An IDIOM is a group of words or a phrase that differs from their literal meaning. Idioms enrich the language.
Common idioms are the building blocks of everyday communication, and understanding their meaning is essential to effective language use.
Common Idioms
Common Idioms Start With ‘A’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
|---|---|---|
| ABC | basic knowledge | She doesn’t have the ABC of cooking. |
| Above all | most importantly | Above all, we need to prioritize safety in this project. |
| Above board | completely transparent and honest | The financial records of the company are always above the board. |
| After all | considering everything | After all, he did show up to the party, even though he had said he wouldn’t. |
| All at once | suddenly | All at once, the lights went out. |
| All of a sudden | suddenly and unexpectedly | All of a sudden, she realized she had lost her wallet. |
| All but | almost entirely | The company was all but bankrupt before the new CEO took over. |
| All ears | fully attentive and interested | The students were all ears when the guest speaker arrived. |
| All in all | supreme | The chef is all in all when it comes to creating the menu. |
| All Greek | completely incomprehensible | The instructions in the manual were all Greek to him. |
| Apple of one’s eye | a person or thing that is cherished above all others | His dog is the apple of his eye. |
| Apple of discord | a source of conflict | The inheritance became an apple of discord among the siblings. |
| As if | as though | She acted as if she knew the answer. |
| As it were | so to speak | The flowers bloomed, as it were, overnight. |
| As usual | typically | As usual, the train was running late. |
| At bay | cornered and under threat | The company was at bay after the stock market crash. |
| At one’s fingertips | easily accessible | The lawyer always has the latest legal information at his fingertips. |
| At daggers drawn | in a state of intense hostility | The two politicians were at daggers drawn during the debate. |
| At home | comfortable and familiar | She is at home in the world of fashion. |
| At a loss | unsure of what to do | He was at a loss as to how to fix the broken vase. |
| At all | in any way | The book is not helpful at all. |
| At all events | in any case | We will be attending the wedding at all events. |
| At a low ebb | at a low point | The company’s profits are at a low ebb this quarter. |
| At arm’s length | keeping a safe distance | She kept the poisonous snake at arm’s length. |
| At a stretch | without a break | He worked on his project for six hours at a stretch. |
| At large | free | The suspect is still at large. |
| At last | finally | I got my missing phone at last. |
| At least | at a minimum | At least fifty people attended the concert. |
| At sixes and sevens | in disarray | After the earthquake, everything was at sixes and sevens. |
| At stake | in danger | Her life is at stake now. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘B’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Bad blood | ill feeling | Let’s try to resolve our issues and avoid any bad blood between us. |
| Bag and baggage | with all belongings | She left the apartment with her bags and baggage. |
| Be-all and end-all | ultimate goal | For him, achieving success in his career is the be-all and end-all. |
| Beat about the bush | avoid getting to the point | Can you please stop beating about the bush and tell me what happened? |
| Bed of roses | easy and comfortable situation | Life is never a bed of roses; one must face challenges. |
| Behind the screen | secretly | There might be some shady dealings behind the screen. |
| Beat black and blue | beat severely | The bullies beat the innocent kid black and blue. |
| Between the devil and the deep sea | in a difficult situation with no good options | Between the Devil and the deep sea |
| Beggar description | beyond words | The beauty of the sunrise was so breathtaking, it beggars description. |
| Black sheep | a person with a bad reputation | He is considered the black sheep of his family, always getting into trouble. |
| Bid fair | have a good chance | She bids fair to win the competition with her exceptional talent. |
| Big gun | an influential person | He is a big gun in the music industry, with many successful albums. |
| Birds of a feather | people with similar interests | They are birds of a feather, both passionate about environmental conservation. |
| Bolt from the blue | a sudden and unexpected event | The news of the company’s bankruptcy came as a bolt from the blue. |
| Bone of contention | a matter of disagreement | The salary hike was the bone of contention between the employees and the management. |
| Bosom friend | a very close friend | My childhood friend is my bosom friend; we share everything. |
| Book worm | someone who loves to read books | She is a bookworm who can spend hours reading. |
| Bide one’s time | wait patiently for the right opportunity | He is biding his time to launch his startup until the market conditions are favourable. |
| By far | to a great extent | This is by far the best pizza I have ever had. |
| By and large | generally | By and large, the students were satisfied with the course content. |
| By leaps and bounds | rapidly | The company’s revenue has been growing by leaps and bounds since it launched the new product line. |
| By the by | incidentally | By the by, did you hear about the new store opening in town? |
| Burning question | an issue that needs immediate attention | Climate change is the burning question of our time. |
