COMMON IDIOMS AND PHRASES IN ENGLISH: 500 EXAMPLES WITH MEANINGS FOR STUDENTS

Common idioms and phrases in English play a vital role in improving language skills for students and competitive exam aspirants. Understanding these expressions helps in better reading comprehension, writing accuracy, and spoken fluency. This article provides clear explanations, exam-oriented tips, and 500 commonly used idioms and phrases in English.

INTRODUCTION: COMMON IDIOMS AND PHRASES IN ENGLISH

Common idioms and phrases in English are expressions whose meanings are different from the literal meanings of the individual words. These expressions are widely used in newspapers, books, exams, interviews, and daily communication. For students preparing for competitive examinations, mastering common idioms and phrases in English improves vocabulary, comprehension, and sentence interpretation skills.

WHY COMMON IDIOMS AND PHRASES IN ENGLISH ARE IMPORTANT FOR EXAMS

Idioms and phrases are frequently asked in:
• SSC, Banking, UPSC, Group Exams
• English comprehension passages
• Error correction and sentence improvement
• Essay and letter writing
• Interviews and spoken English tests

IMPORTANT TIPS FOR STUDENTS AND EXAM CANDIDATES

Learn idioms with meanings and usage, not just by memorization
Practice idioms through previous year question papers
Focus on commonly used idioms in newspapers and editorials
Avoid using idioms incorrectly in formal writing
Revise idioms regularly to improve retention
Understand context before using an idiom in a sentence

500 COMMON IDIOMS AND PHRASES IN ENGLISH WITH MEANINGS

A blessing in disguise – A good thing that seemed bad at first
A dime a dozen – Very common
Beat around the bush – Avoid the main topic
Better late than never – Better to do something late than not at all
Bite the bullet – Face a difficult situation
Break the ice – Start a conversation
Burn the midnight oil – Work late at night
Call it a day – Stop working
Cut corners – Do something cheaply
Cry over spilled milk – Worry about the past
Hit the nail on the head – Say something correctly
In hot water – In trouble
Jump the gun – Act too soon
Keep an eye on – Watch carefully
Let the cat out of the bag – Reveal a secret
Make ends meet – Manage expenses
Miss the boat – Miss an opportunity
Once in a blue moon – Very rarely
On cloud nine – Very happy
Piece of cake – Very easy
Pull someone’s leg – Joke with someone
Put all eggs in one basket – Risk everything on one plan
Read between the lines – Understand hidden meaning
Spill the beans – Reveal a secret
Take with a pinch of salt – Not fully believe
Under the weather – Feeling ill
Up in the air – Uncertain
Back to square one – Start again
By hook or by crook – By any means
Cost an arm and a leg – Very expensive
Face the music – Accept punishment
Get cold feet – Lose confidence
Go the extra mile – Put extra effort
Hang in there – Don’t give up
In the long run – Over time
Keep fingers crossed – Hope for the best
Leave no stone unturned – Try everything
Make a long story short – Summarize
On thin ice – In a risky situation
Throw in the towel – Give up
Turn a blind eye – Ignore
Walk on eggshells – Be very careful
A drop in the ocean – Very small amount
Bark up the wrong tree – Make a wrong assumption
Burn bridges – Destroy relationships
Catch red-handed – Caught in the act
Devil’s advocate – One who argues for the opposite
Hit the sack – Go to sleep
In black and white – In writing
Keep the ball rolling – Continue progress
Make hay while the sun shines – Use opportunity
Off the hook – Free from responsibility
Out of the blue – Unexpectedly
Pass the buck – Shift responsibility
Play it safe – Avoid risk
Ring a bell – Sound familiar
See eye to eye – Agree
Sit on the fence – Avoid decision
Take the bull by the horns – Act boldly
The ball is in your court – Your responsibility
Through thick and thin – In all situations
To add fuel to the fire – Make worse
Turn over a new leaf – Start fresh
Weather the storm – Survive difficulty
Wrap one’s head around – Understand
At the drop of a hat – Immediately
Back against the wall – No options left
Bend over backwards – Make extra effort
Bite off more than you can chew – Take too much
Break the bank – Spend too much
Call a spade a spade – Speak truthfully
Cut to the chase – Get to the point
Down in the dumps – Feeling sad
Go with the flow – Accept things
In a nutshell – Briefly
Keep one’s cool – Stay calm
On the same page – Agree
Pull out all the stops – Make full effort
Run out of steam – Lose energy
Speak of the devil – Person appears suddenly
Take it with a grain of salt – Doubt information
The tip of the iceberg – Small visible part
Throw cold water – Discourage
Tie the knot – Get married
Under one’s nose – Very obvious
When pigs fly – Never
At sixes and sevens – In confusion
Burn the candle at both ends – Overwork
Cross that bridge when we come to it – Deal later
Fish out of water – Uncomfortable
Give the benefit of doubt – Trust without proof
Go down in flames – Fail badly
Hit the road – Start journey
In the same boat – Same situation
Keep one’s word – Keep promise
Let sleeping dogs lie – Avoid trouble
Make waves – Cause trouble
No pain, no gain – Effort required
On the dot – Exactly on time
Play with fire – Take risk

