IDIOMS

Here is a list of 200 commonly used idioms along with their meanings:

1. A blessing in disguise – A good thing that seemed bad at first.

2. A dime a dozen – Something common and of no particular value.

3. Beat around the bush – Avoid saying what you mean, often to avoid confrontation.

4. Better late than never – It's better to do something late than not at all.

5. Bite the bullet – To endure a painful or unpleasant situation.

6. Break the ice – To initiate conversation in a social setting.

7. Call it a day – To stop working on something for the day.

8. Cut corners – To do something poorly to save time or money.

9. Cut to the chase – Get to the point without wasting time.

10. Easy does it – Slow down and be careful.

11. Get out of hand – Become uncontrollable.

12. Get something out of your system – Do something you've wanted to do to get rid of the desire.

13. Give someone the benefit of the doubt – Believe someone’s statement, despite doubts.

14. Go back to the drawing board – Start over, usually after failure.

15. Hang in there – Stay determined; don’t give up.

16. Hit the sack – Go to bed.

17. Ignorance is bliss – Not knowing something is often better than knowing.

18. It’s not rocket science – It’s not complicated.

19. Let someone off the hook – Free someone from blame or punishment.

20. Make a long story short – Tell something briefly.

21. Miss the boat – Miss an opportunity.

22. No pain, no gain – You have to work hard for something valuable.

23. On the ball – Doing a good job or being alert.

24. Pull someone’s leg – To joke or trick someone.

25. So far, so good – Things are going well up to this point.

26. Speak of the devil – When someone you’re talking about appears.
27. The best of both worlds – An ideal situation where you get benefits from two different
opportunities.

28. Time flies when you’re having fun – Time seems to pass quickly when you’re enjoying yourself.

29. To get bent out of shape – To get upset or offended.

30. Under the weather – Feeling ill or sick.

31. You can say that again – Used to express strong agreement.

32. Barking up the wrong tree – Looking in the wrong place or accusing the wrong person.

33. Beating a dead horse – Wasting time on something that is already settled.

34. Burn the midnight oil – Work late into the night.

35. By the skin of your teeth – Just barely achieving something.

36. Couch potato – Someone who is lazy and inactive.

37. Cry over spilt milk – To complain about something that can’t be changed.

38. Curiosity killed the cat – Being too inquisitive can lead to trouble.

39. Devil’s advocate – To argue a point just for the sake of debate.

40. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch – Don’t assume success before it happens.

41. Don’t give up your day job – Used humorously to tell someone they are not good at
something.

42. Every cloud has a silver lining – There is something good in every bad situation.

43. Far cry from – Very different from something.

44. Hit the nail on the head – To get something exactly right.

45. It takes two to tango – Both people involved in a situation are responsible.

46. Jump on the bandwagon – Join others in doing something trendy.

47. Kill two birds with one stone – Accomplish two tasks at once.

48. Let sleeping dogs lie – Don’t stir up trouble by reopening old issues.

49. Make ends meet – Manage on a limited budget.

50. Once in a blue moon – Something that happens very rarely.

51. Out of the blue – Unexpectedly.

52. Piece of cake – Something that is very easy.

53. Put all your eggs in one basket – To risk everything on one plan.
54. Read between the lines – Find the hidden meaning in something.

55. See eye to eye – To agree completely.

56. Sit on the fence – Avoid making a decision or choice.

57. Spill the beans – Reveal a secret.

58. The ball is in your court – It’s up to you to make the next move.

59. Throw in the towel – To give up.

60. Bite off more than you can chew – Take on a task that is too big.

61. Burn bridges – Destroy relationships or connections that cannot be restored.

62. Cat got your tongue? – Why aren’t you speaking?

63. Cross that bridge when you come to it – Don’t worry about future problems until they happen.

64. Cut to the chase – Get to the point quickly.

65. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you – Don’t hurt those who help you.

