Idiomatic Expressions In Alphabetical Order
A list of idioms arranged in alphabetical order (with definitions and examples.)
Learn English Idioms
This is a list of English idioms arranged in categories. For a list of idioms in categories, click here.
A
- about as useful as a chocolate teapot
- About-Face Meaning: Definition, Origin, and Examples
- above suspicion
- above the law
- above the salt
- achilles heel
- Aching Heart
- acid test
- act of God
- act one’s age
- adam’s ale
- add fuel to the fire
- affinity for
- against the clock
- against time
- age before beauty
- age out of something
- ahead of one’s time
- alive and kicking
- all cats are grey in the dark
- all dressed up and nowhere to go
- all hat and no cattle
- all in a day’s work
- all one’s eggs in one basket
- all that glitters is not gold
- all that jazz
- all the more
- all walks of life
- All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
- all’s fair in love and war.
- along the lines
- always chasing rainbows
- another nail in one’s coffin
- any minute soon now
- any port in a storm
- any port in a storm
- an act of war
- an arm and a leg
- an eye for an eye
- apple of someone’s eye
- are your ears burning?
- armchair critic
- armed to the teeth
- arrow in the quiver
- art is long and life is short
- as bald as a cue ball
- as blind as a bat
- as gentle as a lamb
- as one man
- as patient as Job
- as poor as a church mouse
- as rare as hen’s teeth
- as safe as houses
- as ugly as sin
- at a loss for words
- at death’s door
- At Face Value
- at hand
- at sixes and sevens
- at the drop of a hat
- at the end of one’s rope
- at the wheel
- at your mother’s knee
- A Bad Penny
- A Bit of Fluff
- A Breath of Fresh Air
- A Bundle of Nerves
- A Clean Bill of Health
- A Dime’s Worth
- A Fact of Life
- A Fool and His Money Are Soon Parted
- A Life-Saver
- A Little Bird Told Me
- A Lost Ball in the Weeds
- A Man of Action
- A Man of Few Words
- A Man’s Man
- A New Lease of Life
- A Number Cruncher
- A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned
- A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words
- A Roof Over Your Head
- a slap in the face
- a steal
- a taste of one’s own medicine
- a watched pot never boils
- a whole new ball game
- a woman of few words
- a woman’s work is never done
B
- backseat driver
- back in the game
- Back On One’s Feet
- back the wrong horse
- back to the salt mines
- bad blood
- bad egg
- bad news travels fast
- bag of bones
- bag of tricks
- ball of fire
- ball someone or something up
- ball-breaker
- banana repulic
- bank on
- baptism of fire
- bean counter
- bear fruit
- bear one’s cross
- Bear with Me: Meaning, Origin, and Usage
- beats me
- beat around the bush
- beat a dead horse
- beat a retreat
- beat oneself up
- beat someone at their own game
- beat the clock
- beat the rap
- bed of roses
- beef up
- before you can say Jack Robinson
- behind bars
- behind bars
- behind closed doors
- behind one’s back
- bells and whistles
- below the salt
- bend the law
- Benjamin of the family
- better the devil you know
- between life and death
- between life and death
- between the devil and the deep blue sea
- bet your bottom dollar
- beyond words
- beyond your wildest dreams
- be an item
- be a barrel of laughs
- be a chicken
- be a cold fish
- be better than sex
- be dead in the water
- be dead in the water
- be dead to the world
- be full of beans
- be glad to see the back of someone
- be in bed with
- be in black and white
- be in deep water
- be in hot water
- be in somebody’s shoes
- be in the land of the living
- be like a fish out of water
- be new to the game
- be no oil painting
- be nuts about
- be on cloud nine
- be on the ball
- be on the mend
- be part of the furniture
- be sick and tired of
- be the cat’s whiskers
- Big Apple
- big bucks
- big cheese
- big deal
- big fish in a small pond
- big frog in a small pond
- big girl’s blouse
- big head
- big mouth
- big wheel
- bird’s-eye view
- birthday suit
- bite me
- bite the dust
