Idioms by meaning

Search by meaning

The search reads both the phrase and its meaning. “Nervous” finds on edge and bundle of nerves through what they mean; “bush” finds beat around the bush through the phrase.

240 well-known idioms

These are the idioms Wiktionary's editors have translated and quoted most, which is a fair measure of how widely they are known. They are listed alphabetically; a label marks one that belongs to a particular country or register.

add fuel to the fire

To worsen a conflict between people; to inflame an already tense situation.

add insult to injury

To further a loss with mockery or indignity; to worsen an already unfavorable situation.

all rights reserved

The copyright holder of a creative work reserves all copyright-related rights, typically including the right to publish the work, to make derivative works of it, to distribute it, to make profit from it, to license a…

and so forth

Indicates that a list continues in a similar manner.

apple of someone's eye

The object of somebody's affections; a person (or sometimes a thing) that someone strongly prefers; a favorite, a loved one.

as a matter of fact

Actually, in fact.

as a rule

In general; most often.

as far as one knows

To the best of one's knowledge, as far as someone knows or possible information to be gathered about the topic, subject, aspect, or situation.

as well

In addition; also.

at death's door

About to die; in a life-threatening state of health.

at first

Initially; at the start; originally.

at first glance

After only a superficial examination or review.

at last

After a long time; eventually.

at the end of the day

In summary; ultimately.

at times

On occasion, sometimes.

bear in mind

To hold (something) in the memory; to remember; also, to be mindful of or pay attention to (something); to consider; to note.

beat around the bush

To treat a topic, but omit its main points, often intentionally.

behind bars

In jail, in prison.

best regards

Used as a polite closing of a letter

between a rock and a hard place

In a difficult and inescapable position.

big cheese dated

A very important figure, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.

bit by bit

A small amount at a time.

black market

Trade that is in violation of restrictions, rationing, or price controls.

brain drain

The migration of educated or talented people from less economically advanced areas to more economically advanced areas, especially to large cities or more developed nations.

bread and circuses

Food and entertainment provided by the state, particularly if intended to placate the people.

break a leg

Good luck!; Do your best!; Said to someone wishing they perform well in a theatrical production or comparable endeavor.

break down

To give in or give up: relent, concede, surrender.

burn the midnight oil

To work studiously, especially late into the night.

by and large

Mostly; generally; all things considered.

by far

To a considerably large extent, easily.

by hook or by crook

By any means possible; one way or another.

by no means

Certainly not; definitely not; not at all.

by the Grace of God

By divine will and benevolence.

by the way

Incidentally; used in referencing a parenthetical statement not timely, central, or crucial to the topic at hand; foregone, passed by, something that has already happened.

by virtue of

(originally) By the authority or power of; (now) because of; on the grounds of; by reason of.

call a spade a spade

To put it bluntly, to be outspoken; to speak the truth, to describe things as they really are.

call an ambulance

Use a telephone to ensure arrival of an ambulance

carbonated water

Water that contains carbon dioxide dissolved in it under pressure and is intended for drinking.

carry coals to Newcastle

To do something that is unneeded or redundant.

carry on

To take baggage or luggage onto an airplane, rather than check it.

carry out

To fulfill.

catch a cold

To contract a cold.

catch fire

To become engulfed in flames, to go up in flames.

change one's mind

To decide differently than one had decided before.

chicken out

To shy away from a daring task; to decline, refuse, or avoid something due to fear or uncertainty.

child's play

Something particularly easy or simple.

come again informal

A polite formula used when one has not heard or understood what has been said, or to indicate surprise.

come out informal

To come out of the closet.

come true

To become real: to become true or existent.

come up with

To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it.

cover up

To conceal or disguise.

crack down

To take harsh action (against), as when enforcing a law or rule more stringently than before.

cross out

To strike out (something); to draw a line through (something).

day after day

For an indefinite number of days.

dead end

A street or path or tunnel that goes nowhere or is blocked on one end.

does anyone here speak English

Does anyone here speak English?

drive away

To force someone or something to leave

early bird

A person who wakes early or arrives early, typically before most others.

easy does it

Relax; do something gently, lightly or carefully; slow down; calm down.

eat away

To physically corrode or erode (something) gradually.

egg on

To encourage or coax (a person) to do something, especially something foolhardy or reckless.

eye for an eye

Compensation for injury caused by a person, in the form of inflicting an identical injury on that person.

