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Study Guide: Useful Idioms & Expressions For IELTS
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Useful Idioms & Expressions For IELTS

By Fatskills Exam Guides Team — the exam nerds behind 28,500+ quizzes and 2.1M practice questions across 500+ global exams.

⏱️ ~19 min read

An expression is a combination of words that express an idea. It has taken on more meaning than the individual words while still maintaining a lexical connection. It is frequently used in certain circumstances to express a specific idea.

An idiom is saying or expression that contains a figurative meaning that is different from the phrase’s literal meaning.

 

A

a bear with a sore head: irritated/bad mood
a bit of a dark horse: person with hidden abilities
a bitter pill to swallow: a difficult fact to accept
a different kettle of fish: a totally different sitation from the one just mentioned
a dog’s life: a difficult, hard life
a fish out of water: sb who feels uncomfortable
a long shot: a wild guess/ a risk
a memory like a sieve: a poor memory
a night owl: person who enjoys staying up late
a pain in the neck: annoying person/thing
a piece of cake: sth very easy to do
a red rag to a bull: action, comment, etc. liable to provoke sb
a red-letter day: a very important day
a sitting duck: an easy target
a storm in a teacup: a lot of fuss about sth that is not important
a wild-goose chase: a hopeless search
above board: honest
Achilles heel: weakest point of sb’s character
against all odds: despite the difficulties
agree to disagree: stop arguing because there is no chance of agreement
all along: from the beginning until now
all but: nearly, almost
all in: exhausted
all in all: when everything is considered
all the same: yet, however
all told: altogether; in total
an old wives’ tale: false belief
an unknown quantity: person or thing that one has no experience of
as a last resort: when all else has failed
as the crow flies: in a direct line/ by a direct route
at close quarters: from a short distance
at large: free, not caught
at the cutting edge: at the forefront of

 

 

B

 

bark up the wrong tree: have a false idea about sth
be ahead of one’s time: have modern ideas
be all at sea: be in a state of confusion
be all fingers and thumbs: be awkward, clumsy
be all very well: appear satisfactory but in fact not be
be as busy as a bee: very busy
be as thick as a brick: be stupid
be beside oneself with anger: to be extremely angry
be born yesterday: be easily deceived/ naive
be broke: have no/very little money
be caught red-handed: be caught while committing a crime
be dying for sth: really want sth
be fit for: be good enough for
be for the high jump: about to be punished
be full of beans: be very lively
be green: be inexperienced
be in a quandary: be confused; undecided
be in sb’s black books: out of favour
be in sb’s shoes: be in sb’s position
be in the dark about sth: be unaware of sth
be in the doghouse: be out of favour, in trouble
be in the know: be well-informed
be in the same boat: be in the same (usually bad) situation
be in two minds about sth: not be able to decide what to do
be on the cards: be likely to happen
be on the defensive: protect oneself because one feels insecure or threatened
be on the up and up: improve steadily
be out of practice: lacking practice
be over the moon: be elated
be second to none: be the best
be sound asleep: sleep deeply
be the apple of sb’s eye: be very precious to sb; be sb’s favourite
be the perfect image of sb: look exactly like sb
be the splitting image of sb: look exactly like sb
be thrown off balance: be surprised
be tickled pink: be really pleased
be up and about: have recovered from an illness
be up in arms: be very angry
be worn out: be very tired
be/get soaked to the skin: be/get very wet
be/have a close shave: barely avoid an accident/ a bad situation
bear fruit: be successful
beat about/around the bush: avoid saying what one means directly
beat sb black and blue: hit sb repeatedly until bruised
before one can say Jack Robinson: extremely quickly
beg the question: makes people want to ask a particular question
behind bars: in prison
behind the scenes: in secret
below the belt: cruel and unfair
bide one’s time: wait for a good opportunity
big cheese: person with important job/position
big-headed: conceited; boastful
bite off more than sb can chew: try to do sth which is too difficult
black and blue all over: covered with bruises
black tie: formal clothing
blaze a trail: discover sth new
blessing in disguise: sth which appears bad at first but then turns out favourably
blow a fuse: become very angry
blue-eyed boy: a favoured person
bolt from the blue: suddenly
brainwave: sudden clear idea/thought
break even: show neither loss nor profit
break the ice: ease the tensione when one first meets people
bring sth home to sb: make sb understand how important or serious sth is
bring to one’s knees: destroy, humble
browned off: fed up; bored
bury one’s head in the sand: avoid or ignore reality/responsibility
butter sb up: flatter sb
by and large: generally speaking
by definition: having a quality simply because of what it is
by force of habit: used to doing sth without thinking
by trial and error: learning from one’s mistakes

 