| By chance | accidentally | I found my lost ring by chance while cleaning the house. |
| By all means | definitely | By all means, you should pursue your dream career. |
| By and by | gradually | By and by, he will learn how to speak English fluently. |
| Build castles in the air | indulge in unrealistic dreams | Instead of building castles in the air, let’s focus on our goals and work hard to achieve them. |
| Breathe one’s last | pass away | After a long battle with cancer, she breathed her last in the presence of her loved ones. |
| Bring to light | reveal | The investigation brought to light many irregularities in the company’s finances. |
| By fits and starts | irregularly | He has been working on the project by fits and starts, without a proper plan. |
| By no means | absolutely not | By no means should you compromise on your principles. |
| Bring to book | hold accountable | The corrupt officials must be brought to the book and punished for their crimes. |
| By hook or by crook | by any means necessary | She was determined to win the competition by hook or by crook. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘C’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Call to mind | remember | I’m trying to call to mind where I put my keys. |
| Call in question | doubt | The evidence presented calls in question the suspect’s alibi. |
| Call a spade a spade | to speak the truth | Let me call a spade a spade and tell you that you’re not doing your job well. |
| Carry the day | win victory | The home team carried the day with their last-minute goal. |
| Catch red-handed | catch with the articles | The police caught the thief red-handed with the stolen goods. |
| Cats and dogs | raining very heavily | It’s been raining cats and dogs all day. |
| Chip of the old block | a worthy successor | The CEO’s son is a chip off the old block and is just as capable as his father. |
| Cock and bull story | absurd story | I don’t believe his cock and bull story about being abducted by aliens. |
| Cold water | discouragement | The negative comments threw cold water on his idea. |
| Come to light | become known | The truth about the scandal came to light after a journalist’s investigation. |
| Come off with flying colours | win a victory | The team came off with flying colours in the championship game. |
| Crying need | urgent need | There is a crying need for more affordable housing in the city. |
| Crocodile tears | fake tears | I don’t trust her crocodile tears, she’s just trying to manipulate us. |
| Curry favour | gain through flattery | She’s always trying to curry favour with the boss by complimenting him excessively. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘D’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Dead against | strongly opposed to | I’m dead against the proposal to build a highway through the national park. |
| Dead language | no longer in use as a spoken language | Latin is a dead language but is still used in academic settings. |
| Dead of night | midnight | The burglars broke into the store at the dead of night. |
| Die in harness | die while working | The burglars broke into the store in the dead of night. |
| Dark horse | relatively unknown | The political newcomer surprised everyone by winning the election, he was a real dark horse. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘E’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| End in smoke | fail to materialize | The company’s plans to expand overseas ended in smoke due to lack of funding. |
| Every now and then | occasionally | The company’s plans to expand overseas ended in smoke due to a lack of funding. |
| Eke out | manage to survive with difficulty | The family was able to eke out a living by farming a small plot of land. |
| Every inch | completely | She’s every inch a professional with her confident demeanour and attention to detail. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘F’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Fall flat | to fail completely or have no impact | My joke fell flat and no one laughed. |
| Fair and square | done honestly or justly | She won the competition fair and square, without cheating. |
| Far cry | very different from something | The new restaurant is a far cry from the old one. |
| Far and away | by far or significantly | She was far and away the best singer in the competition. |
| Far and wide | everywhere or over a wide area | The news of the accident spread far and wide. |
| Few and far between | rare or scarce | Good job opportunities are few and far between in this economy. |
| Fight shy | to avoid or be hesitant about something | I always fight shy of public speaking, as it makes me nervous. |
| Fish out of water | feeling uncomfortable in a new or unfamiliar situation | Being the only vegetarian at the barbecue, she felt like a fish out of water. |
| Fish in troubled water | taking advantage of a difficult situation | He tried to profit from the company’s financial troubles, like a fish in troubled water. |
| Flesh and blood | human or physical existence | She was just flesh and blood, and couldn’t work 24/7 without getting tired. |
| Fool’s paradise | a false or unrealistic sense of happiness or security | If you think you can get rich quick without any effort, you’re living in a fool’s paradise. |
| For good | permanently or forever | She left the city for good and moved to the countryside. |
