Explore 100 Important Idioms with Example Sentences commonly asked in competitive exams like SSC, RPSC, and teaching exams. This comprehensive guide provides clear meanings and practical usage in simple Indian Englishโideal for exam preparation and effective communication.
1. A blessing in disguise โ Something good that appears bad at first.
Example: Losing that job was a blessing in disguise; I found a better one.
2. Beat around the bush โ Avoid the main topic.
Example: Donโt beat around the bush, just tell me the truth.
3. Hit the nail on the head โ Do or say something exactly right.
Example: You hit the nail on the head with your answer.
4. A piece of cake โ Very easy task.
Example: The math test was a piece of cake.
5. Break the ice โ Start a conversation in a social setting.
Example: He told a joke to break the ice.
6. Barking up the wrong tree โ Accusing the wrong person or pursuing the wrong thing.
Example: If you think I stole it, youโre barking up the wrong tree.
7. Bite the bullet โ To endure a painful situation bravely.
Example: I had to bite the bullet and take the injection.
8. Burn the midnight oil โ Work or study late into the night.
Example: Sheโs burning the midnight oil for her exams.
9. Cry over spilled milk โ Regret something that can’t be changed.
Example: There’s no use crying over spilled milk.
10. Cut corners โ Do something poorly to save time or money.
Example: The company cut corners in construction, which caused issues.
11. Devil’s advocate โ Someone who argues for the sake of debate.
Example: He played the devilโs advocate during the discussion.
12. Give someone the cold shoulder โ Ignore someone deliberately.
Example: She gave me the cold shoulder after the argument.
13. Go the extra mile โ Do more than expected.
Example: Teachers often go the extra mile for students.
14. Hit the books โ Start studying seriously.
Example: Itโs time to hit the books before the final exam.
15. In the blink of an eye โ Very quickly.
Example: The accident happened in the blink of an eye.
16. In hot water โ In trouble.
Example: He is in hot water now-a-days.
17. Let the cat out of the bag โ Reveal a secret by mistake.
Example: He let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
18. Make a mountain out of a molehill โ Exaggerate a minor issue.
Example: She made a mountain out of a molehill over a small mistake.
19. Once in a blue moon โ Very rarely.
Example: We go to the cinema once in a blue moon.
20. On cloud nine โ Extremely happy.
Example: She was on cloud nine after getting the job.
21. Pull someoneโs leg โ Joke or tease someone.
Example: I was just pulling your legโdon’t take it seriously.
22. Put the cart before the horse โ Do things in the wrong order.
Example: Buying baby clothes before marriage is putting the cart before the horse.
23. Read between the lines โ Understand hidden meaning.
Example: You must read between the lines to understand the poem.
24. Spill the beans โ Reveal a secret.
Example: He spilled the beans about our plan.
25. Take something with a grain of salt โ Donโt take it too seriously.
Example: Take his stories with a grain of salt.
26. Under the weather โ Feeling unwell.
Example: Iโm under the weather and need rest.
27. The ball is in your court โ Itโs your decision now.
Example: Iโve done my part; now the ball is in your court.
28. A storm in a teacup โ A big fuss over nothing.
Example: Their fight was a storm in a teacup.
29. To throw in the towel โ To give up.
Example: He threw in the towel after three attempts.
30. Turn a blind eye โ Ignore something intentionally.
Example: The manager turned a blind eye to the mistake.
31. Add fuel to the fire โ Make a bad situation worse.
Example: His rude reply added fuel to the fire.
32. At the drop of a hat โ Instantly, without hesitation.
Example: Heโs ready to travel at the drop of a hat.
33. Back to the drawing board โ Start again from the beginning.
Example: Our plan failed, so weโre back to the drawing board.
34. Ballpark figure โ An approximate estimate.
Example: Give me a ballpark figure for the cost.
35. By the skin of oneโs teeth โ Just barely.
Example: I passed the exam by the skin of my teeth.
36. Call it a day โ Stop working for the day.
Example: Weโve done enough, letโs call it a day.
37. Cross the bridge when you come to it โ Deal with a problem when it happens.
Example: Donโt worry now; weโll cross that bridge when we come to it.
38. Cut to the chase โ Get to the point.
Example: Letโs cut to the chase and discuss the budget.
39. Donโt judge a book by its cover โ Donโt judge by appearance.
Example: He seems rude, but donโt judge a book by its cover.
40. Every cloud has a silver lining โ Something good in every bad situation.
Example: After every failure, remember every cloud has a silver lining.
41. Face the music โ Accept the consequences.
Example: He has to face the music for his actions.
42. Get cold feet โ Get nervous.
Example: He got cold feet before the performance.
43. Get a taste of your own medicine โ Receive the same bad treatment.
Example: He got a taste of his own medicine when others ignored him.
44. Give someone the benefit of the doubt โ Believe someone without proof.
Example: Letโs give him the benefit of the doubt.
45. Hang in there โ Donโt give up.
Example: I know itโs tough, but hang in there.
46. Have a change of heart โ Change your opinion.
Example: She had a change of heart about the job.
47. Hit the sack โ Go to bed.
Example: Iโm tired, Iโll hit the sack now.