- bite your lip
- bitter pill to swallow
- black and blue
- black out
- black sheep
- black-and-white
- blank canvas
- blank cheque
- blast from the past
- blessing in desguise
- blind date
- blood is thicker than water
- blow a fuse
- blow a kiss
- blow one’s own horn
- blue coat
- blue-eyed boy
- blue-sky thinking
- Bob’s your uncle
- body language
- bolt from the blue
- boots on the ground
- born to the purple
- bottomless pit
- break your back
- breathe one’s last
- bright as a button
- bring a knife to a gunfight
- bring home the bacon
- bring the curtain down
- bring to knees
- bring to the table
- broken dreams
- browned off
- brown as a berry
- brush with death
- build bridges
- burn candles at both ends
- burn one’s boats
- burn one’s fingers
- burn the midnight oil
- bury head in the sand
- bury the hatchet
- butter up
- button (up) one’s lip
- by the grace of God
- by the name of
- by the numbers
- by the skin of one’s teeth
C
- call a spade a spade
- call in sick
- call it a day
- call off the dogs
- call on the carpet
- call someone names
- call the shots
- call the tune
- calm before the storm
- cannot stomach someone or something
- Captain Obvious
- carrot and stick
- carry a tune
- carry the ball
- case in point
- case-by-case
- cash cow
- castles in the air
- catch someone’s eye
- cat burglar
- cat got your tongue
- caught in a time warp
- caught in the crossfire
- chalk something up to inexperience
- charity begins at home
- Charley horse
- charmed life
- chase rainbows
- chew the cud
- chew the fat
- chicken out
- chicken-hearted
- Chinese whispers
- chin music
- choose your battles
- clean as a whistle
- clear your throat
- click with someone or something
- clock on
- clock out
- close shave
- close to home
- Clothes make the man
- cloud nine
- Cock-And-Bull Story
- cog in the machine
- coining it
- coining money
- cold day in hell
- cold piece of work
- come at a price
- come clean
- come down on somebody like a ton of bricks
- come from behind
- come hell or high water
- come into bloom
- come into money
- come of age
- come out of the closet
- come out of the woodwork
- come rain or shine
- come to a head
- come to blows
- come to fruition
- come to terms with
- come to your attention
- come true
- come under fire
- common as an old shoe
- company man
- con artist
- cool as a cucumber
- coon’s age
- cost an arm and a leg
- cost a bomb
- couch potato
- count one’s chickens before they hatch
- count to ten
- count your blessings
- cream of the crop
- crime doesn’t pay
- cross one’s mind
- cross swords
- crux of the matter
- cry wolf
- cuckoo in the nest
- cupboard love
- curiosity killed the cat
- curl your lip
- cut a rug
- cut one’s throat
- cut someone dead
- cut your losses
D
- dad fetch my buttons
- dance on someone’s grave
- dance with death
- darken someone’s door
- dark horse
- daydream about someone or something
- dead and buried
- dead duck
- dead loss
- dead meat
- dead right
- dead serious
- dead to the world
- dead wood
- desert a sinking ship
- devil finds work for idle hands to do
- devil of a time
- Devil-May-Care
- dice with death
- different as night and day
- dime a dozen
- dip your toe in the water
- dirty work
- dodge a bullet
- dogs are barking
- dog’s age
- dog’s life
- dog-eat-dog
- dollars to donuts
- done to death
- don’t get me wrong
- doormat
- double-edged sword
- do a number on
- do the dirty work
- do the trick
- drag one’s feet
- drama queen
- drastic times call for drastic measures
- draw fire
- draw in one’s horns
- draw the curtain on / over
- draw the shortest straw
- dream come true
- dream on
- dream ticket
- dressed up to the nines
- drink like a fish
- drive a hard bargain
- drive someone up the wall
- drive something home
- drop a bombshell
- drop a dime
- drop in the bucket
- drop the subject
- Dutch treat
E
- easy come, easy go
- easy on the ear
- easy on the eye
- eat humble pie
- eat like a horse
- eat one’s words
- eat your heart out
- empty the tank
- escape the rat race
