40 common English idioms and what they mean
Learn 40 common English idioms about feelings, time, money, work and the weather, with meanings, examples and advice on when to use them.
In this lesson
An idiom is a fixed group of words with a meaning you cannot guess from the individual words. For example, under the weather means slightly ill. This lesson explains 40 common English idioms about feelings, time, money, work and the weather, with meanings, examples and advice on when to use them.
Key point
Learn each idiom as a fixed phrase with its meaning, an example and its level of formality. Most idioms are informal, so use them in conversation and friendly messages, not in formal essays or reports.
What is an idiom?
An idiom is a phrase whose meaning is different from the meanings of its words. If someone says it cost an arm and a leg, nobody lost an arm or a leg: the thing was simply very expensive. You cannot translate an idiom word for word into your own language, so you need to learn the whole phrase and its meaning together.
idiom noun B2
A group of words with a special meaning that is different from the meanings of the single words.
Over the moon is an idiom that means very happy.
Idioms are very common in everyday conversation, films, songs and newspaper headlines. Using a few of them correctly makes your English sound natural and friendly. Some common phrasal verbs, such as give up and put up with, also have idiomatic meanings. You can read the Cambridge Dictionary definition of an idiom for more examples.
How do you use idioms correctly?
Keep the key words fixed
You usually cannot change the main words of an idiom or their order. If you change them, the idiom stops making sense to a native speaker.
Common mistake
It’s raining dogs and cats. → It’s raining cats and dogs.
That phone cost a hand and a leg. → That phone cost an arm and a leg.
Change the tense and the pronoun when you need to
The verb in an idiom changes with the tense, and words such as your change to match the person.
Examples
- I was over the moon when I heard the news.
- She lost her temper with the taxi driver.
- Everyone in the team must pull their weight.
Think about formality
Some idioms, such as in the long run and make ends meet, are neutral and safe in most situations. Others, such as a rip-off and down in the dumps, are informal. Use informal idioms with friends and family, and choose plain words in formal emails, essays and reports.
Tip
Do not fill every sentence with idioms. One well-chosen idiom in a conversation sounds natural; five in a row sound strange. If you are not sure what an idiom means, use simple words instead.
Idioms about feelings
Use these idioms to say how you or other people feel.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| over the moon | Very happy. | She was over the moon when she passed her driving test. | Informal. Great for good news you share with friends and family. |
| on cloud nine | Extremely happy. | He has been on cloud nine since his daughter was born. | Informal. Use it in conversation, not in formal writing. |
| down in the dumps | Sad and without energy. | You look a bit down in the dumps. What’s wrong? | Informal. Use it with people you know well. |
| on edge | Nervous and unable to relax. | Everyone was on edge while we waited for the exam results. | Neutral. Safe in speech and in most writing. |
| a bundle of nerves | A very nervous person. | I was a bundle of nerves before my job interview. | Informal. Common when people talk about exams and interviews. |
| get cold feet | Suddenly become too nervous to do something you planned. | She planned to give a speech, but she got cold feet at the last minute. | Informal. Avoid it in formal reports. |
| lose your temper | Suddenly become very angry. | My father is a patient man and rarely loses his temper. | Neutral. Safe in almost any situation. |
| keep your chin up | Stay positive in a difficult situation. | Keep your chin up. You’ll do better next time. | Friendly and informal. Use it to encourage someone. |
Idioms about time
These idioms describe when things happen, how often they happen and how much time you have.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| in the nick of time | Just before it is too late. | We reached the station in the nick of time, just as the train was leaving. | Neutral. Common in stories and conversation. |
| once in a blue moon | Very rarely. | I eat fast food once in a blue moon. | Informal. Avoid it in academic essays. |
| call it a day | Stop working for the rest of the day. | We’ve been working for ten hours. Let’s call it a day. | Informal but polite. Very common at work. |
| better late than never | It is better to do something late than not to do it at all. | You’ve finally answered my email? Well, better late than never! | Friendly or joking. Avoid it if you were late and the other person is annoyed. |
| around the corner | Coming very soon. | The exams are just around the corner, so start revising now. | Neutral. Safe in speech and writing. |
| kill time | Do something to make time pass while you wait. | I read a magazine to kill time at the airport. | Informal. Use it in conversation. |
| against the clock | As fast as possible, because there is very little time. | The builders are working against the clock to finish the bridge before the rains. | Neutral. Common in news reports. |
| in the long run | Over a long period of time in the future. | Learning English takes time, but it will help you in the long run. | Neutral. Good in essays and formal speech. |
Idioms about money
People love to talk about prices, saving and spending, so money idioms are very common.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| cost an arm and a leg | Be very expensive. | That new phone cost an arm and a leg. | Informal. Avoid it in formal writing. |
| tighten your belt | Spend less money than before. | Prices are rising, so we all need to tighten our belts. | Neutral. Also used in news about the economy. |
| save for a rainy day | Keep money for a time when you might need it. | My grandmother always told me to save some money for a rainy day. | Neutral. Common advice from parents and grandparents. |
| make ends meet | Have just enough money to pay for the things you need. | Many families work two jobs just to make ends meet. | Neutral. Safe in essays and news. |
| a rip-off | Something that costs much more than it should. | Two thousand rupees for a cup of tea? What a rip-off! | Very informal and strong. Avoid it in polite or formal situations. |