C

 

call it quits: give up/stop
call sb names: insult sb
cast aspersions: criticise
catch sb red-handed: be caught while committing a crime
chair a meeting: preside over a meeting
chip off the old block: sb who is very like one of his parents
chop and change: keep changing (your mind)
claim to fame: thing which makes sb unusual
clear the air: remove suspicion/bad feeling
come clean: admit the truth
come out of one’s shell: gain personal confidence
come to a head: reach a critical point
come to a standstill: not progress/stop
come to terms with: accept a difficult situation
come to the fore: become important or popular
come to the point: reach the main point in a discussion
cook one’s goose: end one’s plans abruptly
cost a bomb: very expensive
cost an arm and a leg: be very expensive
cramp one’s style: restrict one’s behaviour in some way
crocodile tears: false tears
cross one’s mind: think of sth
cry over spilt milk: grieve over sth that can’t be put right
cut corners: be less thorough
cut sb dead: ignore sb
cut sb to the quick: deeply hurt sb’s feelings
cut to the bone: reduced to the minimum

 

D

 

deal a blow to: damage one’s hopes
different as chalk and cheese: totally different
does it show?: is it obvious?
dog eat dog: ruthless competition, rivalry
dog-eared: (of books) with the corners bent and turned down through use
don’t give up your day job: continue to do sth you know rather than trying sth new
don’t hold your breath: don’t wait for sb/sth anxiously
donkey work: boring, monotonous work
donkey’s years: a long time
down in the dumps: depressed/miserable
down the drain: wasted; lost
drive a hard bargain: be a tough businessman
drive sb up the wall: make sb angry/annoy sb
drop a brick: say sth tactlessly
drop sb a line: send sb a letter

 

E

ease off: reduce in degree, speed or intensity
eat one’s heart out: feel jealous/ sad about sth
every nook and cranny: everywhere

 

F

 

face the music: be criticised or punished for sth you have done
fair and square: within the rules
fall head over heels: fall in love quickly
fall into place: become clear
feel down in the mouth: feel discouraged/depressed
feel in one’s bones: feeling sth instinctively
feel one’s ears burning: have a feeling that sb is talking about you
few and far between: scarce/rare
fight like cat and dog: disagree violently
fine kettle of fish: confused state of affairs
flat broke: penniless
flog a dead horse: waste time doing sth useless
fly off the handle: quickly become very angry
fly on the wall: see/hear sth in a situation which does not involve you
for all: in spite of
for all I care: I don’t care
for all I know: as far as I know
for donkey’s years: for a very long time
for the time being: temporarily
frosty welcome: unfriendly reception

 

G

 

gatecrasher: sb attending a party without an invitation
get a bit hot under the collar: get angry, upset or embarassed
get a move on: hurry up
get a problem off one’s chest: tell sb else about your problem
get cold feet: lose courage to do sth
get cold feet: be nervous or frightened because sth might fail
get nowhere fast: make no progress
get off on the wrong foot: argue or disagree at the beginning of a relationship
get on one’s nerves: irritate/annoy sb
get out of bed on the wrong side: be in a bad mood
get out of hand: become out of control
get rid of sth: give sth unwanted away
get the hang of it: get in the habit of doing sth
get the sack: be dismissed from one’s job
get the wrong end of the stick: misunderstand completely what has been said
get wind of: receive information about sth indirectly
get your own back: take/get revenge
give and take: compromise
give chapter and verse: give every exact detail
give sb the cold shoulder: ignore sb
give sb the slip: escape from sb
give the green light to sth: give permission to proceed with sth
give vent to: express sth freely
give way to: give in/yield
go back on one’s word: not fulfil a promise
go by the board: be rejected
go for a song: be sold very cheaply
go to any lengths: do anything necessary to get sth you want
go to one’s head: make conceited
go to the dogs: worsen
go without saying: be a foregone conclusion
golden opportunity: the best chance to gain sth
grease sb’s palm: bribe sb
green belt: the area on the outskirts of a town adjoining the country
green with envy: very jealous
grey matter: brains; intelligence
grow out of sth: become too big for sth

 

H

 

hand in glove with sb: be in very close contact with sb
have a bee in one’s bonnet: have an obsession about sth
have a frog in one’s throat: inability to speak due to nervousness
have a job to do sth: find sth difficult to do
have a sharp tongue: tend to say unkind or hurtful things
have a yellow streak: be a coward
have an early night: go to bed early
have an eye for: be a good judge of sth
have an eye for: be good at judging the worth of sth
have at one’s fingertips: have easily available
have butterflies in one’s stomach: be very nervous about sth
have kittens: be nervous/anxious about sth
have many irons in the fire: have lots of plans in progress at the same time
have no fixed abode: be homeless
have no option but: must; have no choice
have one’s heart in one’s mouth: be extremely anxious about sth
have sb’s hands full: be very busy with sth
have the cheek: dare to do sth
have the gift of the gab: be able to talk well
have time on one’s hands: have free time
have words with sb: have an argument
hear it through the grapevine: find out information indirectly
hit the nail on the head: say exactly the right thing
hit the roof: get very angry
hit the sack: go to bed
hold one’s horses: wait; be patient