Below are ADDITIONAL 400 COMMON IDIOMS AND PHRASES IN ENGLISH WITH MEANINGS

A chip on one’s shoulder – Feeling offended easily
A leopard cannot change its spots – People do not change
A storm in a teacup – Small issue made big
Ace up one’s sleeve – Hidden advantage
Add insult to injury – Make a bad situation worse
All ears – Listening attentively
All thumbs – Clumsy
At arm’s length – Keep distance
At one’s wits’ end – Very confused
Back in the saddle – Resume work
Backseat driver – Someone who gives unwanted advice
Ballpark figure – Rough estimate
Bang for the buck – Value for money
Bark is worse than bite – Sounds worse than reality
Beat a dead horse – Waste effort
Below the belt – Unfair
Bend the rules – Break rules slightly
Big fish – Important person
Birds of a feather – Similar people
Blow one’s cover – Reveal identity
Bone of contention – Cause of dispute
Bread and butter – Main source of income
Bring home the bacon – Earn money
Bury the hatchet – End a conflict
By the book – Follow rules strictly
Call the shots – Be in control
Carry weight – Be influential
Cast in stone – Fixed
Chew the fat – Chat casually
Clear the air – Remove tension
Close call – Narrow escape
Cold shoulder – Ignore someone
Come rain or shine – No matter what
Crack the whip – Enforce discipline
Crocodile tears – Fake sadness
Dark horse – Unexpected winner
Dead end – No future progress
Devil is in the details – Small details matter
Dig one’s heels in – Refuse to change
Do or die – Critical situation
Dog-eat-dog – Highly competitive
Don’t rock the boat – Avoid trouble
Down the line – In the future
Drop the ball – Make a mistake
Easier said than done – Hard to do
Eat humble pie – Admit mistake
Every cloud has a silver lining – Hope in bad times
Face value – Accept as it appears
Fair and square – Honestly
Fall flat – Fail
Feather in one’s cap – Achievement
Few and far between – Rare
Fill in someone’s shoes – Replace someone
Fishy – Suspicious
Fly off the handle – Get angry
Foot the bill – Pay expenses
For the birds – Useless
From scratch – From the beginning
Get the picture – Understand
Get wind of – Hear a rumor
Give someone a hand – Help
Go bananas – Go crazy
Go for broke – Risk everything
Go out on a limb – Take risk
Go to the dogs – Deteriorate
Golden handshake – Retirement payment
Grease someone’s palm – Bribe
Hand in glove – Closely connected
Have a sweet tooth – Love sweets
Have second thoughts – Reconsider
Head over heels – Deeply in love
Hear it on the grapevine – Hear a rumor
Hold one’s horses – Wait
In a fix – In trouble
In deep water – Serious trouble
In no time – Quickly
In stitches – Laughing hard
Iron out – Resolve
Jump on the bandwagon – Follow trend
Keep at bay – Keep away
Keep the wolf from the door – Earn livelihood
Kill two birds with one stone – Do two things at once
Last straw – Final irritation
Lay down the law – Give strict rules
Learn the ropes – Learn basics
Like a fish out of water – Uncomfortable
Live hand to mouth – Poor income
Look down one’s nose – Disrespect
Lose heart – Become discouraged
Make a beeline – Go directly
Make a clean sweep – Win everything
Make a mountain out of a molehill – Exaggerate
Make headway – Make progress
Make no bones about – Speak openly
Make short work – Finish quickly
Move heaven and earth – Try hard
Neck and neck – Equal position
No love lost – Dislike
Not one’s cup of tea – Not interesting
On the back burner – Postponed
On the fence – Undecided
On the warpath – Angry
Out of hand – Uncontrolled
Out of the woods – Safe now
Over the moon – Very happy
Paddle one’s own canoe – Be independent
Pay through the nose – Pay too much
Pick holes – Criticize
Plain sailing – Easy
Play second fiddle – Be less important