- everybody and his cousin
- everything but the kitchen sink
- every cloud has a silver lining
- every dog has its day
- every man has his price
- every man jack
- every minute
- every Tom, Dick and Harry
- every trick in the book
- expectant mother
- experience is the mother of wisdom
- eye candy
- eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
F
- face that would stop a clock
- face the music
- face (that) only a mother could love
- facts of life
- fact of life
- fair-haired boy
- fair-weather friend
- fall at the final hurdle
- fall at the first hurdle
- fall for someone
- fall from grace
- fall head over heels for someone
- fall in love
- fall in love with someone
- fall off the back of a lorry
- fall on deaf ears
- fall out of love
- fall prey to
- fall through the cracks
- fan the flames
- father figure
- feast for the eyes
- feel blue
- feel it in one’s bones
- feel like a million
- feel your age
- fifth column
- fifth wheel
- fight fire with fire
- fight like cat and dog
- fight the good fight
- fill someone’s shoes
- find one’s way around something
- fine art
- fine-tune
- fish for compliments
- fish story
- fit as a fiddle
- flight of fancy
- flimflam artist
- fly in the face of
- Food for thought
- foot in the door
- foot-in-mouth disease
- Forbidden fruit
- for all I care
- for a song
- for love nor money
- for my money
- for Pete’s sake
- for the ages
- for the life of me
- for the love of God
- Freudian slip
- frog in one’s throat
G
- gain ground
- gas up
- get along like a house on fire
- get away with something
- get a life
- get into deep water
- get in someone’s hair
- get off my back!
- get off the track
- Get on in Years
- get on like a house on fire
- get out of a jam
- get religion
- get something down to a fine art
- get something off your chest
- get the latest
- get the picture
- get the sack
- give me five
- give somebody a leg up
- give somebody the elbow
- give someone the cold shoulder
- give the devil his due
- give the gun
- give the kiss of life
- give your eye teeth for something
- God forbid
- God knows
- God’s honest truth
- going Dutch
- golden age
- golden opportunity
- good fences make good neighbors
- go against the flow
- go back on one’s word
- go bananas
- go by the name
- go home in a box
- go in one ear and out the other
- go steady with someone
- go through the roof
- go to hell in a handbasket
- go to war (over someone or something)
- go under the knife
- go viral
- go with the flow
- grease someone’s palm
- greener pastures
- green around the gills
- green light
- green with envy
- green-eyed monster
- grin like a Cheshire cat
- grouse about someone or something
- gum up the works
- gun it
H
- hale and hearty
- handle someone with kid gloves
- hands are tied
- hand in the till
- hat in hand
- have ants in your pants
- have an axe to grind
- have a card up your sleeve
- have a chip on your shoulder
- have a cow
- have a face like thunder
- have a leg up on somebody
- have a lot on one’s plate
- have a short fuse
- have a whale of a time
- have a word with someone
- have bigger fish to fry
- have big ears
- have egg on one’s face
- have friends in high places
- have green fingers
- have kittens
- have money to burn
- have one’s wires crossed
- have other fish to fry
- have something down to a science
- have the hots for someone
- have time on your hands
- have too much on one’s plate
- have to face the music
- have words with someone
- head over heels
- heart of gold
- heavy weather
- help a lame dog over a stile
- he that would the daughter win, must with the mother first begin
- highways and byways
- highway robbery
- high man on the totem pole
- high time
- hitch one’s wagon to a star
- hit and miss
- hit a home run
- hit home
- hit the ceiling
- hit the nail on the head
- hit the panic button
- hit the road
- hit the roof
- hold someone accountable (for something)
- home away from home
- home free
- home truth
- hop, skip, and a jump
- horse of a different color
- Hot potato
- house of cards
- how come?