| French leave | leaving without telling anyone or without permission | He took French leave from the party early, without saying goodbye. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘G’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Gala day | a special or festive occasion | The wedding was a gala day, with lots of music, dancing, and food. |
| Get rid of | to remove or eliminate something unwanted | He wanted to get rid of his old car and buy a new one. |
| Gift of the gab | a natural talent for speaking or persuading others | As a politician, she had the gift of the gab and could charm voters with her speeches. |
| Get by heart | to memorize something | In order to pass the exam, she had to get the formulas by heart. |
| Give way | to collapse or break down | The bridge gave way under the weight of the truck. |
| Give one’s word | to make a promise or give an assurance | He gave his word that he would always be there to support her. |
| Give birth to | to have a baby | The actress gave birth to a healthy baby girl. |
| Gain the day | to win or be victorious | Despite the odds against them, the underdog team gained the day and won the championship. |
| Go through fire and water | to face and overcome great difficulties | She was willing to go through fire and water to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor. |
| Go without saying | to be obvious or not need to be stated | It goes without saying that he loves his family very much. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘H’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Hair-breadth escape | a narrow or close escape | He had a hair-breadth escape from the burning building, just managing to get out in time |
| Hard and fast | strict or inflexible | The company had hard and fast rules about working overtime and taking breaks. |
| Hard nut to crack | a difficult problem or challenge | Finding a cure for cancer is a hard nut to crack, but scientists are working tirelessly to achieve it. |
| Head and ears | completely or deeply involved | He was head and ears in love with her, unable to think of anything else. |
| Head and shoulders | much better or more superior | The new restaurant was head and shoulders above the competition, with better food and service. |
| Heart and soul | with all energy | She poured her heart and soul into her performance, impressing the judges. |
| Herculean task | very difficult task | Starting a new business from scratch is always a Herculean task. |
| High time | past the appropriate time | It’s high time for him to apologize for his rude behaviour. |
| Hold water | be logically sound | The theory presented by the scientist does not hold water and needs further research. |
| Hold good | remain valid | The contract between the two parties will only hold good if both parties fulfil their obligations. |
| Hue and cry | a loud outcry or protest | The citizens made a hue and cry against the government’s decision to raise taxes. |
| Hush money | money paid to keep someone quiet | The politician offered hush money to the journalist to suppress a negative story. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘I’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| In accordance with | following or conforming to something. | The team acted in accordance with the coach’s instructions. |
| In a fix | in a difficult situation | After losing his job, he found himself in a fix and unable to pay his rent. |
| In fine | in conclusion | In fine, I believe we should all work together to achieve our goals. |
| In full swing | actively happening with enthusiasm | The party was in full swing when we arrived. |
| In good stead | useful | Her experience as a teacher stood her in good stead when she became a principal. |
| In keeping with | consistent | His actions were not in keeping with his promises. |
| In order to | with the aim of doing something | He enrolled in a business school in order to learn about entrepreneurship. |
| In lieu of | instead of | Can you please give me a voucher in lieu of a refund? |
| In black and white | in writing | We need to have the contract in black and white before we proceed. |
| In cold blood | done intentionally and without emotion | The murder was committed in cold blood and shocked the community. |
| In no time | very quickly or soon | With the right tools, we can finish the job in no time. |
| In the face | despite or in defiance of something | She stood up to the bully in the face of danger. |
| In the good books | in favour with someone | After completing her project on time, she was in the good books of her boss. |
| In the nick of time | just in time | The ambulance arrived in the nick of time to save the patient’s life. |
| In the twinkling of an eye | very quickly | The food disappeared in the twinkling of an eye when the children came home hungry. |
| In the long run | ultimately | In the long run, exercise and healthy eating habits will benefit your health. |
| In the teeth of | despite strong opposition | The team won the championship in the teeth of strong opposition. |
| In the meantime | during the time between two events | I’ll be busy this afternoon. In the meantime, could you help me with this task? |
| Ins and outs | all the details | Before making a decision, we need to know all the ins and outs of the proposal. |
| In vogue | currently popular | This style of clothing is currently in vogue among teenagers. |
| In force | active or effective | The new is in force now. |
