Common idioms in English: 55 idioms with meanings and examples
An idiom is a phrase whose meaning is different from its words: "a piece of cake" means very easy. Here are 55 of the most common English idioms in 11 topics, each with a short meaning and an example, plus a quiz for every topic.
The 11 topics in this post
- Conversation and feelings
- Work
- Money
- Time
- People and character
- The body
- Animals
- Food
- Weather and nature
- Sport
- Sayings
1. Conversation and feelings
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| long time no see | a friendly hello to someone you haven't seen for a long time |
| no worries | it's fine, don't worry |
| my bad | sorry, that was my mistake |
| you can say that again | I agree completely |
| over the moon | very happy |
- "Sorry I'm late." "No worries, we haven't started yet."
Practise conversation idioms (A2) · more: B1, B2, C1, C2
2. Work
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| call it a day | stop working for now |
| get down to business | start the real work |
| learn the ropes | learn how to do a new job |
| a team player | someone who works well with others |
| start from scratch | begin again from the very start |
- We've been at this for hours. Let's call it a day.
Practise work idioms (A2) · more: B1, B2, C1, C2
3. Money
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| cost a fortune | be very expensive |
| break the bank | cost more than you can afford |
| make ends meet | earn just enough to live |
| on a budget | with only a little money to spend |
| hit the jackpot | suddenly win or earn a lot |
- It's hard to make ends meet on a part-time salary.
Practise money idioms (A2) · more: B1, B2, C1, C2
4. Time
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| once in a while | sometimes, not often |
| in no time | very quickly |
| around the clock | all day and all night |
| sooner or later | at some time in the future |
| just in time | at the last possible moment |
- The plumber fixed the leak in no time.
Practise time idioms (A2) · more: B1, B2, C1, C2
5. People and character
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| an early bird | someone who gets up or arrives early |
| a night owl | someone who likes staying up late |
| down to earth | simple, practical and friendly |
| a people person | someone who enjoys being with others |
| a couch potato | someone who watches TV instead of moving |
- Despite being famous, she's very down to earth.
Practise people idioms (A2) · more: B1, B2, C1, C2
6. The body
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| give someone a hand | help someone |
| keep an eye on | watch something carefully |
| learn by heart | learn so well you can say it from memory |
| all ears | listening carefully |
| break a leg | good luck (before a show) |
- Could you give me a hand with this sofa?
Practise body idioms (A2) · more: B1, B2, C1, C2
7. Animals
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| hold your horses | wait, don't rush |
| raining cats and dogs | raining very heavily |
| busy as a bee | very busy |
| eat like a horse | eat a lot |
| quiet as a mouse | very quiet |
- Take an umbrella. It's raining cats and dogs.
Practise animal idioms (A2) · more: B1, B2, C1, C2
8. Food
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| a piece of cake | very easy |
| cool as a cucumber | very calm |
| bring home the bacon | earn money for the family |
| a hot potato | a topic people don't want to deal with |
| the best thing since sliced bread | something new and great |
- The exam was a piece of cake.
Practise food idioms (A2) · more: B1, B2, C1, C2
9. Weather and nature
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| under the weather | a little ill |
| come rain or shine | whatever happens |
| a breath of fresh air | someone or something new and pleasant |
| the calm before the storm | a quiet time before trouble |
| clear as day | very easy to see or understand |
- He walks the dog every morning, come rain or shine.
Practise weather idioms (A2) · more: B1, B2, C1, C2
10. Sport
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| the ball is in your court | it's your turn to decide or act |
| get the ball rolling | start something |
| call the shots | make the decisions |
| a level playing field | a fair situation for everyone |
| on the ball | quick, alert and ready |
- Let's get the ball rolling on the new project.
Practise sport idioms (A2) · more: B1, B2, C1, C2
11. Sayings
| Saying | Meaning |
|---|---|
| practice makes perfect | doing something often makes you good at it |
| better late than never | doing it late is better than not doing it |
| actions speak louder than words | what you do matters more than what you say |
| don't judge a book by its cover | don't judge by how things look |
| where there's a will, there's a way | if you really want something, you will find a way |
- He finally said sorry. Better late than never.
Practise sayings (A2) · more: B1, B2, C1, C2
How to learn idioms
- Learn them in a sentence. It's raining cats and dogs is easier to remember than cats and dogs.
- Don't change the words. We say a piece of cake, never a piece of pie.
- Watch the tone. My bad and no worries are casual; use them with friends, not in a formal email.
Vocabulary check
Choose the right idiom:
The test was a piece of cake. I finished it in ten minutes.
- A. a piece of cake — Correct
- B. a hot potato
- C. under the weather
Answer: A. a piece of cake
Finishing quickly shows the test was easy. A hot potato is a topic people avoid; under the weather means a bit ill.
Choose the right idiom:
I'm staying home today. I feel a bit under the weather.
- A. over the moon
- B. under the weather — Correct
- C. on the ball
Answer: B. under the weather
Staying home suggests you feel unwell. Over the moon means very happy; on the ball means quick and alert.
Choose the right idiom:
We've worked for ten hours. Let's call it a day.
- A. break the bank
- B. call it a day — Correct
- C. learn the ropes
Answer: B. call it a day
After ten hours, you stop. Break the bank means cost too much; learn the ropes means learn a new job.
Choose the right idiom:
I've made my offer. Now the ball is in your court.
- A. the ball is in your court — Correct
- B. it's raining cats and dogs
- C. practice makes perfect
Answer: A. the ball is in your court
The ball is in your court means the next move is yours.
Choose the right idiom:
A nice dinner out won't break the bank. It's only twenty dollars.
- A. cost a fortune
- B. break the bank — Correct
- C. hit the jackpot
Answer: B. break the bank
We say something won't break the bank. Cost a fortune fits a sentence about something expensive, not a cheap dinner.
Choose the right idiom:
My dad is an early bird. He's always up before six.
- A. a night owl
- B. a couch potato
- C. an early bird — Correct
Answer: C. an early bird
A night owl stays up late; a couch potato watches TV all day.
Choose the right idiom:
Go on, tell me what happened. I'm all ears.
- A. all ears — Correct
- B. cool as a cucumber
- C. busy as a bee
Answer: A. all ears
You want to hear the story, so you are all ears.
Choose the right idiom:
Sorry, my bad. I forgot to send you the file.
- A. no worries
- B. my bad — Correct
- C. same here
Answer: B. my bad
You are saying sorry for your own mistake. No worries is the reply to someone else's sorry.
Keep learning vocabulary by topic
Pick the topic you want to study next and practise with the sets on the site.