should English learners start with first?
Start with simple idioms such as piece of cake, under the weather, and break the ice—they’re common and easy to apply in daily talk.

Q4. What is the difference between an idiom and a proverb?
An idiom expresses a meaning that differs from the literal words, while a proverb gives moral or practical advice, like a stitch in time saves nine.

Q5. Are idioms still important for modern English tests?
Yes. Exams like IELTS, TOEFL, and everyday workplace English still value idiomatic language for showing fluency and cultural understanding.