| In a nutshell | briefly summarizing something. | In a nutshell, the company’s profits have been declining for the past year. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘J’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Jail Bird | a repeat criminal | The detective recognized the suspect as a jail bird who had been in and out of prison for years. |
| Jack of all trades | skilled in many areas | He’s a jack of all trades and can fix anything around the house. |
| Jaundiced eye | a biased attitude | The employer viewed all candidates with a jaundiced eye, assuming they were all unqualified. |
| jot or little | the smallest amount | He didn’t know even a jot or little about the subject. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘K’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Kith and kin | near and dear ones | She prefers to spend time with her kith and kin. |
| Keep late hours | work diligently through the night | The software developers kept late hours to finish the project before the deadline. |
| Keep pace with | match the speed of | He had to run faster to keep pace with his athletic friend. |
| Kill time | engage in leisurely activities | She watched TV to kill time before her flight. |
| Keep the wolf from the door | manage to survive financially | Her part-time job helped her keep the wolf from the door. |
| Kill two birds with one stone | achieve two things in one stroke | She listened to an audiobook while doing house chores, killing two birds with one stone. |
| Know no bounds | be limitless | The love a mother has for her child knows no bounds. |
| Knock at the door | announce arrival or opportunity | A new opportunity was knocking at his door, and he had to decide whether to take it or not. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘L’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Lame excuse | weak argument | His explanation for the late submission of the report was a lame excuse. |
| Laughing stock | object of amusement | His clumsy dancing made him the laughingstock of the party. |
| Leave in the lurch | abandon in a difficult situation | He left his teammate in the lurch by not showing up for the match. |
| Leave no stone unturned | exhaust all possible options | She left no stone unturned in her search for a new job. |
| Lion’s share | the major part | The CEO took the lion’s share of the company’s profits. |
| Loaves and fishes | spiritual benefits | He volunteers at the shelter not for the loaves and fishes, but to give back to the community. |
| Last but not the least | last but equally important | The team was comprised of excellent players, but last but not least, the coach was also a key player in their success. |
| Lay heads together | collaborate | The team needed to lay their heads together to come up with a winning strategy. |
| Lead a cat and dog life | have a tumultuous relationship | The couple had been leading a cat and dog life for years, but they still loved each other. |
| Long and short | bottom line | The long and short of the matter is that we need to increase our sales revenue. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘M’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Make both ends meet | live frugally | They had to make both ends meet after losing their jobs. |
| Make good | fulfil a promise | He promised to make good on his word and return the borrowed money. |
| Maiden speech | first public address | The newly elected representative gave her maiden speech at the town hall. |
| Man of letters | a writer | The Nobel laureate was not just a scientist but also a man of letters. |
| Man of straw | an insignificant person | The small-time crook was a man of straw compared to the big-time criminals. |
| Moot point | an irrelevant matter | Whether or not to have dessert after dinner is a moot point when you’re on a diet. |
| Make up one’s mind | come to a decision | She couldn’t make up her mind about which dress to wear to the party. |
| Man in the street | the average person | The politician’s speech was meant to appeal to the man in the street rather than the elite. |
| More or less | approximately, not exact | The cake recipe called for two cups of sugar, but I used more or less depending on my taste. |
| Make bold | to take a risk or do something courageous | He made bold to propose to his girlfriend in front of a large crowd. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘N’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Now and then | infrequently | I only indulge in sweets now and then, as I am trying to eat healthier. |
| Null and void | having no legal or binding effect | The contract became null and void when one of the parties breached the terms. |
| Narrow escape | a close call or lucky avoidance of danger | I had a narrow escape from a car accident yesterday. |
| Nip in the bud | to stop something at an early stage | The company nipped the security breach in the bud before any sensitive information was compromised. |
| Now or never | urgent and decisive action must be taken | It’s now or never to apply for the dream job before the deadline passes. |
| Near at hand | close or imminent | The deadline for the project is near at hand and we need to speed up the work. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘O’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Of late | recently or lately | Of late, I have been experiencing a lack of motivation towards my work. |
| Of course | expressing agreement or certainty | Of course, I will attend your graduation ceremony. |
| Off and on | intermittently or irregularly | I have been practising yoga off and on for the past year. |
