LIST OF IDIOMS WITH MEANINGS & SENTENCES
1. Fish out of water 3. In the fast lane 5. Put something on ice
2. To be out of your comfort zone. 4. A life filled with excitement. 6. To put something on hold.
7. At Sea 9. To be in the doldrums 11. Bed of roses
8. Confused 10. To be in a low spirit 12. Comfortable condition
13. Black sheep 15. Far and wide 17. Gala day
14. A person of bad character 16. Everywhere 18. Holiday
19. By fits and starts 21. By no means 23. Heart and soul
20. Irregularly 22. In no way 24. With all energy
25. Hold water 27. At a stretch 29. At random
26. Be effective 28. Without a break 30. Without any aim
31. Cats and dogs 33. Kith and kin 35. Cock and bull story
32. Heavily 34. Relative 36. Absurd story
37. Lion’s share 39. Face the music 41. Break the bank
38. Major part 40. Face the reality 42. To be very expensive
43. Like a cakewalk 45. Play by the ear 47. Snug as a bug in a rug
44. So easy task. 46. To improvise. 48. Warm and cosy.
49. Step up your game 51. Ring a bell 53. Cut to the chase
50. To start performing better 52. Sounds familiar 54. Getting to the important point
55. At the 11th Hour 57. Wild Goose Chase 59. Face the music
56. At the last moment. 58. Futile Chase 60. Confront the unpleasant consequences of
one’s actions.
61. Cut no ice 63. Take a rain check 65. Ignorance is bliss
62. Fail to make an impact 64. Postpone a plan. 66. You are better off not knowing some
things.
67. Lose your marbles 69. Crying Wolf 71. At stake
68. To go insane. 70. To ask for help when you don’t need 72. In danger
it.
73. Bad blood 75. In order to 77. In cold blood
74. Ill feeling 76. With the object of 78. Without provocation
79. In a nutshell 81. Man of letters 83. Null and void
80. Very briefly 82. A scholar 84. Invalid
85. By hook or by crook 87. Has bigger fish to fry 89. Look before you leap
86. By fear means or foul 88. Has more important work to do. 90. Calculate the risks before advancing
towards a possibility.
91. Call it a day 95. Be in a Tight Corner 99. To Bell the Cat
92. Stop working on something. 96. Being in a difficult situation. 100. To face a risk.
93. Turn a deaf ear 97. Through thick and thin 101. Pour out one’s heart
94. To ignore what someone is saying. 98. Through good and bad times 102. To express openly
103. At sixes and sevens 105. Beggar description 107. By leaps and bound
104. Scattered 106. Can’t be described 108. Very rapidly
109. Dead of night 111. End in smoke 113. On thin ice
110. Midnight 112. Fail 114. In a precarious or risky situation.
115. Moot point 117. Go the extra mile 119. Apple of discord
116. An undecided matter 118. To make an extra effort. 120. A matter of dispute
121. Bone of contention 123. Ins and outs 125. Man of straw
122. A matter of dispute 124. Full details 126. Worthless man
127. Go back to the drawing board 129. Bury the Hatchet 131. Hit the books
128. Start over. 130. Ending a quarrel to make peace. 132. Going to study
133. Big gun 135. Stab someone in the back 137. By all means
134. A leading man 136. To betray a close person 138. In all possible ways
139. A bolt from the blue 141. A Freudian slip 143. A costing vote:
140. His father's death was a bolt from 142. His Freudian slip during conversation 144. My opinion proved a casting vote.
the blue for him. revealed his ill nature.
145. A cat and dog 147. A brain wave 149. A good hand
146. The two brothers are leading a cat 148. I had a brain wave and the problem 150. He is a good hand at painting.
and dog life. was solved.
151. A herculean task 155. A house of cards 159. A hard nut to crack
152. It is a herculean task to pass the 156. Life is no more than a house of cards. 160. To persuade him is a hard nut to ack.
CSS examination. 157. A live wire 161. A man of iron will
153. A hard pill to swallow 158. Our Principal is a live wire. 162. The Quaid-e-Azam was a man of iron
will.
154. CSS examination proved a hard pill
to swallow for him.
163. A man of straw 165. A mare's nest 167. A puffed pipe
164. He is a man of straw and his wife 166. His discovery proved a mare's nest. 168. He is a puffed pipe these days.
leads him by the nose.