| break the bank | Cost more than you can afford. | A weekend in Nuwara Eliya won’t break the bank. | Informal. Usually used in negative sentences. |
| money doesn’t grow on trees | Money is limited, so you should not waste it. | Turn off the lights when you leave. Money doesn’t grow on trees! | Informal. It can sound like a lecture, so use it carefully with adults. |
| pay through the nose | Pay much too much for something. | We paid through the nose for our concert tickets. | Informal. Use it in conversation. |
Idioms about work
You will hear these idioms in offices, meetings and job interviews. To learn the names of different jobs, see our lesson on jobs and occupations in English.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| learn the ropes | Learn how to do a new job or activity. | It took me a month to learn the ropes at my new job. | Neutral. Safe at work. |
| pull your weight | Do your fair share of the work. | Everyone in the team needs to pull their weight. | Neutral, but saying someone is not pulling their weight is a criticism. |
| get the sack | Lose your job because your employer tells you to leave. | He got the sack for arriving late every day. | Informal and British. In formal writing, say be dismissed. |
| back to the drawing board | Start again because a plan has failed. | The client didn’t like our design, so it’s back to the drawing board. | Neutral. Common in meetings. |
| burn the midnight oil | Work or study late into the night. | She burnt the midnight oil to finish her report on time. | Neutral. Common in speech and writing. |
| think outside the box | Think in a new and creative way. | We need to think outside the box to attract more customers. | Common in business, but some people think it is overused. |
| on the same page | Agreeing about or understanding something in the same way. | Before we start, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page. | Neutral. Very common in meetings and work emails. |
| get the ball rolling | Start an activity or a process. | Let’s get the ball rolling with a quick introduction from everyone. | Neutral. Common at the start of meetings. |
Idioms about weather and nature
English speakers talk about the weather a lot, so many idioms come from rain, storms, clouds and trees. For the basic words, see our lesson on weather words in English.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| under the weather | Slightly ill. | I’m feeling a bit under the weather today, so I’ll stay at home. | Neutral and polite. Safe to use at work. |
| a storm in a teacup | A lot of anger or worry about something unimportant. | Don’t worry about their argument. It’s just a storm in a teacup. | British. American English says a tempest in a teapot. |
| break the ice | Say or do something to help people relax when they first meet. | Our teacher played a short game to break the ice on the first day. | Neutral. Safe in speech and writing. |
| it’s raining cats and dogs | It is raining very heavily. | Take an umbrella. It’s raining cats and dogs! | Informal and a little old-fashioned. Many people simply say it’s pouring. |
| every cloud has a silver lining | There is something good in every bad situation. | I missed the bus, but every cloud has a silver lining: I met an old friend at the bus stop. | Use it to comfort someone, but avoid it right after very bad news. |
| steal someone’s thunder | Take the attention or praise that someone else should get. | He stole my thunder by announcing the good news before I could. | Neutral. Use it in conversation and stories. |
| the calm before the storm | A quiet period just before trouble or a lot of activity. | The office is quiet now, but it’s the calm before the storm. | Neutral. Common in stories and news. |
| not see the wood for the trees | Be unable to see the main point because you look too closely at small details. | He worries so much about small details that he can’t see the wood for the trees. | British. American English says forest instead of wood. |
Note
Some idioms are different in British and American English. British speakers say a storm in a teacup and can’t see the wood for the trees. American speakers say a tempest in a teapot and can’t see the forest for the trees. Get the sack is mainly British; Americans usually say get fired.
How can you practise English idioms?
Tip
Choose three idioms from this lesson each week. Write each one in a sentence about your own life, then try to use it in a real conversation or message. Notice when people use idioms in films, songs and news stories.
Idioms work best in natural conversation, so practise them together with everyday phrases from our lesson on basic greetings and expressions. To check the meaning and formality of any idiom, search for it in the Cambridge English Dictionary. All 40 idioms are also saved in our English Word Bank.
Summary
- An idiom is a fixed phrase whose meaning is different from the meanings of its words.
- Learn the meaning, an example and how formal each idiom is.
- Most idioms are informal: use them in conversation, not in formal essays or reports.
- Keep the key words fixed, but change the tense or the pronoun when you need to.
- Some idioms are different in British and American English.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an idiom and a phrasal verb?
An idiom is a fixed group of words with a meaning you cannot guess, such as a piece of cake. A phrasal verb is a verb plus a particle, such as give up. Many phrasal verbs are idiomatic, but many idioms do not contain a phrasal verb.
Can I use idioms in IELTS or other English exams?
In speaking tests, a few idioms used naturally and correctly can show a wide vocabulary. Avoid them in formal or academic writing, and never use an idiom if you are not sure what it means.
Can I change the words in an idiom?
Usually not. You can change the tense or the pronoun (she pulled her weight), but the key words stay the same. Say raining cats and dogs, not raining dogs and cats.
What is the best way to learn idioms?
Learn them in groups by topic and always with an example sentence. Try one new idiom in a real conversation each week, and notice when people use idioms in films and books.
Do native speakers really use idioms?
Yes, every day. Idioms such as under the weather, call it a day and make ends meet are very common, while it’s raining cats and dogs sounds old-fashioned to many people.
Practise this lesson
12 questions
