Most Important English Idoms and Phrase for IELTS Exam

 

IELTS Preparation

IDOMS

Total : 348

• A blessing in disguise: A misfortune that turns out to have unexpected benefits.
  

• A dime a dozen: Something very common, not special.
  

• A piece of cake: Something that is very easy to do.
  

• Actions speak louder than words: What you do is more important than what you say.
  

• Add insult to injury: To make a bad situation even worse.
  

• All ears: Fully attentive, eager to listen.
  

• Apple of my eye: Someone dearly cherished.
  

• Back to the drawing board: To start a plan or project over again because it failed.
  

• Barking up the wrong tree: To pursue a mistaken or misguided course of action.
  

• Beat around the bush: To avoid getting to the point of something.
  

• Better late than never: It's better to do something late than not do it at all.
  

• Bite the bullet: To endure an unpleasant or painful situation courageously.
  

• Break a leg: A way of wishing someone good luck, especially before a performance.
  

• Burning the midnight oil: To stay up late at night studying or working.
  

• Butterflies in my stomach: Feeling very nervous.
  

• Caught between a rock and a hard place: Facing two difficult choices

• Costs an arm and a leg: Very expensive.
  

• Cry over spilled milk: To waste time regretting something that has already happened and can't be changed.
  

• Don't count your chickens before they hatch: Don't count on something happening until it actually happens.
  

• Don't put all your eggs in one basket: Don't risk everything on a single venture.
  

• Down to the wire: At the last minute before a deadline.
  

• Elephant in the room: An obvious problem or issue that everyone is aware of but no one is discussing.
  

• Every cloud has a silver lining: There is always hope or a positive aspect even in a difficult situation.
  

• Fish out of water: Feeling uncomfortable or out of place in a situation.
  

• Get a taste of your own medicine: Experience the same unpleasant treatment you've given others.
  

• Hit the nail on the head: To do or say something exactly right.
  

• It's raining cats and dogs: It's raining very heavily.
  

• Jump on the bandwagon: To join something popular or successful.
  

• Kill two birds with one stone: Accomplish two things with a single action.
  

• Let the cat out of the bag: Reveal a secret.
  

• On cloud nine: Extremely happy.
  

• Out of the blue: Unexpectedly.
  

• Over the moon: Extremely happy or pleased.
  

• Piece of the pie: A share of something desirable.
  

• Pull someone's leg: To tease or joke with someone.
  

• Saved by the bell: Rescued from trouble at the last possible moment.
  

• See eye to eye: To agree fully with someone.
  

• Sit on the fence: To remain neutral, avoid taking sides.
  

• Spill the beans: To reveal a secret.
  

• Take with a grain of salt: Don't completely believe something.
  

• Taste of your own medicine: To experience the same unpleasantness that you've caused others.
  

• The ball is in your court: It's your turn to make a decision.
  

• The best of both worlds: Having all the advantages of two different things.
  

• The devil's advocate: To argue against an idea, even if you agree with it, to test an argument's strength.
  

• The elephant in the room: A big, obvious issue that people avoid discussing.
  

• The last straw: The final problem that makes a situation unbearable.
  

• Throw in the towel: To give up.
  

• Through thick and thin: Through good times and bad times.
  

• Time flies when you're having fun: Time seems to pass quickly when you're enjoying yourself.
  

• To cut corners: Do something poorly or less thoroughly in order to save time or money.
  

• Bend over backward: To try very hard to help or please someone.
  

• Break the ice: To ease tension and make people feel more comfortable at a social gathering.
  

• By the skin of your teeth: Narrowly, by a very small margin.
  

• Call it a day: To stop working for the day.
  

• Cross that bridge when you come to it: Deal with a potential problem if and when it actually happens.
  

• Cut to the chase: Get to the point, stop wasting time.
  

• Don't judge a book by its cover: Don't base your opinion of something or someone solely on appearance.
  

• Every dog has its day: Everyone gets a moment of success or triumph eventually.
  

• Get cold feet: Lose the courage or confidence to do something.
  

• Get something off your chest: Talk about something that has been bothering you.
  

• Get your act together: Become better organized and focused.
  

• Give someone the benefit of the doubt: Trust someone, even if you're unsure.
  

• Go back to the drawing board: Start over on a project or task.
  

• Go the extra mile: Make more effort than is expected of you.
  