fed up informal

Frustrated, annoyed, or tired, to the limit of one's endurance, especially by something that one has experienced for too long.

feel free

To feel able without giving offense.

feel like

To have a desire for something, or to do something.

fifth wheel American, informal

Anything superfluous or unnecessary.

find out

To discover, as by asking or investigating.

first of all

Firstly; before anything else.

for good

In a way that is conclusive and final.

for the most part

In most aspects; mostly; generally.

for the time being

Temporarily; for now; until later; until the situation changes; in an indefinite period of time.

from scratch

From the beginning; starting with no advantage or prior preparation.

from the bottom of one's heart

In earnest; sincerely; with one's full feeling.

from time to time

Occasionally; sometimes; once in a while.

get along

To interact or coexist well, without argument or trouble.

get rid of

To rid oneself of; to cause oneself to be free of or released from.

get the hang of informal

To begin to understand or manage at a basic level; to learn to handle with some skill.

get used

To become accustomed to something; to acclimate; to adjust.

get well soon

Expressing hope that the listener will soon recover from illness.

give birth

To become the source of.

give in

To relent, yield, surrender or admit defeat.

glass ceiling

An unrecognized or unwritten barrier to further progression or promotion, in employment and elsewhere, for a member of a specific demographic group (originally women).

go without saying

To not need to be said or mentioned; to be obvious, apparent, clear, or already established.

God forbid

indicating that the occurrence of something is very undesirable

God knows

It is only known to God; it is unknown to people.

Good Samaritan

A person who helps someone in distress out of their own good nature.

hand over

To relinquish control or possession of something to someone.

hang out slang

To spend time with somebody; to regularly meet with somebody.

hang up

To put up to hang.

happily ever after

Chiefly preceded by he, she, they, etc., lived: often used as a formulaic ending in fairy tales, stories for children, and similar works: in a state of happiness for the rest of his, her, their, etc., lives.

happy Easter

An expression used during Easter to wish someone a happy time.

happy holidays American, Canadian

A greeting used during the Christmas and winter holiday season to recognize the celebration of many holidays, sometimes starting with Thanksgiving and including Hanukkah, the winter solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and…

happy New Year

A wish said around the start of a new year to wish someone well for the New Year (holiday) or for the (entire) new year.

hard of hearing

Having difficulty hearing; somewhat deaf.

have a seat

A polite directive to sit down

have one's cake and eat it too

To benefit by having two things which are mutually incompatible (such as eating a piece of cake and yet still possessing that piece for future use).

head to toe

Entirely; completely; over one's full body.

heads or tails

The practice of flipping a coin in the air, to choose between two alternatives based on which side lands face up.

heat wave

A period of exceptionally hot weather.

hit the nail on the head

To identify something exactly; to arrive at exactly the right answer.

hold one's tongue

To refrain from talking about something.

hustle and bustle

A large amount of activity and work, usually in a noisy surrounding.

in a nutshell

In summary; briefly or simply.

in addition

Also; as well; besides.

in any case

Regardless (of an aforementioned point).

in cold blood

In a ruthless and unfeeling manner, particularly as applied to first-degree murder committed without provocation and with malice aforethought.

in detail

Thoroughly; including every detail; with all particulars.

in layman's terms

Phrased simply, without jargon; (of English-language speech or writing) phrased in plain English.

in other words

Stated or interpreted another way; phrased differently Used to introduce an explanation, simplification, or clarification.

in spite of

Despite, irrespective of, notwithstanding.

in the blink of an eye

Immediately, instantaneously.

in the first place

To begin with; earlier; firstly; originally; at the start.

in the long run

After a very long time; eventually; over a long period of time; more generally.

in the nick of time

At the last possible moment; at the last minute.

in vain

Without success or a result; ending in failure.

it can't be helped

It is inevitable. There is no alternative.

it doesn't matter

It is not important; do not worry (used to reassure or comfort the person to whom it is said).

it's cold outside

Indicates that the weather is cold.

jack of all trades

One competent in many endeavours, sometimes regarded as not excelling in any of them.

kangaroo court

A judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding, or a group of people which conducts such proceedings, which is without proper authority, and often acts abusively or decides unjustly.

kick the bucket informal

To die.

kill two birds with one stone

To solve two problems with one single action.

kind of informal

Slightly; somewhat; sort of.

king of beasts

The lion.

leave behind

To abandon.