- hungry as a bear
- hustle and bustle
I
- if the shoe fits, wear it
- if you want peace, prepare for war
- ill-gotten gains
- Indian file
- into a jam
- invest time in something
- in a body
- in a coon’s age
- in a dead heat
- in a fog
- In a nutsheel
- in a split second
- in bad shape
- in cold blood
- in front of one’s nose
- in God’s name
- in name only
- in one’s cups
- in plain English
- in someone’s pocket
- in the air
- in the bag
- in the best of health
- in the blink of an eye
- in the cold light of day
- in the dock
- in the eyes of the law
- in the family way
- in the firing line
- in the money
- in the nick of time
- in the oven
- in the pink
- in the same boat
- in the wake of
- in the zone
- in this day and age
- in tune (with somebody/something)
- in two shakes of a lamb’s tail
- in your dreams
- itchy feet
- it beats me
- it goes without saying
- It has someone’s name on it
- it never rains but it pours
- it takes two to tango
- It’s about time
- it’s all Greek to me
- it’s all Greek to someone
- it’s a jungle out there
- it’s not rocket science
- It’s your funeral
- I can’t put a name to someone
- I could murder something
- I wasn’t born yesterday
- I’ll eat my hat
- I’m a Dutchman
J
K
- keep an eye on
- keep a civil tongue
- keep a weather eye on
- keep body and soul together
- keep count of something
- keep one’s eyes peeled
- keep one’s eye on the ball
- keep one’s eye open
- keep somebody in stitches
- keep tabs on
- keep the wolf from the door
- keep up the good work
- keep up with the Joneses
- keep your chin up
- keep your head above water
- keep your powder dry
- kick the bucket
- kill time
- kissing cousin
- kiss of death
- knit one’s brow
- knock them dead
- know something inside and out
L
- labor of love
- lame duck
- larger than life
- laugh up your sleeve
- law of the jungle
- law unto oneself
- lay down the law
- lay something at the feet of someone
- learn by heart
- leave the nest
- let sleeping dogs lie
- let the cat out of the bag
- licence to print money
- lick someone’s boots
- lie like a rug
- lie low
- life begins at 40
- life is like a box of chocolates
- lift the curtain
- light skirt
- like a moth to a flame
- like chalk and cheese
- like Chinese arithmetic
- like clockwork
- like father, like son
- like mother, like daughter
- like water off a duck’s back
- lion’s share
- live on borrowed time
- live on borrowed time
- live out of a suitcase
- loaded language
- lock and load
- lock horns
- long in the tooth
- look like mutton dressed as lamb
- loose cannon
- lose count of
- lose your shirt
- lovely weather for ducks
- love at first sight
- love is blind
- love me, love my dog
- love nest
- love somebody to death
- love someone to bits
- love-hate relationship
- low man on the totem pole
- low-hanging fruit
- low-life
M
- made of money
- made out of whole cloth
- magic touch
- magic wand
- make an honest buck
- make a clean breast of
- make a fast buck
- make a man of someone
- make a monkey out of
- make a mountain out of a molehill
- make a pig of oneself
- make chin music
- make good money
- make heavy weather of something
- make love, not war
- make one’s way
- make somebody’s mouth water
- make waves
- make yourself at home
- man cannot live by bread alone
- man in the street
- man of his word
- man of means
- man of straw
- man’s home is his castle
- marked man
- mark my words
- marry money
- match made in heaven
- matter of time
- meat and potatoes
- meat and two veg
- Mecca for someone or something
- meet one’s death
- meet your Waterloo
- memory like a sieve
- men in blue
- men make houses, women make homes
- Mexican standoff
- middle of the road
- mince one’s words
- minting it
- minting money
- misery loves company
- miss the boat
- Mister Right
- moment in the sun
- moment of truth
- money for jam
- money for old rope
- money spinner
- money talks
- music to someone’s ears
- my gut tells me
- my way or the highway
N
- naked as a jaybird
- name is mud
- name the day
- Nature abhors a vacuum
- necessity is the mother of invention
- necessity knows no law
- neither fish nor fowl
- nervous Nellie