• Hang in there: Persevere, don't give up.
  

• Hit the sack/hay: Go to bed.
  

• In the hot seat: In a difficult or uncomfortable position, facing scrutiny.
  

• It takes two to tango: Both people involved in a situation share responsibility.
  

• Keep your chin up: Stay positive in a difficult situation.
  

• Let bygones be bygones: To forgive and forget past offenses.
  

• Let sleeping dogs lie: Leave a situation as it is to avoid causing trouble.
  

• Miss the boat: Miss an opportunity.
  

• No pain, no gain: You have to work hard in order to achieve something.
  

• On the ball: Alert, competent, and ready to act.
  

• Once in a blue moon: Something that happens very rarely.
  

• Out of sight, out of mind: If you don't see something, you tend to forget about it.
  

• Play it by ear: Improvise, respond to things as they happen.
  

• Put your foot in your mouth: Say something embarrassing or tactless.
  

• Rain on someone's parade: Ruin someone's plans or happy moment.
  

• Ring a bell: Sound familiar.
  

• See the light: Finally understand something.
  

• Speak of the devil: The person you were just talking about appears.
  

• Stab someone in the back: Betray someone.
  

• Take it or leave it: This is my final offer (non-negotiable)
  

• The early bird gets the worm: The first person to take advantage of an opportunity has the best chance of success.
  

• The writing is on the wall: An inevitable outcome or failure is very clear.
  

• Through thick and thin: No matter what happens.
  

• Twist someone's arm: Persuade someone forcefully.
  

• Under the weather: Feeling unwell.
  

• Up in the air: Uncertain, undecided.
  

• We'll cross that bridge when we come to it: We'll deal with that problem when it arises.
  

• When pigs fly: Something that will never happen.
  

• You can't have your cake and eat it too: You can't have everything.
  

• You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink: You can give someone an opportunity, but you can't force them to take it.
  

• You can say that again: That's definitely true (showing strong agreement).
  

• A chip on your shoulder: Having a bad attitude stemming from perceived mistreatment.
  

• A penny for your thoughts: Asking someone what they're thinking about.
  

• Back to square one: Having to start over from the beginning.
  

• Bite off more than you can chew: Take on a task that's too difficult or overwhelming.
  

• Burn your bridges: Ruin relationships beyond repair.
  

• Burst someone's bubble: Ruin someone's happy mood by revealing a harsh truth.
  

• Can't win for losing: No matter what you do, there are negative consequences.
  

• Close but no cigar: Being near success, but ultimately failing.
  

• Curiosity killed the cat: Taking excessive risks can be dangerous.
  

• Cut someone some slack: Be less critical of someone, give them some leeway.
  

• Don't look a gift horse in the mouth: Don't be critical of something given for free.
  

• Feeling blue: Feeling sad or down.
  

• Get a second wind: Have a resurgence of energy after tiring.
  

• Get on someone's case: Criticize or pressure someone persistently.
  

• Get over it: Stop dwelling on something negative from the past.
  

• Go out on a limb: Take a risk.
  

• Head in the clouds: Being unaware of surroundings due to daydreaming.
  

• Hit the books: Study hard.
  

• In a nutshell: To summarize briefly.
  

• It's not rocket science: It's not overly complicated.
  

• Jump the gun: Do something too soon.
  

• Keep an eye on something: Watch something closely.
  

• Let someone off the hook Stop holding someone responsible for something.
  

• Like two peas in a pod: Very similar.
  

• Live and learn: You gain wisdom through experiences, even failures.
  

• Long story short: To tell something in a brief way, skipping over details.
  

• Make a mountain out of a molehill: Exaggerate a minor issue.
  

• Neck and neck: Two competitors in a very close race or competition.
  

• Not the sharpest tool in the shed: Not very intelligent.
  

• Off the top of my head: Without preparation or careful thought.
  

• On thin ice: Be in a risky or dangerous situation.
  

• Once in a blue moon: Very rarely.
  

• Pull yourself together: Regain composure, calm down.
  

• Put the cart before the horse: Do things in the wrong order.
  

• See eye to eye: Agree with someone.
  

• Silver lining: A positive aspect within a bad situation.
  

• Spill the beans: Reveal a secret.
  

• Take a rain check: Postpone something until a later time.
  