let alone

Much less; to say nothing of; used after one negative clause to introduce another, usually broader and more important clause, whose negation is implied by the negation of the first. However either of these instances…

let bygones be bygones

To disregard or ignore a past difficulty in a relationship or an offence (when dealing with another individual).

let down

To disappoint; to betray or fail somebody.

let the cat out of the bag

To disclose a secret; to let a secret be known, often inadvertently.

lion's share

The majority; a large or generous portion.

lip service

Promising but empty talk; words without action or intention.

long story short

Introducing a short version of, or simply the conclusion of, a relevant story.

long time no see

I (or we) have not seen you for a long time.

look down on

To regard or treat as inferior.

look forward to

To anticipate, expect, or wait for, especially with a feeling of approval or pleasure; to be excited or eager to.

look out

To be vigilant and aware often as an imperative to alert a person to danger.

lose face

To lose the respect of others; to be humiliated or experience public disgrace.

lose one's temper

To become angry or annoyed.

love at first sight

an instantaneous attraction

make a mountain out of a molehill

To treat a problem as greater than it is; to blow something out of proportion; to exaggerate the importance of something trivial.

make a spectacle of oneself

To conspicuously embarrass oneself or others in public.

make do informal

To survive, get by (with), or use whatever is available (due to lack of resources).

make ends meet

To have enough money to cover expenses; to get by financially; to get through the pay period (sufficient to meet the next payday).

make fun of informal

To tease, ridicule or make jokes about, generally in a pejorative manner.

make sense

To be sensible, coherent, reasonable.

make up one's mind

To decide; to reach a conclusion.

make yourself at home

An invitation to a guest in the speaker's home to treat the house as if it were theirs.

marry off

To successfully arrange the marriage of someone, especially a relative.

merry Christmas

Used to express good wishes on or before Christmas Day.

middle of nowhere

A very remote or secluded area; a nondescript place lacking population, interesting things, or defining characteristics.

mind one's own business

To concern oneself only with what is of interest to oneself and not interfere in the affairs of others.

neither fish nor fowl

Not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; also, not having the advantages of the various options.

night owl

One who goes to bed late, or stays up late at night or in the early hours of the morning.

nip in the bud

To stop something at an early stage.

no way

Absolutely not; under no circumstances.

none of someone's business

A matter (especially a private or personal one) that someone is not entitled to be involved in or informed about.

not to mention

An apophasis used by a speaker to introduce, despite claiming not to address, a given point of discussion.

on all fours

On one's hands and knees.

on one's last legs

About to die.

on purpose

By design, as opposed to by accident; intentionally; deliberately.

on the other hand

From another point of view.

once again

Again, once more, one more time.

once in a blue moon

Very rarely; very infrequently.

one moment, please

Used to ask a person to wait a moment.

out loud

Using the voice; not silently; aloud.

out of the blue

Unexpectedly; without warning or preparation.

out of the frying pan, into the fire

Transitioning from an unfavorable situation to an even more adverse one; finding oneself in a more difficult or detrimental position as a result of attempting to escape an already problematic circumstance.

Pandora's box

A source of unforeseen trouble; especially, one whose effects cannot be reversed.

pass away

To die.

pay attention

To attend; to be attentive; to focus one's attention.

pick one's nose

To insert a finger or other object into one's nostril to remove obstructions, especially dried mucus.

piece of cake

A job, task or other activity that is pleasant or, by extension, easy or simple.

pipe dream

A desire or idea which is unlikely to materialize, or a plan which is unlikely to work; a near impossibility.

play hooky American

To play truant; to avoid (informally: skip) school, work, or other duties (stay away from these without permission nor an excuse); to skive or to bunk off (UK);

play with fire

To put oneself in a precarious situation with a high risk of getting harmed, particularly emotionally or financially.

point out

To identify among a group of similar subjects, or in a scene where the subject might not be readily seen or noticed, with a gesture of the body.

pot calling the kettle black

A situation in which somebody comments on or accuses someone else of a fault which the accuser shares.

psychological warfare

A mentally manipulative approach to warfare involving use of techniques to demoralize or intimidate someone into surrender.

put down

To insult, belittle, or demean.

put the cart before the horse

To put things in the wrong order or with the wrong priorities; to put something inconsequential as more important than something more essential.

put up with informal

To endure, tolerate, suffer through, or allow, especially something annoying.

rain cats and dogs

To rain very heavily.