169. A red rag to the bull 171. A rolling stone 173. A rotten egg
170. My joke served as a red rag to the 172. He remained a rolling stone in his 174. A rotten egg spoils the whole flock.
bull and he got angry. whole life.
175. A square meal 177. A square peg in a round hole 179. A walk over
176. It is very difficult for the poor to 178. A typist, working as a clerk, is a square 180. The other team did not come and we got a
have even a square meal. peg in a round hole. walk over.
181. Account for: 183. Achilles' heel 185. After All
182. You must account for your 184. Excessive pride was achilles’ heel in 186. Do not abuse him, after all he is your
mistakes. him. brother.
187. Again and again 189. All at sea 191. All in all
188. It is not good to go there again and 190. Tue criminal was all at sea in the court. 192. Afridi is all in all in this office.
again.
193. All moon shine 195. An open secret 197. An axe to grind
194. His sympathy for the poor is all 196. Their love affair is an open secret. 198. He helps others' only when he has an axe
moon shine. to grind.
199. An eye wash 201. At a stretch 203. At a loss
200. His sympathy for the poor is an eye 202. Ahmad can work for ten hours at a 204. Ali is at a loss these days and does not
wash. stretch. know what to do.
205. At all 207. At hand 209. At arm's length
206. Do not go there at all. 208. His marriage is at hand and he looks 210. Always keep the bad boys at arm's length.
very happy.
211. At one's finger's end 213. At the risk of:- 215. At the top of
212. This poem is at my finger's end. 214. He saved the baby at the risk of his 216. His name was at the top of list.
own life.
217. To be in one's bad books: 219. To bear out: 221. Beneath one's dignity:
218. The work shirkers are in the bad 220. I shall bear out his honesty. 222. Such tactics are beneath your dignity.
books.
223. To bear the brunt of:- 225. Between the devil and the deep 227. By reason of
224. Our enemy could not bear the brunt 226. It is hard to choose between the devil 228. He got the job by reason of family
of our attack. and the deep sea. influence.
229. By virtue of:- 231. By way of joke 233. To blow hot and cold:
230. Imran got through the examination 232. I said it by way of joke. 234. Ali blows hot and cold in the same breath.
by virtue of hard work.
235. To blow one’s own trumpet:- 237. To the backbone: 239. To bring to light:
236. Wasif always blows his own 238. He is a rogue to the backbone. 240. The police will bring all the facts of
trumpet. murder to light.
241. To bring home to: 243. To burn the candle at both 245. Tb burn one’s fingers
242. I brought home to him the 244. He burnt the candle at both ends and 246. You will bum your fingers in this
importance of house tests. now he is repenting. business.
247. To call to mind 249. To call out: 251. To call up:
248. NOW, I cannot his name to mind. 250. The old lady called out for mercy. 252. You called me up at 8’o clock.
253. To carry the day 255. To cast pearl before swine 257. Castles in the air
254. Our soldiers carry the day in the war. 256. It is useless to cast pearl before swine. 258. Never build CASTLES in the air.
259. Cock and bull story 261. Capital punishment 263. To come down upon
260. I cannot believe in his cock and bull 262. The murderer was sentenced to the 264. Our army came down upon by the enemy.
story. capital punishment.
265. come down 267. To come off with flying colors 269. Cool as cucumber
266. The prices came down because of 268. He came off with the flying colors in the 270. He is cool as cucumber even after his
good harvest. examination. failure.
271. Chicken hearted 273. To be in doldrums 275. To cry for moon
272. He is chicken hearted. 274. He is in doldrums these days. 276. His desire to win first prize is the cry for
the moon.
277. to be done up 281. To do away with 285. To eat one’s cake and have it
278. The room was beautifully done up. 282. We must do away with old customs. 286. It is impossible to eat your cake and have
279. To end in fiasco 283. To fall on one’s feet it.
280. All his efforts ended in fiasco. 284. You should work hard to fall on your
feet.
287. To fall between two stools 289. First and foremost 291. To follow suit:
288. A man falls between two stools. 290. It is our first and foremost duty to help 292. He has no opinion of his own; he simply
our parents. follows suit.
293. To fall back upon 295. From a scratch: 297. From pillar to post
294. After his father’s death, he fell back 296. Shahid established his business from a 298. The postman goes from pillar to post to
upon his uncle. scratch. deliver letters.