• The whole nine yards: Everything, all of it.
  

• Throw caution to the wind: Do something reckless.
  

• Two wrongs don't make a right: It's not okay to do something bad to someone just because they did something bad to you.
  

• Under the weather: Feeling slightly ill.
  

• When it rains, it pours: Many bad things happen at once.
  

• Wild goose chase: A hopeless or futile search or pursuit.
  

• You snooze, you lose: Delay can lead to missed opportunities.
• A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush: What you already have is better than taking a risk for something potentially better.
  

• A penny saved is a penny earned: Saving money, even small amounts, is valuable.
  

• Ace up your sleeve: A hidden advantage or resource.
  

• Against the clock: Working under a strict time limit.
  

• All bark and no bite: Full of big talk but not likely to take action.
  

• Ballpark figure: A rough estimate.
  

• Beat a dead horse: Waste time on a topic that is over or has no chance of success.
  

• Between the devil and the deep blue sea: Forced to choose between two equally unpleasant options.
  

• Bottom line: The most important or fundamental aspect.
  

• Break the bank: Cost too much money.
  

• By hook or by crook: Do whatever it takes to achieve a goal.

• Can't hold a candle to: Not nearly as good as.
  

• Catch-22: A paradoxical dilemma with no good solution.
  

• Come full circle: Return to the starting point or original condition.
  

• Crack of dawn: Very early in the morning.
  

• Draw a blank: Be unable to remember something.
  

• Elvis has left the building: Something exciing or important has ended.
  

• Face the music: Accept consequences for your actions.
  

• Finding a needle in a haystack: A very difficult and nearly impossible search.
  

• Get the ball rolling: To start something.
  

• Get the short end of the stick: Have the worst part of a deal or situation.
  

• Get wind of something: Hear about something, typically a secret.
  

• Give it a shot: Try something
  

• Go down in flames: Fail spectacularly.
  

• Grasping at straws: Trying desperate measures that are unlikely to work.
  

• Have a lot on your plate: Be very busy.
  

• Hold your horses: Be patient
  

• In the same boat: Sharing a difficult situation with others.
  

• It takes one to know one: Hypocritical people recognize similar traits in others.
  

• Jump ship: Leave a situation or organization, especially when it's in trouble.
  

• Keep tabs on: Monitor closely.
  

• Kick the bucket: To die.
  

• Larger than life: Having an exaggerated personality that draws attention.
  

• Let your hair down: Relax and have fun.
  

• Method to my madness: There's a reason for seemingly strange actions.
  

• Needle in a haystack: Something very hard to find.
  

• No hard feelings: To not feel anger or resentment.
  

• Off the record: Information not for publication or sharing.
  

• On pins and needles: Feeling nervous and anxious.
  

• Out of left field: Unexpected and strange
  

• Read between the lines: Understand the implied meaning, not just what's said
  

• Roll with the punches: Adapt to difficult situations.
  

• Rule of thumb: A general guideline, not always accurate
  

• Skeleton in the closet: An embarrassing secret someone wants to hide
  

• The jig is up: A deception or secret plan has been exposed.
  

• Twist of fate: An unexpected event that changes the course of things.
  

• Water under the bridge: Past troubles that should be forgotten.
  

• Wear your heart on your sleeve: Openly display your emotions.
  

• When hell freezes over: Something that will never happen
  

• Word of mouth: Information spread through personal conversations.
  

• A slap on the wrist: A very mild punishment.
  

• Add fuel to the fire: Do something that makes a bad situation worse.
  

• Bark up the wrong tree: Pursue a wrong course of action or accuse the wrong person.
  

• Behind the times: Old-fashioned, not up-to-date.
  

• Bite your tongue: Hold back from saying something you want to say.
  

• Bury the hatchet Make peace with someone after a conflict.
  

• Call it quits: Decide to stop doing something.
  

• Cut corners: Do something in the cheapest or easiest way, often sacrificing quality.
  

• Down for the count: Defeated, unable to continue (from boxing).
  

• Drop the ball: Make a careless mistake.
  

• Fall on deaf ears: Be ignored.
  

• Fit as a fiddle: In very good health.
  

• From rags to riches: Go from being very poor to being very wealthy.
  

• Get a kick out of something: Find something enjoyable or amusing.
  

• Get a taste of your own medicine: Experience the same unpleasant treatment you gave to someone else.
  