48. Ignorance is bliss โ Not knowing is sometimes better.
Example: He didnโt know about the problemโignorance is bliss.
49. In the same boat โ In the same situation.
Example: Weโre all in the same boat, struggling with the syllabus.
50. Jump the gun โ Act too soon.
Example: He jumped the gun and answered before the question ended.
51. Keep your chin up โ Stay positive.
Example: Keep your chin up, better days are coming.
52. Know the ropes โ Be familiar with something.
Example: It took me a week to know the ropes at work.
53. Let sleeping dogs lie โ Donโt bring up past issues.
Example: Donโt ask about the argument, let sleeping dogs lie.
54. Miss the boat โ Miss an opportunity.
Example: He missed the boat by not applying on time.
55. Off the record โ Unofficial or confidential.
Example: Off the record, the deal is already done.
56. On the fence โ Undecided.
Example: Heโs still on the fence about joining the course.
57. Out of the blue โ Unexpectedly.
Example: He called me out of the blue after ten years.
58. Out of the frying pan into the fire โ From a bad situation to worse.
Example: He changed jobs and landed out of the frying pan into the fire.
59. Put your foot in your mouth โ Say something embarrassing.
Example: He put his foot in his mouth by insulting the host.
60. Rain on someoneโs parade โ Spoil someoneโs plans.
Example: Donโt rain on my parade with bad news.
61. Raining cats and dogs โ Raining heavily.
Example: Itโs raining cats and dogs outside.
62. See eye to eye โ Agree completely.
Example: We rarely see eye to eye on politics.
63. Sit on the fence โ Be undecided.
Example: Donโt sit on the fence; choose a side.
64. Speak of the devil โ The person appears while being talked about.
Example: Speak of the devil, here comes Rahul!
65. Steal someoneโs thunder โ Take credit for anotherโs work.
Example: He stole my thunder in the meeting.
66. Straight from the horseโs mouth โ From the original source.
Example: I heard it straight from the horseโs mouth.
67. Take the bull by the horns โ Face a problem bravely.
Example: Itโs time to take the bull by the horns.
68. The last straw โ The final problem after a series of issues.
Example: His rude comment was the last straw.
69. Throw caution to the wind โ Take a risk.
Example: He threw caution to the wind and invested all his savings.
70. Tie the knot โ Get married.
Example: They finally tied the knot last week.
71. To each their own โ Everyone has their own preference.
Example: I hate jazz, but to each their own.
72. Too good to be true โ Hard to believe.
Example: The offer was too good to be true.
73. Turn over a new leaf โ Make a fresh start.
Example: Heโs turned over a new leaf after school.
74. Up in the air โ Uncertain.
Example: The plan is still up in the air.
75. When pigs fly โ Something impossible.
Example: Heโll clean his room when pigs fly.
76. Wrap your head around โ Understand something complex.
Example: I canโt wrap my head around this topic.
77. You canโt judge a book by its cover โ Donโt judge by appearance.
Example: She seems arrogant, but sheโs kind. You can’t judge a book by its cover.
78. Zip your lip โ Keep quiet.
Example: Zip your lip during the exam.
79. Break a leg โ Good luck!
Example: Break a leg for your performance!
80. By hook or by crook โ By any means necessary.
Example: He wants to pass the exam by hook or by crook.
81. Come hell or high water โ No matter what happens.
Example: Iโll finish this work, come hell or high water.
82. Drop a bombshell โ Announce shocking news.
Example: She dropped a bombshell about quitting.
83. Get out of hand โ Become uncontrollable.
Example: The party got out of hand.
84. Have butterflies in your stomach โ Feel nervous.
Example: I had butterflies in my stomach before my speech.
85. Keep an eye on โ Watch closely.
Example: Keep an eye on your belongings.
86. Let someone off the hook โ Not punish someone.
Example: The teacher let him off the hook this time.
87. Make both ends meet โ Earn just enough.
Example: Itโs hard to make both ends meet on a small salary.
88. No pain, no gain โ Effort is necessary for success.
Example: Keep workingโno pain, no gain.
89. Once bitten, twice shy โ Cautious after a bad experience.
Example: He avoids investmentโonce bitten, twice shy.
90. Pull strings โ Use influence.
Example: He pulled strings to get the job.
91. Smell a rat โ Suspect something wrong.
Example: I smell a rat in this deal.
92. The early bird catches the worm โ Those who act quickly succeed.
Example: Start your day earlyโthe early bird catches the worm.
93. Throw light on โ Explain.
Example: The report throws light on corruption.
94. Turn a deaf ear โ Ignore advice.
Example: He turned a deaf ear to warnings.
95. Water under the bridge โ Past events no longer important.
Example: Forget it, itโs water under the bridge.
96. Work like a dog โ Work very hard.
Example: He worked like a dog to get promoted.
97. Your guess is as good as mine โ I donโt know either.
Example: When will the result come? Your guess is as good as mine.
98. A leopard canโt change its spots โ A person canโt change their nature.
Example: Heโs rudeโa leopard canโt change its spots.
99. Add insult to injury โ Make a bad situation worse.
Example: He rejected the offer and added insult to injury by laughing.
100. Actions speak louder than words โ What you do is more important than what you say.
Example: He promises a lot, but actions speak louder than words.
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