read between the lines

To infer a meaning that is not stated explicitly.

red tape

Time-consuming regulations or bureaucratic procedures.

requiescat in pace

May he/she rest in peace.

rest on one's laurels

To rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further.

ride roughshod over

To treat (someone) roughly or without care, control, moderation, or respect; to act in a bullying manner toward (someone); to damage (someone or something).

right away

Very soon; quickly; immediately.

run out

To use up or consume all

rush hour

The times of the day when traffic jams are commonplace, due mainly to people commuting to or from work.

safe and sound

Having come to no harm, especially after being exposed to danger.

sell like hot cakes

To be sold quickly in large numbers or amounts.

six of one, half a dozen of the other

The two alternatives are equivalent or indifferent; it does not matter which one is chosen.

slip of the tongue

A mistake in speech.

small change

A minor or insignificant amount of money.

small talk

Idle conversation, typically regarding innocuous or unimportant subjects, usually engaged in at social gatherings out of politeness.

so far

Until now; previously; yet.

so long as

Depending upon some condition or requirement; provided that; if, assuming; as long as.

speak of the devil

An expression sometimes used when a person mentioned in the current conversation happens to arrive on the scene.

special military operation

A military campaign resembling a war; especially the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

speed up

To accelerate; to increase speed.

spill the beans

To reveal a secret; to disclose information.

split hairs

To consider or argue about fine details; to worry about minutiae.

stepping stone

Something used as a way to progress to something or somewhere else.

strike while the iron is hot

To act on an opportunity promptly while favorable conditions exist; to avoid waiting.

sweet dreams

Said to someone before they fall asleep, wishing them a good sleep.

switch on

To change one's expression or appearance as if by turning a switch.

take aback

To surprise or shock; to discomfit.

take into account

To consider or regard; to include (as in an estimate or plan) or pay attention to; to notice; to allow for, factor in.

take it easy informal

To relax or rest.

take part

To participate or join.

tall tale

A tale or story which is fantastic and greatly exaggerated; also, an account of questionable veracity; a lie, an untruth.

the bill, please

Indicates the speaker wishes to pay the bill (e.g. in a restaurant).

the die is cast

A conclusive action has been taken, so events will proceed in an irreversible manner; the point of no return has been passed; the future is determined; there are no more options.

the other day

Recently; lately; a few days ago.

think tank

A group of people who collectively perform research and develop reports and recommendations on topics relating to strategic planning or public policy, and which is usually funded by corporate, government, or special…

throw in the towel

To quit; to give up.

time flies

Time passes quickly.

time will tell

Events and outcomes cannot be known beforehand.

tip of the iceberg

A small indication of a larger possibility; the first part encountered of a problem that is much bigger than it seems.

to be honest

Frankly, honestly.

too bad

That's a pity.

track down

To hunt for or locate; to search for; to find.

turn a blind eye

To deliberately or knowingly ignore, overlook, or refuse to acknowledge something, especially when improper or unpleasant; to look the other way.

turn down

To refuse, decline, or deny.

turn out

To end up; to result.

turning point

A decisive point at which a significant change or historical event occurs, or at which a decision must be made.

ugly duckling

A young person who is ugly, but who is expected to become beautiful or handsome as they mature.

used to

Accustomed to, tolerant or accepting of.

watch over

To guard and protect.

well done

Performed well.

wishful thinking

The formation of beliefs based on an outcome that aligns with one's desires or hopes, while disregarding evidence, rationality, or reality.

with a grain of salt

With a little common sense and skepticism.

with pleasure

Willingly; without argument.

wolf down informal

To consume (food) quickly or greedily, without regard for table manners.

wolf in sheep's clothing

Someone who or something which is harmful or threatening but disguised as something peaceful or pleasant.

workers of the world, unite

Laborers are encouraged to unionize or otherwise engage in collective action on a global scale in order to use the strength of their numbers to obtain better working conditions.

worst comes to worst

If a possible worst-case scenario actually occurs.

yes man

A person who always agrees with their employer or superior.

yours sincerely British

A polite, formulaic phrase used at the end of a letter, especially when the sender knows the recipient's name.

Idioms in fiction

An idiom in narration is the author's voice; in dialogue it is the character's. The second is almost always safer. Watch the labels, too: an American idiom from a British narrator, or a modern one in a Regency drawing room, is the kind of slip readers notice. Few forgive it.