• Get into hot water: Get into trouble
  

• Give someone the cold shoulder: Treat someone with indifference or unfriendliness.
  

• Go cold turkey: Abruptly quit an addictive habit or substance.
  

• Go the extra mile: Do more than is expected of you.
  

• Have your head in the clouds: Be unrealistic or daydreaming.
  

• Hit below the belt: Do or say something that is unfair or unnecessarily cruel.
  

• In over your head: Involved in a situation that is too difficult for you.
  

• It's a small world: Used when you unexpectedly meet someone you know in a distant place.
  

• Jump through hoops: Go through a lot of difficult steps to achieve something.
  

• Keep your fingers crossed: Hope for good luck.
  

• Know something like the back of your hand: Be extremely familiar with something.
  

• Learn the ropes: Become familiar with how something works or is done.
  

• Let the chips fall where they may: Let things happen as they will, regardless of the consequences.
  

• Look before you leap Think carefully before acting.
  

• Lose your touch Lose an ability you previously had.
  

• Make ends meet: Have just enough money to live on.
  

• Mum's the word: Keep a secret.
  

• No use crying over spilled milk: Don't distress over something that happened and cannot be changed.
  

• Off the hook: Free of responsibility or trouble.
  

• On the same page: In agreement.
  

• Once bitten, twice shy: More cautious after an unpleasant experience.
  

• Out of the frying pan and into the fire: Go from a bad situation to a worse situation.
  

• Penny for your thoughts: Asking someone what they are thinking about.
  

• Play devil's advocate: Argue the opposite side for the sake of debate.
  

• Put on your thinking cap: Think hard to solve a problem.
  

• Rock the boat: Do something that may upset a situation.
  

• See the big picture: Understand the overall situation, not just minor details.
  

• Steal someone's thunder: Take attention away from someone else's success.
  

• Talk shop: Talk about work outside of work.
  

• The writing's on the wall: A future failure or bad outcome is obvious.
  

• Throw under the bus: Sacrifice someone else to protect yourself.
  

• Under the gun: Feeling pressured by a deadline.
  

• Wear many hats: Have many different jobs or responsibilities
  

• When pigs fly: Something that will never happen.
  

• You can't teach an old dog new tricks: Difficult to change long-held habits/beliefs.
  

• A dime a dozen: Something very common and of little value.
  

• Beat around the bush: Avoid talking about the main topic.
  

• Best of both worlds: A situation where you can enjoy two different advantages at the same time.
  

• Bite off more than you can chew: Take on more than you can handle.
  

• Break the ice: Make a start by overcoming initial awkwardness in social situations.
  

• By the skin of your teeth: Only just; by a very narrow margin.
  

• Costs an arm and a leg: Very expensive.
  

• Cross that bridge when you come to it: Deal with problems when they happen, not before.
  

• Cry over spilled milk: Get upset about something that has already happened and cannot be changed.
  

• Cut to the chase: Get to the point without wasting time.
  

• Don't judge a book by its cover: Don't judge people or things based only on appearances.
  

• Drop a bombshell: Unexpectedly reveal shocking or surprising news.
  

• Every cloud has a silver lining: Difficult situations often have a positive aspect.
  

• Get out of hand: Become difficult to manage or control.
  

• Get something off your chest: Talk about something that has been bothering you.
  

• Go down the drain: Be wasted or lost.
  

• Hang in there: Keep trying, don't give up.
  

• Hard pill to swallow: A difficult truth to accept.
  

• Have butterflies in your stomach: Feel very nervous.
  

• Hit the nail on the head: Identify or do something exactly right.
  

• In the nick of time: Just in time, at the last possible moment.
  

• It's not rocket science: It's not difficult to understand.
  

• Keep an eye on something: Watch something carefully.
  

• Keep your chin up: Stay positive and optimistic in difficult times.
  

• Let sleeping dogs lie: Avoid stirring up trouble by revisiting a sensitive issue.
  

• Long shot: A very unlikely outcome.
  

• Lose your marbles: Become crazy or irrational.
  

• Make a long story short: Tell something briefly, without unnecessary details.
  

• Needle in a haystack: Something extremely difficult or impossible to find.
  

• No strings attached: Without obligations or commitments.
  

• Off the beaten track: An unusual or less-traveled place.
  

