100 Most Frequent Idioms with Meanings

Idioms are colorful expressions that add depth and flair to our language. They are phrases that have a figurative meaning different from their literal interpretation. In this list, we have compiled the 100 most frequently used idioms, along with their meanings, to help you enhance your understanding and usage of these popular expressions. So, let’s dive into the world of idioms and discover their fascinating meanings!

#	Idiom	Meaning
1	A piece of cake	Something that is very easy
2	Break a leg	Good luck!
3	Cat got your tongue	Unable to speak or at a loss for words
4	Dead as a doornail	Completely and unmistakably dead
5	Early bird catches the worm	The person who takes action first has an advantage
6	Face the music	Accept the consequences of one’s actions
7	Get cold feet	Become nervous or afraid to do something
8	Hit the nail on the head	Do or say something exactly right
9	In hot water	In trouble or facing difficulties
10	Jump the gun	Start doing something too early or prematurely
11	Keep an eye on	Watch or monitor closely
12	Let the cat out of the bag	Reveal a secret
13	Make a long story short	Summarize or get to the point quickly
14	No pain, no gain	You have to work hard to achieve something worthwhile
15	On the same page	In agreement or understanding
16	Put all your eggs in one basket	Rely on a single course of action
17	Rain on someone’s parade	Spoil someone’s plans or happiness
18	Save face	Avoid embarrassment or maintain dignity
19	Take a rain check	Postpone a plan or invitation for a later time
20	Up in the air	Uncertain or undecided
21	Vanish into thin air	Disappear suddenly or mysteriously
22	Wild goose chase	Fruitless pursuit or a hopeless quest
23	Your guess is as good as mine	I don’t know either
24	Zip your lip	Be quiet or keep silent
25	All ears	Eagerly listening or ready to listen attentively
26	Blow off steam	Release anger or frustration
27	Cross your fingers	Hope for good luck or success
28	Down to earth	Practical, sensible, and realistic
29	Every cloud has a silver lining	Something positive can be found in any situation
30	Fish out of water	Feel uncomfortable or out of place in a particular situation
31	Give someone the benefit of the doubt	Trust or believe someone, even if uncertain
32	Hit the sack	Go to bed
33	In the heat of the moment	Acting impulsively without thinking
34	Keep your chin up	Remain cheerful and optimistic in a difficult situation
35	Let sleeping dogs lie	Avoid interfering with a situation that could cause trouble
36	Miss the boat	Miss an opportunity
37	Not a big deal	Something unimportant or not significant
38	Off the top of my head	Without thinking deeply or without preparation
39	Penny for your thoughts	What are you thinking about?
40	Quiet as a mouse	Very quiet or silent
41	Rub salt in the wound	Make someone’s suffering or disappointment worse
42	Smell a rat	Suspect that something is wrong or suspicious
43	Take it with a grain of salt	Don’t completely believe something
44	Under the weather	Feeling sick or unwell
45	Walk on eggshells	Be cautious and delicate in dealing with a sensitive situation
46	You can’t judge a book by its cover	Don’t judge someone or something by appearance
47	A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush	It’s better to have something certain than something better but uncertain
48	Put your money where your mouth is	Take action to support or prove what you have said
49	Beat around the bush	Avoid addressing a topic directly
50	Catch someone red-handed	Catch someone in the act of doing something wrong
51	Don’t cry over spilled milk	Don’t worry about something that has already happened
52	Every dog has its day	Everyone will have their moment of success
53	Fit as a fiddle	In excellent physical health
54	Go the extra mile	Make additional effort or do more than expected
55	High as a kite	Intoxicated or under the influence of drugs or alcohol
56	In the same boat	In the same situation or predicament as others
57	Jack of all trades, master of none	A person who is competent at many things but exceptional in none
58	Keep your fingers crossed	Hope for good luck or success
59	Let the chips fall where they may	Let events unfold naturally without interference
60	Monkey see, monkey do	Imitate the actions or behaviors of others
61	Not my cup of tea	Something that doesn’t interest or appeal to you
62	On thin ice	In a risky or uncertain situation
63	Put a sock in it	Be quiet or stop talking
64	Rule of thumb	General guideline or rule based on experience
65	Shoot yourself in the foot	Do or say something that harms your own interests
66	Taste of your own medicine	Experience something that you have inflicted on others
67	Upside down	In a state of confusion or disorder
68	When pigs fly	Something that is highly unlikely or impossible
69	You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours	Mutual assistance or favor exchange
70	All in the same boat	Everyone is facing the same challenges or circumstances
71	Better late than never	It’s better to do something late than not at all
72	Curiosity killed the cat	Being too curious can lead to trouble or unpleasant consequences
73	Drive someone up the wall	Annoy or irritate someone greatly
74	Eyes are bigger than the stomach	Take more food than one can eat
75	Fall on deaf ears	Not be listened to or ignored
76	Give it a shot	Try something
77	Have a chip on your shoulder	Be easily offended or hold a grudge
78	Ignorance is bliss	Not knowing something can be more pleasant or advantageous
79	Jump to conclusions	Make hasty judgments or assumptions without sufficient evidence
80	Keep your options open	Maintain flexibility in making decisions or choices
81	Let bygones be bygones	Forget past conflicts and forgive each other
82	Make ends meet	Earn enough money to cover basic expenses
83	Out of the blue	Unexpectedly or without warning
84	Play devil’s advocate	Argue against the prevailing opinion to stimulate discussion
85	Put your foot in your mouth	Say something embarrassing or inappropriate
86	Saved by the bell	Rescued from a difficult situation at the last moment
87	The ball is in your court	It’s your turn to take action or make a decision
88	Under one’s belt	Something that one has achieved or experienced
89	Wear your heart on your sleeve	Show your emotions openly or vulnerably
90	You can’t have your cake and eat it too	You can’t have or do everything you want
91	A penny saved is a penny earned	Saving money is as valuable as earning it
92	Actions speak louder than words	What someone does is more important than what they say
93	Back to the drawing board	Start over after a failed attempt or plan
94	Cut to the chase	Get to the main point or important details
95	Don’t put all your eggs in one basket	Don’t rely on a single option or strategy
96	Behind every dark cloud is a bright sky	Something positive can be found in any situation / Even in challenging times, there is hope or a positive outcome waiting
97	Fit like a glove	Perfectly suited or matched
98	Good things come to those who wait	Be patient for positive outcomes
99	Hit the ground running	Start a task or project quickly and energetically
100	In the blink of an eye	Very quickly or in an instant

Idioms are an integral part of language, adding color and depth to our conversations.

Idioms are an integral part of language, adding color and depth to our conversations. This list of the 100 most frequent idioms with their meanings serves as a valuable resource to enhance your understanding and usage of these popular expressions. By familiarizing yourself with these idioms, you’ll be better equipped to communicate effectively and convey nuanced meanings in your conversations.