Hello, friends, you know that idioms and phrases in English are one of the most important and useful parts of English language.
They are used in all forms of language : informal and formal, English speaking and writing.
As you know that as much of the English words in our daily life is based on idioms and phrases;
if you learn all the given idioms and phrases in English with examples in this post, it becomes an important part of the English language-learning process.
If you understand and use of idioms and phrases appropriately, it enhances your English communication skills.
One of the main problem you have with idiomatic expressions is that it is often impossible to know their meaning from the words they contain.
They can have a literal meaning in one situation and different idiomatic meaning in other situation. They do not always follow the normal rules of meaning and grammar.
Today, in this post, I am going to give you a collection of very important and useful idioms and phrases in English with examples; you can use all these idioms and phrases in English speaking and writing.
- Go with a bang – (very exciting and successful) – My friends take part in the events organized by me, because they go with a real bang.
- Bark up the wrong tree – (waste one’s efforts by pursuing the wrong thing or path) – It was a very sensitive case and yet for over one year the police kept barking up the wrong tree.
- With bated breath – (feel very excited or anxious while you are waiting) – I with my family watched the movie’s subject with bated breath.
- Pass on the baton – (give responsibility for something important to another person) – The teacher of my college resigns in May, passing on the baton to one of his closed friend.
Read Most Important Idioms And Phrases In English
Read all the given idioms and phrases in English with examples and use these in English speaking and writing; if you read and learn all these idioms and phrases;
you can improve your English speaking communication; so let’s start leaning with confidence.
- Beat about the bush – (approach indirectly, in a roundabout way, or too cautiously) – You will have to learn to speak clearly about what you want. You will not get anywhere if you keep beating about the bush.
- Make a beeline for – (go quickly and directly to somebody or something) – As soon as the teachers heard about the news of scrapping of the bonus policy, they made a beeline for the boss’s office.
- Belle of the ball – (be the most attractive woman at party or similar event) – Geeta used a dress made by the country’s most valued designer and could easily be picked up as the belle of the ball that morning.
- Tighten one’s belt – (spend less than you did before because you have less money) – Most Housewives need to tighten their belt during economic crisis.
- Better late than never – (it is better for somebody or something to be late than never to arrive or to happen) – All of my friends have been waiting for me for three days – but better late than never.
- Better half – (husband or wife, the larger amount or majority of something) – She thinks to start her own business but she had better take the help of her better half.
- Beyond a shadow of doubt – (without any doubt, indubitably) – I tried to prove myself beyond a shadow of doubt.
- A big cheese – (important person) – I would like to meet a big cheese regarding this business.
- A bird’s eye view – (an overview) – Take this my book it gives you a bird’s eye view of the Indian history since British times.
- Let’s read some more interesting and useful idioms and phrases in English with examples;
- Birds of a feather – (people with similar tests, interests and background) – According to the statement of his father, there is no chance that those boys who are birds of a feather will prove to be good friends.
- Bite the dust – (die or disintegrate) – Five hundred of Indian students lost their education when another country bite the dust.
- Bite off more than one can chew – (try to do more than one is able to do) – By accepting to learn English speaking, my brother is clearly biting off more than he can chew.
- You can use all these idioms and phrases in English in spoken English and written English.
- The black sheep – (the least reputable member of a group; a disgrace) – My closed friend was the black sheep. Eventually, he migrated to the United States to avoid jail here.
- A blank cheque – (complete authority or unrestricted freedom of action or a free hand) – Several students expressed their concern when the headmaster desired to give the blank cheque for the college’s future in the hands of 20-year-old principal.
- Draw a blank – (be unable to get information, think of something, achieve something) – I would like to say that we should help such a student as is a blank check.
- You know; idioms and phrases in English with examples help you to improve you English speaking and writing.
Learn Interesting Idioms And Phrases Of English With Examples
- A blast from the past – (Something that suddenly and strongly makes you remember a previous time in your life) – Watching that hollywood movie again was a real blast from the past.