- never mind
- never say die
- next to nothing
- Nickel and Dime (Someone)
- nine times out of ten
- nine to five
- nothing is certain but death and taxes
- nothing to sneeze at
- not bat an eyelid
- not be short of a bob or two
- not come cheap
- not enough room to swing a cat
- not for a minute
- not half bad
- not have a cat in hell’s chance
- not have a leg to stand on
- not have a snowball’s chance in hell
- not hold water
- not in a million years
- not miss a trick
- now or never
- no comment
- no spring chicken
- no use to man or beast
- nurse someone back to health
O
- oceans of
- odds and ends
- odd duck
- off the beaten track
- off the shelf
- off the wagon
- of advanced age
- of age
- of a certain age
- of the first water
- old wives’ tale
- once bitten, twice shy
- once in a blue moon
- one go
- one of a kind
- one’s word is law
- one-day wonder
- one-off
- on all fours
- on a shoestring
- on in years
- on the face of it
- on the horns of a dilemma
- on the run
- on the same wavelength
- on the table
- on the take
- on the wagon
- out of the blue
- over my dead body
- over my dead body
- over the hill
P
- pack a wallop
- paddle one’s own canoe
- paint something with a broad brush
- pain in the neck
- party hearty
- pass the buck
- pass the hat around
- patience of Job
- patient as Job
- pay dearly
- pay good money for something
- pay lip service
- pay through the nose
- pay your dues
- people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
- pick of the bunch
- pick up the tab
- picture of (good) health
- picture paints a thousand words
- pipe dream
- play away from home
- play a joke
- play ball
- play cat and mouse
- play hardball with someone
- play second fiddle
- play the field
- poetic justice
- poetry in motion
- poison pill
- Poker Face
- poke one’s nose in
- possession is nine points of the law
- poverty is not a crime
- poverty is no sin
- preach to the choir
- pressed for time
- prick of conscience
- public enemy number one
- pull in one’s horns
- pull somebody’s leg
- Pull the other leg
- Pull the other one
- pull the plug
- puppy love
- push someone’s buttons
- Put a Price on Someone’s Head
- put a smile on someone’s face
- put money on somebody or something
- put neck on the line
- put one’s heart into something
- put one’s mind to it
- put one’s shoulder to the wheel
- put on a brave face
- put the cat among the pigeons
- put the pedal to the metal
- put words in somebody’s mouth
- put years on
- put yourself in someone’s shoes
- put your house in order
- put the cart before the horse
Q
R
- rabbit hole
- race against time
- rack one’s brain
- rags to riches
- rain cats and dogs
- rain or shine
- raise eyebrows
- ram something home
- raw deal
- read the riot act
- red flag
- red handed
- red ink
- red-letter day
- reinvent the wheel
- religious about doing something
- ride shotgun
- right as rain
- right down to
- right on the button
- right-hand man or woman
- ripe old age
- road rage
- rock the boat
- roll one’s sleeves up
- Rome wasn’t built in a day
- roof something over
- root and branch
- rough time
- round the clock
- running battle
- run amok
- run a red light
- run for one’s life
- run out of steam
- run ragged
- run with the hare and hunt with the hounds
S
- sacred cow
- safety in numbers
- safe and sound
- sail against the wind
- sail close to the wind
- sail through something
- salt of the earth
- save face
- save money for a rainy day
- save the day
- say uncle
- say your piece
- scaredy cat
- scarlet woman
- scratch one’s head
- scream bloody murder
- scream blue murder
- see a man about a dog
- see someone’s point
- sell ice to Eskimos
- sell like hotcakes
- sell your soul to the devil
- send love to someone
- send shivers down someone’s spine
- send up a trial balloon
- separate the wheat from the chaff
- serve time
- set a thief to catch a thief
- set the ball rolling
- set the wheels in motion
- shake a leg
- shake in one’s shoes
- shape up or ship out
- shelf life
- she’ll be apples
- shift gears
- shiver down one’s spine
- shoot the bull
- shoot the works
- shotgun marriage
- shot across the bow