66. Every dog has its day – Everyone gets a chance to be successful.

67. Go the extra mile – Make extra effort.

68. Hit the books – Study hard.

69. Hit the road – Leave, start a journey.

70. In the nick of time – Just in time.

71. Jump the gun – Start something too early.

72. Keep your chin up – Stay positive.

73. Knock on wood – To wish for good luck.

74. Leave no stone unturned – To do everything possible to achieve a result.

75. Let the cat out of the bag – Reveal a secret by accident.

76. Light at the end of the tunnel – A sign of hope after a long period of trouble.

77. Lose your touch – To lose a talent or ability.

78. Method to my madness – There is a reason behind what seems crazy.

79. Not playing with a full deck – Someone who is not mentally sound.

80. Off the hook – No longer in trouble or responsible.

81. On cloud nine – Extremely happy.

82. On thin ice – In a risky or dangerous situation.

83. Play it by ear – To improvise instead of following a set plan.

84. Put your foot in your mouth – Say something embarrassing.

85. Rain on your parade – Spoil someone’s plans or mood.

86. Saving for a rainy day – Saving money for a time of need.

87. Shoot for the stars – Aim for something very ambitious.

88. Sleep on it – Take time to think before making a decision.

89. Steal someone’s thunder – Take credit for someone else’s idea or work.

90. The elephant in the room – An obvious issue that is being ignored.

91. Throw caution to the wind – Take a risk.

92. Turn a blind eye – Pretend not to notice something wrong.

93. Under your nose – In plain sight but overlooked.

94. Water under the bridge – Past problems that are no longer relevant.

95. Wild goose chase – A hopeless or pointless search.

96. Wrap your head around something – Understand something complicated.

97. You can’t have your cake and eat it too – You can’t have everything.

98. Your guess is as good as mine – I don’t know either.

99. Zip your lip – Stop talking.

100. The ball is in your court – It's your responsibility to act now.

101. Actions speak louder than words – What you do is more important than what you say.

102. Add fuel to the fire – Make a bad situation worse.

103. A penny for your thoughts – Asking someone what they're thinking.

104. All ears – Fully listening.

105. At the drop of a hat – Without any hesitation.

106. Back to the drawing board – Start over.

107. Be up in arms – To be very angry.

108. Burn the candle at both ends – To work too hard and exhaust yourself.

109. Call it a night – To stop an activity for the evening.

110. Caught red – handed-Caught in the act of doing something wrong.

111. Costs an arm and a leg – Very expensive.

112. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket – Don’t risk everything on one venture.

113. Fit as a fiddle – In very good health.

114. Give the cold shoulder – Ignore someone.

115. Have a chip on your shoulder – Be resentful or looking for a fight.

116. Head over heels – Completely in love.

117. It takes two to tango – Both people are responsible for a situation.

118. Jump on the bandwagon – Follow the crowd.

119. Let sleeping dogs lie – Avoid mentioning past conflicts.

120. No strings attached – Without conditions or obligations.

121. Out of the frying pan into the fire – From a bad situation to a worse one.

122. Put the cart before the horse – Do things in the wrong order.

123. Raining cats and dogs – Very heavy rain.

124. The ball is in your court – It's your turn to take action.

125. The devil is in the details – Small things in a plan may cause problems.

126. Through thick and thin – Through all difficulties.

127. To have a sweet tooth – To love eating sugary things.

128. Too many cooks spoil the broth – Too many people involved can ruin a task.

129. Up in the air – Uncertain or undecided.

130. Water off a duck's back – Criticism has no effect.

131. You can lead a horse to water, – You can give someone opportunities, but you can’t force them
but you can't make it drink to take them.

132. A bitter pill to swallow – An unpleasant fact that must be accepted.

133. An arm and a leg – Very expensive.

134. Bite the bullet – Endure a painful experience.

135. Caught between a rock and a hard place – In a difficult situation with no good options.

136. Cry wolf – To call for help when it’s not needed.
137. Don’t cry over spilled milk – Don’t be upset about something you can’t change.