- A blind date – (an arranged meeting for two people who have never met each other before, in order to try to start a romantic relationship) – She agreed to go on a blind date with me.
- Blood, sweat and tears – (a lot of effort and suffering) – Our freedom is the result of over hundred years’ of blood, sweat and tears.
- New blood – (new people in an organization who will provide new ideas and energy) – It’s time the chief minister of Uttar pradesh brings some new blood into the government.
- Once in a blue moon – (very rarely) – I don’t know why I bought this book – I read it once in a blue moon.
- You should learn all idioms and phrases in English and use in your own daily use English sentences.
- Body and soul – (with all one’s effort and ability) – I and my friends have dedicated us to education, body and soul.
- Make no bones about something – (be open and frank about something) – I made no bones about learning something new with the teaching in the college.
- Take a leaf out of somebody’s life – (follow an example set by an another person; imitate another person) – We need to take a leaf out of our sir’s life, and start coming to college in time.
- Living on borrowed time – (not expected to live longer) – The film star has got fever and is living on borrowed time.
- Think outside the box – (think differently; look at the broader context of a problem, challenge, etc) – I have spent my whole life in doing a job and can not be expected to think outside the box.
- Here are given the newest and most useful idioms and phrases in English for practice; learn it.
- Take somebody’s breath away – (astonish or astound somebody) – The beauty of the Taj Mahal took the tourists’ breath away.
- Somebody’s bread and butter – (one’s livelihood) – Teaching English speaking to young boys and girls is their bread and butter.
Read Idioms With Meanings And Sentences In English
- Burn one’s bridge – (destroy one’s possibility of retreat, act decisively) – I have already burned my bridge with my previous friends by publicly criticizing their business plans.
- In broad daylight – (during the day) – I saw a man who was shot in broad daylight in front of my home.
- Like a bull in a china shop – (extremely awkward, clumsy person) – I am like a bull in a China shop when it comes to dealing with friend’s feeling.
- Burn the candle at both the ends – (exhaust one’s energies or resources by leading a hectic life) – My brother has been burning the candle at both ends by doing a full-time job and preparing for his board examination.
- Bury one’s head in the sand – (refuse to think about an unpleasant situation, hoping that it will improve so that you will not have to deal with it) – Parents said ragging was being ignored and accused the hostel warden of burying his head in the sand.
- Try to learn all these idioms and phrases in English for spoken English.
- Press the panic button – (do something quickly without thinking about it in order to deal with a difficult or worrying situation) – We have missed the last two examinations but we are not yet pushing the panic button yet.
- Give somebody a wide berth – (avoid somebody, keep away from somebody) – I have fallen out with my teacher and have been giving him a wide berth for a couple of years.
- Between you and me – (in confidence) – Just between you and me, I don’t think his English communication deserves the first rank.
- In cold blood – (in a planned way and without pity or other emotion) – My two neighbors were shot dead in cold blood near the market.
- Have the blues – (feel depressed or sad) – After seeing my closed friends in such a situation, I had the blues for weeks.
- As bold as brass – (shameless, audacious, impudent) – I was not invited to this party and yet I showed up at the function, as bold as brass.
- At bottom – (fundamentally, basically, also, in reality) – She speaks English somewhat bluntly but those who know her say that she is always good at bottom.
Learn Meaning Of Idioms And Phrases With Examples For Examination
Learn some more idioms and phrases in English for all competitive examination like SSC, Banking, NDA and etc.
- Make (or hit) the bull’s eye – (get something exactly right, or be on target) – My father’s speech on attracting new business plans hit the bull’s eye.
- Burn one’s fingers – (suffer unemployment results of an action) – Many unemployed Indian youths burn their fingers when they are duped by fake job agents.
- By and by – (later; in due course; before long) – The train moved in and out of tunnels on that rocky terrain and by and by they arrived at a big city.
- Stab somebody in the back – (do something harmful to somebody who trusted you) – I was talking my best friend at the last minute was a real stab in the back.
