Idioms and Phrases with Meanings and Examples Pdf!
Idioms appear in all languages and speakers use them to communicate ideas clearly and effectively. Here is a list of 50 useful idioms and phrases with meaning and examples, also download a pdf from the bottom.
Idioms and Phrases with Meanings and Examples PDF Infographics – 1
Idioms with Meaning and Examples
1. Go to the dogs | to become worse | After the death of his partner, their business went to the dogs. |
2. Go to the wall/Be driven to the wall/Be pushed to the wall | to go bankrupt | Their business went to the wall due to bad management. |
3. Go too far | carry/take something too far carry/ take something to extremes (say too much about something) | |
4. Go up in smoke | be destroyed | Her dreams of becoming a doctor went up in smoke when she Could not get admission to a medical college. |
5. Go without saying | used to mean that something is obvious | It goes without saying that you will be paid for the extra hours you work. |
6. Go/get oft/get away or escape scot-free /get off scot-free | to avoid the punishment of doing something that deserves punishment | Criminals such as these can be allowed to get away scot-free. |
7. Go/Run to seed | to stop looking healthy | He is not yet fifty, but the government seems to be going to seed. |
8. Golden age | a period of success | The Muslims remember the golden age of their forefathers. |
9. Golden opportunity | a very good chance to do or achieve something | Wise men avail themselves of golden opportunities. |
10. Good-for-nothing | someone who is lazy and never does anything useful | Decent should get rid of those departments which are good-for-nothing. |
11. Green horn | one who lacks experience | This man can easily be tricked as he is a green horn. |
12. Hair-breath escape/narrow escape/close call/close shave | just to avoid danger | John had a narrow escape from being drowned. |
13. Hand in glove with | closely linked with someone, especially in a bad or illegal activity | They suspect that some of the policemen are hand in glove with the robbers. |
14. Hard and fast | fixed and not able to be changed | We will have to follow the hard and fast rules of this office. |
15. Hard up | not having enough money | We were too hard up to buy new clothes. |
16. Hard/tough nut to crack | a difficult problem or situation | To win the race will be a tough nut to crack. |
17. Harp on something/ Harp on the same string | talk too much about something | I am tired of hearing his harp on the same string. |
18. Have a bee in your bonnet | to think or talk about sth all the time | Joe has got a bee in his bonnet about saving money. |
19. Have a finger in every pie many pies | to meddle in every matter | America likes to have a finger in every pie of the world. |
20. Have a hand in | to influence or be involved in something | I suspect John had a hand in this plot. |
21. Have a soft spot/corner for | to feel a lot of affection for | She has always had a spot for her younger brother. |
22. Have an axe to grind | to have an opinion or aim that you want other people to accept or consider | I have no political axe to grind. |
23. Have an iron / strong will / have a will of iron | to have an extremely strong character | Our team has an iron will to win the match. |
24. Have something at one’s fingertips | be completely familiar with something | This teacher has all the rules of grammar at his fingertips. |
25. Have too many/several irons in the fire | to be involved in several different activities or have several plans | If you have several irons, in the fire, you can focus on none. |
26. Have/with one’s back to the wall | be in a difficult situation | My back to the wall, I had to accept his proposal. |
27. Head and shoulders above the rest/others | be much better at something than everyone else | Joe would be the next chairman of this office as he is head and shoulders above the others. |
28. Heart and soul | completely | She loves her son heart and soul. |
29. High and mighty | proud | Nobody likes him as he always tries to be high and mighty. |
30. High horse | the attitude of stubborn arrogance | Do not ride the high horse and admit that you are wrong. |
31. Hobson’s choice | a situation in which there is only one thing you can do | It is Hobson’s choice for you to obey your boss. |
32. Hold / Stand one’s ground/ hold one’s own | to defend yourself, or to succeed in a difficult situation | Although he is new in this race, he seems to be holding his ground. |
33. Hold good / hold true | be true or valid | This advice will hold good throughout your life. |
34. Hold in contempt | hate | Joe has never held anyone in contempt |
35. Hold no brief for | to not support or be in favor of | You should hold no brief for this criminal. |
36. Hold one’s head high/up | to be very confident and proud | Those who do noble deeds can hold their heads high |
37. Hold one’s tongue | to angrily tell someone to stop speaking | Hold your tongue and do not abuse him like that. |
38. Hold water | seem to be true or reasonable | His excuse for coming a did not seem to hold water. |
39. Hope against hope | to continue to hope for something even when it is unlikely to happen | Saleh waited all day, hoping against hope that Liza would come to him. |
Also, Check this list of Proverbs
40. Hue and cry | a great noise | There was a great hue and cry in the a |
41. Ignorant of | uninformed, unaware | We must not be ignorant of our activates. |
42. In a bad way | in a poor state | Do not buy this house as it is in a bad way. |
43. In a bad way | m a poor state | Do not buy this house as it is in a bad way |
44. In a fix | be in difficulties | She was in a fix after the death of her husband. |
45. In a fix | be in difficulties | She was in a fix after the death of her husband. |
46. In a nutshell | in a short, clear way | To put it in a nutshell, the show was very exciting. |
47. In a nutshell | in a short, clear way | To put it in a nutshell, the show was very exciting. |
48. In addition to | as well as | John writes books in addition to teaching |
Infographics (Idioms and Phrases with Meanings and Examples PDF)
Idioms and Phrases with Meanings and Examples PDF