• On the tip of my tongue: Almost able to remember something.
  

• Out of the woods: Past the most difficult part of a situation.
  

• Picture paints a thousand words: An image can convey a lot of information.
  

• Put all your eggs in one basket: Risk everything on a single option.
  

• See eye to eye: Agree with someone.
  

• Spill the beans: To reveal a secret unintentionally
  

• Take it with a pinch of salt: Don't fully believe something.
  

• The ball's in your court: It's your turn to make the next decision or move.
  

• The last straw: The final problem that makes a situation unbearable.
  

• Through thick and thin: No matter what happens.
  

• Time flies when you're having fun: Time seems to pass by quickly when you're enjoying yourself.
  

• Under the weather: Feeling unwell or slightly sick.
  

• We'll cross that bridge when we come to it: We'll deal with that problem when it occurs.
  

• When pigs fly: Something that is very unlikely to happen.
  

• Wild goose chase: A pointless or hopeless pursuit.
  

• Word of mouth: Information passed through spoken communication.
  

• You can't have your cake and eat it too: You can't have it both ways.
  

• Your guess is as good as mine: I don't know the answer.
  

• You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours: Helping each other, reciprocating favors.
  

• A cog in the machine: A small, insignificant part of a larger system.
  

• A dime a dozen: Something very common and easy to obtain.
  

• All in a day's work: A normal or expected part of one's job.
  

• Backseat driver: Someone who gives unwanted advice or criticism.
  

• Behind the eight ball: In a difficult or troublesome situation.
  

• Between a rock and a hard place: Facing a difficult choice between two undesirable options.
  

• Blow off steam: Release pent-up energy or anger.
  

• Bolt from the blue: Something completely unexpected.
  

• Burning bridges: Ruining relationships or possibilities for the future.
  

• Buzzkill: A person or thing that ruins a good mood or happy atmosphere.
  

• Call someone's bluff: Challenge someone's claim that they'll do something.
  

• Can of worms: A complex problem that creates further problems when addressed.
  

• Close call: A narrow escape from danger or trouble.
  

• Come out of your shell: Become more outgoing and less shy.
  

• Couch potato: Someone who spends a lot of time sitting and being inactive.
  

• Cut from the same cloth Very similar in character or personality.
  

• Down in the dumps: Feeling sad or depressed.
  

• Easier said than done: Something that's harder to do than it sounds.
  

• Elephant in the room: An obvious problem or issue that people are avoiding.

• Fly by the seat of your pants: Do something without careful planning or preparation.
  

• For the birds: Meaningless, worthless or silly.
  

• Get a grip: Get control of yourself, calm down.
  

• Go with the flow: Accept things as they come without trying to change them.
  

• Have a blast: Have a fun and exciting time.
  

• Have the upper hand: To be in a position of power or advantage
  

• Hit the road: Leave, start a journey.
  

• In hot water: In serious trouble.
  

• In the long run: Eventually, over time.
  

• Jump the shark: The moment something popular begins to decline in quality (from a TV show reference)
  

• Keep your nose to the grindstone: Work hard and persistently.
  

• Knuckle down: Start working seriously.
  

• Let bygones be bygones: Ignore past offenses and move on.
  

• Live beyond your means: Spend more money than you can afford.
  

• Long shot: A very unlikely possibility.
  

• Needle in a haystack: Something very difficult to find.
  

• Not playing with a full deck: Someone who seems unintelligent or foolish.
  

• Off your rocker: Insane or crazy.
  

• On cloud nine: Extremely happy.
  

• On the same wavelength: Sharing similar thoughts or having good rapport with someone.
  

• Out of the loop: Not informed or included in what's going on.
  

• Pain in the neck: An annoying person or thing.
  

• Piece of cake: Very easy.
  

• Put your best foot forward Try your hardest to make a good impression.
  

• Ride someone's coattails: Achieve success through association with another's success.
  

• Stealing someone's thunder: Taking the attention away from someone else's success.
  

• Take the bull by the horns: Confront a difficult situation directly.
  

• The straw that broke the camel's back: The final thing that makes someone lose patience or control.
  

• Up the creek (without a paddle): In big trouble with no way out.
  

• Water under the bridge: Past troubles or issues that should be forgotten.
  

• You snooze, you lose: If you hesitate or delay, you could miss out on an opportunity.