Pull strings – Use influence
Put one’s foot down – Be firm
Put the cart before the horse – Wrong order
Rain on someone’s parade – Spoil plans
Rise to the occasion – Perform well
Rock the cradle – Influence from behind
Rule of thumb – General rule
Run the show – Control
Salt of the earth – Good person
Save one’s skin – Escape danger
See the light – Understand
Sell like hotcakes – Sell quickly
Set the record straight – Correct mistakes
Shake a leg – Hurry
Shoot from the hip – Speak without thinking
Show one’s true colors – Reveal character
Sink or swim – Succeed or fail
Smell a rat – Suspect something
Snowed under – Overloaded with work
Square peg in a round hole – Misfit
Steal the show – Get most attention
Stick to one’s guns – Stay firm
Strike while the iron is hot – Act at right time
Sweep under the rug – Hide issue
Take a back seat – Be less active
Take someone for a ride – Cheat
Take the plunge – Decide boldly
Talk turkey – Speak seriously
Test the waters – Try cautiously
That rings a bell – Sounds familiar
The writing on the wall – Clear warning
Think outside the box – Be creative
Throw weight around – Use power unfairly
Tickled pink – Very happy
Tighten one’s belt – Reduce spending
Time is ripe – Right moment
Toe the line – Follow rules
Tongue-in-cheek – Not serious
Turn the tables – Reverse situation
Under one’s thumb – Controlled
Up to scratch – Acceptable
Use one’s head – Think carefully
Wet behind the ears – Inexperienced
Whole nine yards – Everything
Wild goose chase – Useless search
With flying colors – Very successfully
Word of mouth – Spoken information
Work one’s fingers to the bone – Work very hard
Yellow-bellied – Cowardly
Zero in on – Focus
At loggerheads – In conflict
At stake – At risk
At the eleventh hour – Last moment
Beat the clock – Finish on time
Blow hot and cold – Be inconsistent
By leaps and bounds – Rapidly
Cut no ice – No effect
Draw the line – Set limit
Fall in line – Agree
Fly in the face of – Go against
Get a grip – Control emotions
Go belly up – Fail completely
Go cold turkey – Stop suddenly
Have butterflies – Feel nervous
Hit below the belt – Act unfairly
In full swing – Fully active
In the limelight – Get attention
Jump the queue – Break order
Keep mum – Stay silent
Leave someone high and dry – Abandon
Make a killing – Earn a lot
Not playing with a full deck – Not smart
On the ropes – Near defeat
Out of the frying pan – From bad to worse
Play hardball – Act tough
Pull the plug – Stop something
Put two and two together – Deduce
Read the room – Understand situation
Run in the family – Hereditary
Speak volumes – Say a lot indirectly
Take stock – Review
Through the roof – Extremely high
Turn the corner – Improve
Under the gun – Under pressure
Wash one’s hands – Avoid responsibility
With open arms – Welcome warmly
At cross purposes – Misunderstand
Burn rubber – Drive fast
Call it quits – Stop
Come clean – Confess
Cut loose – Relax
Down to earth – Practical
Feel blue – Feel sad
Get a handle on – Understand
Go off the rails – Lose control
Hang by a thread – In danger
Keep one’s nose clean – Stay out of trouble
Let off steam – Release stress
Make a splash – Attract attention
No strings attached – No conditions
On edge – Nervous
Out of pocket – Lose money
Pull rank – Use authority
Ride out – Survive
Set one’s sights on – Aim
Stick out like a sore thumb – Very noticeable
Take a rain check – Postpone
The last laugh – Final victory
Throw caution to the wind – Take risk
Under one’s belt – Experience
Water under the bridge – Past issue
Wear many hats – Do many roles
With bated breath – Anxiously
You name it – Anything
Zip one’s lip – Keep quiet
All hands on deck – Everyone help