138. Elbow grease – Hard physical work.

139. Get cold feet – Become nervous or afraid to do something.

140. Go down in flames – Fail spectacularly.

141. Hit the nail on the head – Get something exactly right.

142. Keep your fingers crossed – Hope for good luck.

143. Leave no stone unturned – Search thoroughly or exhaust all possibilities.

144. Let the chips fall where they may – Allow events to unfold naturally.

145. Not the sharpest tool in the shed – Not very smart.

146. Once in a blue moon – Something that happens rarely.

147. Over the moon – Extremely happy.

148. Piece of cake – Something very easy.

149. Put all your eggs in one basket – To risk everything on a single venture.

150. Saved by the bell – Rescued from a difficult situation at the last moment.

151. Sit tight – Wait patiently.

152. Spill the beans – Reveal a secret.

153. Take a rain check – Postpone something until later.

154. The elephant in the room – A large, obvious problem that no one is addressing.

155. Under the weather – Feeling ill.

156. When pigs fly – Something that will never happen.

157. Whole nine yards – Everything possible; all the way.

158. Wipe the slate clean – Start over.

159. You can’t judge a book by its cover – Don’t judge someone or something by appearance alone.

160. Burn the midnight oil – Work late into the night.

161. Let the cat out of the bag – Reveal a secret by accident.

162. The early bird catches the worm – Being early gives an advantage.

163. Out of the woods – Out of danger or difficulty.

164. Curiosity killed the cat – Being too inquisitive can lead to trouble.
165. Between a rock and a hard place – Faced with two difficult choices.

166. Bite off more than you can chew – Take on more than you can handle.

167. By the skin of your teeth – Barely managing to do something.

168. Cry over spilled milk – Complain about something that cannot be changed.

169. Don’t judge a book by its cover – Don’t judge someone based on appearance.

170. Fit as a fiddle – In good health.

171. Go with the flow – Accept the situation rather than trying to change it.

172. Hit the sack – Go to bed.

173. It takes two to tango – Both parties are responsible for the situation.

174. Jump on the bandwagon – Follow a trend or do what others are doing.

175. Keep your chin up – Stay positive.

176. Leave no stone unturned – Do everything possible to achieve a result.

177. Let sleeping dogs lie – Leave a situation as it is to avoid causing problems.

178. Off the beaten path – Uncommon or away from popular areas.

179. Out of the blue – Something that happens unexpectedly.

180. Put your money where your mouth is – Back up words with action.

181. Raining cats and dogs – Very heavy rain.

182. Slow and steady wins the race – Consistent, methodical effort brings success.

183. Take with a grain of salt – Don’t take something too seriously.

184. The icing on the cake – An additional benefit to something already good.

185. Up in the air – Uncertain or undecided.

186. Walk on eggshells – To be very careful not to upset someone.

187. Water under the bridge – A past event that is no longer important.

188. Wear your heart on your sleeve – Show your emotions openly.

189. When in Rome, do as the Romans do – Adapt to the customs of the place you are in.

190. You can’t have your cake and eat it too – You can’t enjoy two desirable but conflicting outcomes.

191. Your guess is as good as mine – I don’t know the answer either.

192. Add insult to injury – To make a bad situation worse.

193. Bite the hand that feeds you – To betray someone who has helped you.

194. Burn the candle at both ends – Work excessively hard without rest.

195. Call it a day – To stop working for the day.

196. Caught between a rock and a hard place – In a difficult situation where there are no easy options.

197. Curiosity killed the cat – Being overly curious can lead to trouble.

198. Go back to the drawing board – Start over on a project or task.

199. Hit the ground running – To start something and proceed with great enthusiasm and energy.

200. Let the cat out of the bag – To reveal a secret.

These idioms can be very helpful in enhancing your language skills, especially for competitive exams like IPMAT
or CAT.

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