- shot in the dark
- shoulder to cry on
- show your true colors
- sick as a dog
- signed, sealed and delivered
- sing the same tune
- sink or swim
- sitting duck
- skin and bones
- skin someone alive
- slice of life
- snake in one’s bosom
- snake in the grass
- snake oil salesman
- soaked to the bone
- sour as vinegar
- sour grapes
- speak of the devil
- speak the same language
- spike someone’s guns
- spill the beans
- spring chicken
- Spuntnick moment
- stage whisper
- stand the test of time
- state of the art
- step into somebody’s shoes
- stick to one’s guns
- stiff upper lip
- stir up a hornets’ nest
- stool pigeon
- stop the music
- storm is brewing
- strapped for cash
- strike a chord
- sweat blood
- sweep something under the carpet
- sweep something under the rug
- swim against the tide
T
- take a deep breath
- take a dim view of
- take a stab at
- take forty winks
- take for a ride
- take French leave
- take it on the chin
- take it on the lam
- take it or leave it
- take one’s hat off to someone
- take someone’s life
- take something or someone at face value
- take the bit between one’s teeth
- take the bull by the horns
- take the cake
- take the fifth
- take to something like a duck to water
- talk a mile a minute
- talk for England
- talk in circles
- talk is cheap
- talk nineteen to the dozen
- talk through one’s hat
- tall order
- tar with the same brush
- tear your hair out
- tempest in a teapot
- tender age
- that beats everything
- that makes two of us
- that’s the way the cookie crumbles
- them and us
- there is honor among thieves
- the angel in the house
- the ball is in someone’s court
- the battle of the sexes
- the boot is on the other foot
- the chill wind of something
- the customer is always right.
- the dismal science
- The Enemy of My Friend Is My Enemy
- the home straight
- the home stretch
- the jury is out
- the letter of the law
- the long arm of the law
- the men in grey suits
- the milk of human kindness
- the minute (that)
- the mother of all
- the spirit of the law
- the straw that broke the camel’s back
- the third degree
- the weed of crime bears bitter fruit
- thick as thieves
- throw in the towel
- throw your hat into the ring
- thumbnail sketch
- thumbs down
- thumbs up
- tighten your belt
- till the cows come home
- time flies
- time is money
- Time Is of the Essence
- toot one’s own horn
- tough love
- to a fine art
- to a man
- to pull the trigger
- to sell wolf tickets
- to the hilt
- to the last
- to this day
- to wash one’s hands of
- track record
- traffic jam
- trick of the trade
- trip the light fantastic
- turn back the clock
- turn in one’s grave
- turn one’s back on
- Turn on a Dime
- turn the tables
- turn up like a bad penny
U
- under age
- under arrest
- under a cloud
- under a cloud
- under canvas
- under construction
- under one’s belt
- under one’s nose
- under one’s thumb
- under pressure
- under the gun
- under the influence
- under the sun
- under the table
- under the weather
- under the wire
- until hell freezes over
- until one is blue in the face
- unwritten law
- up in the air
- up to the minute
- up-to-date
W
- wag one’s chin
- wait and see
- wait for the ball to drop
- wait for the other shoe to drop
- wait on someone hand and foot
- wake up on the wrong side of bed
- walk of life
- walk on air
- walk on eggs
- walk on eggshells
- walk the talk
- Walter Mitty
- war of nerves
- war of words
- war zone
- waste breath
- watch one’s mouth
- watch the clock
- watch this space
- watch your language
- wax and wane
- weak at the knees
- wear the pants
- wear your heart on your sleeve
- weather permitting
- weather the storm
- weekend warrior
- weep buckets
- well-oiled machine
- wet blanket
- what beats me
- what’s the magic word?
- wheels fall off
- when it rains, it pours
- when pigs fly
- whet your appetite
- whiter than white
- white as a sheet
- who pays the piper calls the tune
- wild-goose chase
- woman of ill repute
- words fail me
- work like a beaver
- work like a charm
- work like a dream
- work your fingers to the bone
- worth its weight in gold
- wouldn’t be caught dead