| On the brink of | on the edge of a significant change or event | The company is on the brink of bankruptcy due to the economic downturn. |
| On the contrary | expressing the opposite view or opinion | I do not agree with your assessment. On the contrary, I think the project was a huge success. |
| On the eve of | just before a significant event or occasion | The city was buzzing with excitement on the eve of the New Year’s celebration. |
| On the wane | decreasing or declining | The popularity of the singer is on the wane after the release of their latest album. |
| On the whole | considering all aspects or factors | On the whole, I think the team did well in the competition. |
| Out of date | outdated or old-fashioned | The fashion trend from last year is now out of date. |
| Out of doors | outside or in the open air | We decided to have a picnic out of doors to enjoy the beautiful weather. |
| Out of sorts | feeling unwell or not oneself | I am feeling out of sorts today and may need to take a sick day. |
| Out of order | not functioning or broken | The elevator is out of order and we need to take the stairs. |
| Out of temper | in a bad mood or irritable | The boss was out of his temper today due to the delays in the project. |
| Out of the wood | no longer in a difficult or dangerous situation | The patient is out of the woods and is expected to make a full recovery. |
| Out and out | completely or thoroughly | The team played an out and out aggressive game. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘P’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Palmy days | a period of prosperity and success | The company enjoyed its palmy days during the economic boom of the early 2000s. |
| Part and parcel | an essential and inseparable part of something | Long working hours are part and parcel of the job. |
| Pros and cons | the advantages and disadvantages of a situation | Before making a decision, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of the options. |
| Pick a quarrel | intentionally start an argument or fight | I could tell he was trying to pick a quarrel with me, but I refused to engage. |
| Plain sailing | easy or smooth going | The project was plain sailing, thanks to the efficient team management. |
| Play ducks and drakes | waste or squander something valuable | Don’t play ducks and drakes with your money if you want to save for a secure future. |
| Play a double game | to engage in deceitful behaviour or to have conflicting loyalties | He was playing a double game by pretending to be friends with both sides in the political dispute. |
| Play hide and seek | avoid | The suspect is playing hide and seek with the police. |
| Point-blank | directly | I asked him point-blank if he was cheating on me and he didn’t deny it. |
| Provide for a rainy day | to prepare for unforeseen circumstances | It’s always a good idea to save money and provide for a rainy day in case of unexpected expenses. |
| Pure and simple | plain and straightforward | His answer was a lie, pure and simple, and he got caught. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘R’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Rank and file | ordinary members | The management should listen to the opinions of the rank and file of the company. |
| Red-tape | excessive bureaucracy | The red tape in the government system is causing delays in the implementation of policies. |
| Red-letter day | special occasion | Winning the championship was a red-letter day for the team. |
| Red-handed | caught in the act | The robbers were caught red-handed by the police. |
| Root and branch | completely eradicate | The government needs to uproot corruption root and branch from the country. |
| Right and left | in all directions | The storm was blowing things right and left, causing a lot of damage. |
| Run into debt | accumulate debt | He kept spending money on unnecessary things and ran into debt. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘S’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Salt of the earth | a good and honest person | My grandfather was the salt of the earth, always helping others in need. |
| Set free | release from captivity | The animal was set free into the wild after rehabilitation. |
| Silver lining | a positive aspect in a negative situation | a positive aspect of a negative situation |
| Slowcoach | someone who is slow to act | He was a slow coach in submitting his assignment and got a low grade. |
| Small fry | unimportant or insignificant people | He dismissed the criticism of small fry who didn’t understand the complexities of the issue. |
| Smell a rat | sense something suspicious | I smell a rat in his story about why he was late for the meeting. |
| Slip of the pen | an unintentional mistake in writing | The writer made a slip of the pen, misspelling the name of the protagonist. |
| Slip of the tongue | an unintentional mistake in speaking | She made a slip of the tongue, accidentally revealing the surprise party. |
| Square deal | fair and honest treatment | The company offered a square deal to all its employees, ensuring equal opportunities and fair wages. |
| Square meal | a substantial and satisfying meal | After a long day of work, he enjoyed a square meal of steak and potatoes. |
| Stand in the way of | obstruct or hinder | Procrastination can stand in the way of achieving success. |
| Steer clear of | avoiding or keeping away from | To maintain good health, it’s important to steer clear of junk food. |
