Idioms and Phrases
Idioms and phrases are an important concept of English comprehension, which is often asked in competitive exams. Candidates preparing for competitive exams or interviews must practice the questions of idioms and phrases to score well in the Verbal Ability section.
Idioms
An idiom is a phrase or expression in which all of the words have multiple meanings than they do. Idioms are enjoyable to use since they are a common feature of speech.
Examples of Idioms
Here are some popular idioms with their meanings
- Back against the wall (Doing something against the wish due to being stuck in a tricky situation)
- Break the ice (Start the conversation)
- Get your act together (Start doing things in an organized and effective way)
- On cloud nine (Being very elated and happy)
- Spill the beans (Reveal a secret)
- Pull someone’s leg (Prank someone)
- Through thick and thin (Displaying full loyalty)
- Don’t cry over spilt milk (Don’t cry over something that can’t be fixed)
- A black sheep (Someone who brings disgrace to the entire family)
- Once in a blue moon (Rare occurrence)
- By the skin of your teeth (Making it barely)
- Go the extra mile (Making an extra effort)
- Straight from the Horse’s mouth (Getting information directly from the concerned person)
- Has bigger fish to fry (Has more important things to do)
- Look before you leap (Analyse the consequences before taking a decision)
- Take a rain check (Postponing a plan)
- Play devil’s advocate (Arguing for the sake of it)
- Throwing caution to the wind (Taking risks)
Phrases
Pharases are defined as the combination of multiple words that are related to one another and act as a single unit but do not contain a subject-verb pairing.” A phrase can consist of anywhere from two to ten syllables. It is integrated into a phrase or statement elaborating on a topic by which give additional information.
Examples of Phrases
The following is the examples of Phrases:
- The disabled boy was left out of the entire journey.
- The deceased person was gentle and smart.
- The last time you ate anything since morning.
- You might enjoy a meal with us.
- He was excited to become the leader of the group.
- She was anxious to meet her idol.
- Taking my children for a drive is fun.
List of Important Idioms and Phrases
The following is the list of Important Idioms and Phrases:
| Idioms and Phrases | Meaning |
|---|---|
| to have ants in your pants | A person who can't still calm or remains silent |
| to take the bull by the horns | To deal with a difficult situation |
| to let the cat out of the bag | To disclose a secret |
| to have the cat get your tongue | Doesn't have words to say or is usually quite |
| to be raining cats and dogs | It is used to describe heavily rain |
| to have a cow | To become very angry at something |
| to wait until the cows come home | Waiting for someone for a long time |
| to be in the doghouse | Being in trouble by someone else |
| to let sleeping dogs lie | Stop interfering in a situation that doesn't cause any harm |
| to be in a fine kettle of fish | Being in an awkward situation |
| to seem a little fishy | Seems suspicious |
| to live high on the hog | Living a prosperous and a healthy life |
| to eat like a horse | Eat large quantities of food |
| to look a gift horse in the mouth | Finding faults in a gift or favour |
| to hear it straight from the horse's mouth | Hearing the information from the main source |
| to hold your horses | Saying someone to stop or care about their decision |
| to put the cart before the horse | Reversing the order or procedure of something |
| to change horses in midstream | Choosing a different leader |
| Under the weather | Feeling unwell |
| Turning a blind eye | To overlook |
| Make a beeline | Go quickly and directly to somewhere |
| At sixes and seven | If someone is in a state of confusion |
| Counting your chickens | When someone should not depend on something |
| Pain in the neck | When someone is very annoying |
| Like chalk and cheese | When two things are different from each other |
| To sit on the fence | When someone delays making a decision |
| Once in a blue moon | An incident that happens rarely |
| Burn the midnight oil | Work hard for a long time |
| Cook the Books | When someone alters the figures |
| Decked up | Wearing special clothes to look attractive |
Also Check:
- Idioms and Phrases Solved Question- Refer Here!
- Test your knowledge- Quiz!