299. To get at 301. To get on one’s nerves 303. To give rise
300. He could not get at his target. 302. This noise has got on my nerves. 304. He always gives rise to rumours.
305. To give way 307. To get into scrape:- 309. To get the better of:
306. The roof gave way and a man was 308. Aslam got into scrape because of 310. Ahmad worked hard 10 get the better of
injured. his misdeeds. his class.
311. To give a good account 313. To go hand in hand 315. To be in keeping with:
312. Adam gave a good account of 314. Hard work and success go hand in 316. His claim is not in keeping with his status.
himself in the examination. hand.
317. To be in one’s good books 319. To go out of one’s way 321. To go to pieces
318. He is in the Principal’s good books, 320. My friend go out of the way to help 322. He adopted bad company and went to
me. pieces.
323. To go on 325. Hale and hearty 327. To have a finger in the
324. Go on with your efforts if you to 326. I am hale and hearty these days. 328. I do not have a finger in the pie against
succeed. you.
329. In apple-pie order 331. In black and white:- 333. In the long run
330. She keeps her house in apple-pie 332. He gave his statement in black and 334. In the long run his efforts will bear fruit.
order. white.
335. Keep off 337. To keep one’s temper 339. Kith and kin:-
336. We must keep off their quarrel. 338. Always keep your temper. 340. We should not break with our kith and
kin.
341. To lay heads together:- 343. To lick the dust 345. Long and short:
342. Let us lay heads together to reform 344. At last, he had to lick the dust. 346. The long and short of his speech was that
the country. we should work hard.
347. To keep body and soul together:- 349. To keep the wolf from the door:- 351. To lay by
348. These days, it is very difficult to 350. These days, it is very difficult to keep 352. We must lay by something for the old
keep body and soul together. the wolf from the door. age.
353. To make out:- 355. To make a clean breast of 357. To make headway.-
354. I made out nothing of his speech. 356. The thief had to make a clean breast of 358. Hamza is making headway in his
his crime. business.
359. To make light of:- 361. To mind one’s own business:- 363. More or less
360. Ali made light of his teacher’s 362. Please do not disturb me and mind 364. More or less ten members were present in
advice and failed. your own business. the meeting.
365. To make a mountain of a mole 367. To make faces at 369. To make friends
366. He always makes a mountain of a 368. It is a bad habit to make faces at 370. Do not make friends with bad boys.
mole hill. others. 371.
372. Neck or nothing: 374. On account of 376. Next to nothing
373. Neck or nothing, I will go there. 375. I could not help him on account of 377. He is next to nothing in the class.
poverty.
378. Of one’s own accord 380. On the whole 382. Over had and ears
379. I left the city on my own accord. 381. On the whole, he is a good man. 383. She is over head and ears in love with
Imran.
384. On the horns of dilemma 386. Once in a blue moon: 388. Out at elbows: -
385. I was on the horns of a dilemma and 387. He comes here only once in a blue 389. He is out at elbows these days.
i not know what to do. moon.
390. Over and above:- 392. To play havoc 394. To play second fiddle
391. Over and above his salary, he gets a 393. The storm played havoc in the town. 395. He always play second fiddle to his
bonus also. officers.
396. To pull someone’s leg 398. To put the cart before the horse 400. To put up:-
397. Beware of him, he is pulling your 399. He puts the cart before the horse 401. You may put up here in this stormy night.
leg. because he studies at night and sleeps
in the day time.
402. A plain sailing 404. To play fast and loose 406. To play false:-
403. It is not a play sailing to pass the 405. He cannot succeed because he fast and 407. Do not play false with simple people.
B.A. examination. loose.
408. To pull a long face: 410. To rise to the occasion 412. Royal road:-
409. When I broke the news of his 411. He rises to the occasion and is 413. There is a royal road to please Allah.
failure, he pulled a long face. successful every time.
414. To be all ears 416. To run into: 418. Root and branch:
415. We should be all ears in the class. 417. The bus ran into a tree. 419. We put down the evils root and branch.
420. Rhyme or reason 422. To see eye to eye 424. To show the cold shoulder
421. His speech was without any rhyme 423. I cannot see eye to eye with you in this 425. The landlord showed the cold shoulder to
or reason. matter. the labourer.
426. To spread like wild 428. To stain every 430. To stick to one’s guns:-
427. The news of the accident spread like 429. We must strain every nerve to put 431. He stuck to his guns and did not go there.
wild fire. down evils.