Bite the dust – Fail or die
Break even – No profit no loss
Close shave – Narrow escape
Come hell or high water – No matter what
Cut the mustard – Meet standards
Down to the wire – Last moment
Face the facts – Accept reality
Get the ball rolling – Start
In the nick of time – Just in time
Keep the faith – Stay hopeful
Lose one’s touch – Lose skill
Make amends – Correct mistake
No room to swing a cat – Very small space
On a roll – Continuous success
Pull the wool over eyes – Deceive
Read someone like a book – Understand well
Rest on laurels – Be satisfied with past success
Sink one’s teeth into – Get involved
Take center stage – Get attention
The die is cast – Decision made
Turn one’s back – Ignore
Under one’s breath – Quietly
Wear one’s heart on sleeve – Show emotions
Work like a charm – Work perfectly
A penny for your thoughts – What are you thinking
Against the clock – Under time pressure
Burn the boat – Commit fully
Call someone’s bluff – Challenge
Cut and dried – Already decided
Draw a blank – Fail to remember
Get off scot-free – Escape punishment
Have a field day – Enjoy greatly
In cold blood – Cruelly
Keep one’s chin up – Stay positive
Leave no room for doubt – Be clear
Make a comeback – Return to success
Not up to the mark – Below standard
On cloud seven – Very happy
Out of the question – Impossible
Play by ear – Improvise
Put one’s money where mouth is – Act on words
Rule the roost – Be in charge
Stand one’s ground – Stay firm
Take the lead – Lead
The bottom line – Final result
Think on one’s feet – Think quickly
Under wraps – Secret
Walk the talk – Do what you say
Work against time – Hurry
A far cry – Very different
Back to the drawing board – Start again
Break new ground – Innovate
Close to home – Personally relevant
Come to terms – Accept
Cut to size – Humble someone
Down and out – Poor
Get a word in – Speak briefly
Hold water – Be valid
In black – Profitable
Jump ship – Leave suddenly
Keep tabs on – Monitor
Lose face – Be embarrassed
Make light of – Treat lightly
No stone left unturned – Try all
On the spot – Immediately
Out of sight – Forgotten
Put in a nutshell – Summarize
Run a tight ship – Be strict
Stick one’s neck out – Take risk
Take it easy – Relax
The whole ball of wax – Everything
Turn heads – Attract attention
Up to the mark – Satisfactory
Worth one’s salt – Competent

CONCLUSION: Common idioms and phrases in English

Common idioms and phrases in English are essential for mastering the language and scoring well in competitive examinations. Regular practice of common idioms and phrases in English improves comprehension, writing quality, and spoken confidence. Students who understand meanings and correct usage can easily handle exam questions and real-life communication.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS on Common idioms and phrases in English

FAQ 1: Why are common idioms and phrases in English important for exams
Common idioms and phrases in English are often used in comprehension passages, error correction, and vocabulary questions in competitive exams.

FAQ 2: How can students memorize common idioms and phrases in English easily
Students should learn idioms with meanings, use them in sentences, revise regularly, and practice through mock tests.

FAQ 3: Can idioms be used in formal writing
Idioms should be used carefully. They are suitable for essays and articles but should be avoided in very formal or official documents.

DISCLAIMER on Common idioms and phrases in English

This article on common idioms and phrases in English is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Meanings may vary slightly based on context and usage.

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