- Bad mouth somebody – (Say unemployment things about somebody or something, especially in order to spoil other people’s opinions of them) – Why do I always bad mouth my acquaintances?
- Read some more useful idioms and phrases in English for all competitive examination.
- Behind bars – (in prison) – He spent five years behind bars after being convicted for his neighbour murder.
- The beau monde – (rich and fashionable people, fashionable society) – I took no interest in the glittering beau monde that I belonged to now after my selection in army.
- A big mouth – (be loquacious, often noisily or boastfully; be tactless or reveal secrets) – My friends were scared of inviting me at the marriage parties as after a few drinks I turns into a big mouth.
- Be after somebody’s blood – (desire to catch somebody in order to hurt them or punish them) – My teacher has duped many students and now they are after his blood.
- Be the brains behind – (be the person who plans and organises something, especially something successful) – We were the brains behind many of the college initiative.
- Below are some more idioms and phrases in English that are more useful for English language; Read all these.
- Better off – (be in a better situation than before) – I would be better off if I give up the habit of spending money on useless things.
- Break down something – (Divide something into parts, to separate something into similar substances) – We tried to break down the problem for money.
- Close the books – (on somebody or something) – It’s time to close the books on Motilaal murder case.
- Beg to differ – (refuse politely) – Indian youths are in favour of 50 per cent reservation for women, but government begs to differ.
- Brownie points – good marks for credit – You are not going to get many brownie points for your performance.
Read Some More Idioms And Phrases With English Meaning
At the last, you are going to learn some more interesting idioms and phrases in English for all competitive examination; I hope that you will learn all these idioms and phrases carefully.
- Be on the case – (doing what needs to be done in a particular situation) – ‘We need to apply before registration is closed.’ ‘Don’t worry, I’m on the case, just leave it to me.
- Not have a clue – (have no idea or inkling about something) – I haven’t a clue why he resigned.
- At cross purposes – (with aims or goals that conflict or interfere with one another) – I fear the two government departments are working at cross purposes.
- Keep one’s card close to one’s chest – (be secretive or cautious, give nothing away) – I have no idea how many copies of my book have been sold; they keep their cards close to their chest.
- Child’s play – (very easy work) – Since he was completely fit, playing in the world championship looked like child’s play for him.
- All these idioms and phrases in English help you to improve your English speaking skills.
- A chink in somebody’s armour – (a vulnerable area) – He is a brilliant student but his lack of English knowledge may be the chink in his armour.
- When the chips are down – (when a situation is urgent or desperate) – He is the man you would like to have around when the chips are down.
- A close shave (or call) – (narrow escape) – I managed to jump from the burning building in time, but it was a pretty close shave.
- A closed book – (something that one knows or understand nothing about) – She is afraid modern English will always be a closed book to me.
- On cloud nine – (be very happy) – I have been on cloud nine since I heard the news of his passing in the examination.
- To coin a phrases – (as one might say; to repeat an expression, quotation, etc) – He was, to coin a phrases, as fast as a robot.
- Get cold feet – (suddenly become too frightened to do something one had planned to do) – She got cold feet about joining an Institute which was thousands of miles from her home.
- Learn all idioms and phrases in English with confidence.
- Show one’s (true) colours – (reveal oneself as one really is) – I counted on him but when I got him for help he rather showed his colours by declining to do anything for me.
- Cool as a cucumber – (to one’s complete satisfaction, without limitation) – There she stood, cool as a cucumber and totally oblivious to the violence that had shattered the very fabric of the society.
- Count one’s chicken – (make plans based on events that may or may not happen) – My father knows I have ambitious plans for my business venture, but don’t count your chickens.
- Get cracking (or going) – (hurry up; also, start working) – It’s time we got cracking or we shall miss the first half of the movie.
I hope that you have read and learnt all idioms and phrases in English for all competitive examination like SSC, Banking, NDA, Airforce and etc.