432. Apple pie order: 434. Man of straw: 436. At the eleventh hour:
433. in a perfect order 435. someone who has a weak character 437. at the last moment
438. To make amends: 440. Make out: 442. Take after:
439. to compensate for an injury or loss 441. to make progress 443. to resemble
444. Die for: 446. Take a fancy to: 448. Cat’s paw:
445. do a favour 447. become fond of 449. a person who is used by another to carry
out an unpleasant task
450. At loose end: 452. Do away with: 454. In the teeth of:
451. in an uncertain situation 453. put an end to 455. directly against
456. Odds and ends: 458. Bear out: 460. Back out:
457. different kinds of things which are 459. to attest 461. to withdraw from a commitment
unimportant
462. Part and parcel: 464. Cut down: 466. Carry on:
463. an essential part 465. to reduce 467. to continue doing
468. Bear with: 470. Nip in the bud: 472. Spill the beans:
469. forbearing someone 471. to put an end to 473. to give away a secret
474. Turn down: 476. For good: 478. Black sheep:
475. to reject 477. forever 479. a member of a group who is regarded as
a disgrace
480. Fair play: 482. Bring up: 484. Lend a hand:
481. good job 483. to grow 485. to give a helping hand
486. Narrow escape: 488. Pull up one’s socks: 490. A broken reed:
487. just managed to avoid danger 489. try to improve your work or behaviour 491. an unreliable person
as it is not good
492. School in: 494. Fair weather friend: 496. Cut down:
493. studied in 495. selfish friend 497. to decrease or reduce
498. Come off: 500. Give in: 502. Bring to book:
499. to succeed as preplanned 501. to surrender 503. to punish someone
504. Pass away: 506. Set out: 508. To be caught napping:
505. to die 507. to go on a journey 509. to come upon someone who is unprepared
510. Upto the mark: 512. Worship the rising sun: 514. Make off with:
511. not very good 513. to respect a man who is coming in 515. carry something illegally
power
516. Square peg in a round hole: 518. Pay through the nose: 520. Crow Over:
517. misfit for a position or an activity 519. to pay too much for something (If you 521. exult loudly about especially over
(Trying to teach me Maths is like bring a car into the city, you have to someone’s defeat (In sports, it is
trying to fit a square peg in a round pay through the nose for parking.) considered bad manner to crow over your
hole.) opponent.
522. Lord over: 524. Die in harness: 526. Catch someone nipping:
523. to behave as if you are more 525. to expire while working (She doesn’t 527. taken by surprise (The goalkeeper was
important than someone else want to retire; rather she would die caught nipping by a short from the
in harness. striker.)
528. Wipe out: 530. Abreast of: 532. To brighten up
529. root out 531. in line with someone (The school
management tries to keep its students 533. to become more cheerful
abreast of the latest trends in
education)
534. To take a shine to 536. To make hay when the sun shines 538. Come rain or shine
535. to develop a liking for 537. to make the most of an opportunity 539. whatever the weather/situation
while it lasts
540. To chase rainbows 542. To save for a rainy day 544. To wait for a raindrop in the drought
541. to pursue something that is 543. to put something aside for a future 545. to wait/hope for something which has
impossible/impractical time in which it may be needed little chance of happening
546. Right as rain 548. To take a rain check 550. Into each life some rain must fall
549. to refuse an offer, while demonstrating 551. everyone must experience difficulties or
547. fit and healthy enthusiasm to accept it in the future ill fortune at one time or another
552. To rain on someone's parade 554. It never rains but it pours 556. Raining cats and dogs
553. to spoil someone's plans/to prevent 555. misfortune seem to either all come in
someone from enjoying themselves quick succession or all come at once 557. raining heavily
558. Dry Spell 560. Windfall 562. To shoot the breeze
559. a period in which someone is 561. a large amount of money which is won 563. to have a casual conversation
having less success than usual or unexpectedly received
564. To get wind of something 566. To know which way the wind blows 568. To sail close to the wind
565. to hear a rumour about something 567. to understand what is happening in 569. to verge on the limit of what is
changing circumstances and be able to acceptable, allowed, or honourable
anticipate what will happen in the
future
570. To throw caution to the wind 572. Cloud/storm on the horizon 574. Every dark cloud has a silver lining
571. to take a great risk/to behave 573. approaching problem 575. every difficult situation has a more
recklessly comforting and hopeful aspect
576. Cloud nine 578. To have your head in the clouds 580. "I don't have the foggiest"
577. a state of great happiness 579. to have unrealistic, impractical, or 581. "I don't have a clue" / "I have no idea
fanciful ideas