| Stone’s throw | a short distance away | The grocery store was just a stone’s throw from his apartment. |
| Storm in a teacup | an overreaction to a small issue | The argument was just a storm in a teacup, and they soon made up. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘T’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Take heart | to gain confidence | After a string of rejections, he took heart and continued to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. |
| Take to heart | to take something personally | She took his criticism of her artwork to heart and felt discouraged. |
| Take to one’s heels | to flee quickly | The children took to their heels when they saw the neighbourhood dog chasing them. |
| Take place | to occur | The meeting is scheduled to take place next Tuesday. |
| Take into account | to consider as important | When planning a vacation, it’s important to take into account the budget and time available. |
| Three R’s | basic literacy skills | Many schools in underdeveloped countries focus on teaching the three R’s. |
| To and fro | back and forth | She paced to and fro in her office, trying to come up with a solution to the problem. |
| Take to task | to criticize or reprimand | The boss took the employee to task for consistently arriving late to work. |
| Tooth and nail | strongly/ with fiercely | The protesters fought tooth and nail against the government’s decision. |
| Through thick and thin | to remain loyal through all difficulties | My best friend has always stood by me through thick and thin. |
| To a T | perfectly | This job suits him to a T. |
| To the backbone | completely | She is a feminist to the backbone and fights for women’s rights. |
| To the letter | precisely | The chef followed the recipe to the letter to ensure that the dish was perfect. |
| To the contrary | to express the opposite opinion | Despite what many people believe, to the contrary, cats can be trained. |
| Turn down | to reject | The company had to turn down several applicants due to a lack of experience. |
| Turning point | a critical moment | Graduating from college was a turning point in her life, as it marked the beginning of her career. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘U’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Under the thumb | to be controlled by someone | She realized that she was under the thumb of her overbearing boss. |
| Up and doing | to be active and energetic | If you want to succeed in life, you must be up and doing. |
| Ups and downs | the highs and lows of life | Marriage is a journey with its ups and downs. |
| Under age | not yet of legal age | He couldn’t join the army because he was still under age. |
| Under lock and key | to be securely locked away | The jewelry was kept under lock and key in a safe. |
| Under consideration | to be reviewed or evaluated | The proposal is still under consideration by the board of directors. |
| Under the circumstances | considering the situation | Under the circumstances, it’s best to postpone the event. |
| Under one’s nose | happening in front of someone without their knowledge | The thief stole the purse right under the woman’s nose. |
| Up and down | hither and thither | The waves of the ocean were moving up and down. |
| Up-to-date | current and modern | It’s important to keep your skills up-to-date in today’s rapidly changing job market. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘V’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Vexed question | a complex and much-debated issue | Climate change remains a vexed question among policymakers. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘W’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Wild goose chase | an unsuccessful pursuit | Searching for the lost ring in the park proved to be a wild goose chase. |
| White elephant | an expensive and unprofitable possession | The luxurious yacht he bought turned out to be a white elephant. |
| Weal and woe | both joy and sorrow in life | The couple had experienced their fair share of weal and woe during their long marriage. |
| Widow’s mite | a small but meaningful contribution | The donation of a single dollar may seem small, but it can be a widow’s mite to someone in need. |
| With an eye | with a specific goal in mind | He invested his money with an eye towards retirement. |
| With a grain of salt | to be cautious and skeptical | to be cautious and sceptical |
| With a view to | with the intention of | She enrolled in college with a view to pursuing a career in medicine. |
| Without rhyme or reason | with no apparent cause or explanation | The sudden decision to cancel the event was without rhyme or reason. |
| Why and wherefore | the reasons or explanations behind something | The detective was determined to uncover the why and wherefore of the crime. |
| Well and good | satisfactory and acceptable | It’s well and good that you want to help, but we need a more concrete plan. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘Y’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Yeoman’s service | diligent and valuable work | The volunteer organization provided yeoman’s service to the community after the natural disaster. |
Common Idioms Start With ‘Z’
| IDIOMS | MEANINGS | EXAMPLES |
| Zenith of power | the peak of one’s authority or influence | The president’s approval ratings were at the zenith of power after his successful foreign policy initiative. |
More Common Idioms Coming Soon…………
Also, Read
Types of Sentences
Subject Verb Agreement
Parts of Speech