 

I

 

ill at ease: embarassed; uncomfortable
in a flash: very quickly
in a nutshell: briefly; in few words
in a rut: be stuck in a monotonous routine
in a tick: shortly, soon
in abeyance: halted temporarily
in arrears: have not paid the money they owe
in black and white: in writing
in broad daylight: in full view of the public
in clover: living a luxurious and comfortable life
in deep water: in trouble/difficulty
in full flow: talking at length
in public: in the presence of other people
in the abstract: in a general way
in the act of: while performing the act
in the air: uncertain
in the balance: uncertain
in the black: not owing anybody any money
in the flesh: in person
in the long run: after a long period of time
in the nick of time: just in time
in the offing: likely to happen
in the red: owe money to a bank
it stands to reason: it is logical
it’s all Greek to me: sth new or foreign; not easily understood

 

J

 

jack of all trades: sb who is able to do a variety of jobs

 

K

 

keep a straight face: manage to look serious under difficult circumstances
keep an eye on sth: guard/protect sth
keep in check: control
keep one’s chin up: not be discouraged
keep one’s fingers crossed: hope that sth will turn out well
keep one’s wits about one: be alert and able to deal with difficulties
keep oneself to oneself: live quietly, privately
keep sth quiet: keep sth secret
keep sth under one’s hat: keep sth secret
keep up with the Joneses: compete with others in status/material goods
kick the bucket: die
kill time: pass time while waiting for sb/sth
kill two birds with one stone: achieve two things with one action
know the ropes: know all the details of sth

 

L

 

lay bare: make public
lay the table: set the table for a meal
lend an ear: listen to sb in a careful and sympathetic way
lend sb a hand: give help to sb
let sleeping dogs lie: avoid mentioning a subject which could cause trouble
let the cat out of the bag: reveal a secret
like a bull in a china shop: behave ina clumsy/ awkward way
like the back of one’s hand: be very familiar with sth
like water off a duck’s back: having no effect
live out of a suitcase: travel often/not have a permanent home
look at sth though rose-coloured spectacles: see sth from an unrealistically positive point of view
look down one’s nose at sb: feel/act superior to sb
lose heart: become discouraged
lose one’s head: lose self-control
lose one’s nerve: lose courage
lost cause: hopeless situation or case

 

M

 

make a clean breast of: confess
make a dog’s dinner: make a mess of sth
make a flying visit: make a quick trip
make a fool of oneself: make oneself look stupid
make a killing: have a sudden, great success
make a living: earn money
make a mountain out of a molehill: cause a fuss about a trivial matter
make a name for oneself: become famous/respected for sth
make allowances for: take special circumstances into consideration
make amends for: try to compensate for a past action
make common cause with sb: act together to achieve aim
make hay while the sun shines: take advantage of favourable circumstances
make head nor tail of: understand sth
make light of: treat sth as unimportant
make money hand over fist: make a lot of money quickly and easily
make one’s blood boil: cause sb to become very angry
make one’s getaway: escape
make quite a scene: become angry in a dramatic way
make sb’s day: make sb very happy
make waves: cause trouble
meet behind closed doors: meet secretly
moon around: look miserable
more to sb than meets the eye: sb is more important or interesting than is first seen
mutton dressed as a lamb: dress in a style younger than or inappropriate to your age

 

N

 

no room to swing a cat: no room at all
no wonder: not surprising
not all it’s cracked up to be: not as good as people say it is
not be one’s cup of tea: not suit one’s taste
not count one’s chickens before they’re hatched: not assume sth before it happens
not have it both ways: refuse to make a decision between two pleasant things
not have the foggiest idea: not know sth at all
not hold water: not seem reasonable or in accordance with the facts
not lose any sleep over sth: not worry about sth
null and void: invalid; not legally binding

 

O

 

of all people: used to express annoyance/surprise
of its own accord: automatically
of no consequence: of no value
off colour: look/be slightly unwell
off the cuff: without preparation
off the point: irrelevant
off the record: unofficial(ly)
on a shoe string: on a very small budget
on account of: because of
on edge: tense/nervous/ anxious
on no account: under/in no circumstances
on second thoughts: having changed one’s mind
on the air: broadcasting
on the alert: watchful and prepared
on the ball: alert
on the blink: stop working properly (of electrical equipment)
on the dole: receiving unemployment benefit/social security
on the dot: punctual, exact on time
on the face of it: judging by how sth appears
on the level: honest/sincere
on the quiet: secretly
on the spur of the moment: without thinking about sth
on this/that account: for this/that reason
once and for all: for the last time
once in a blue moon: very rarely
one’s flesh and blood: family member
open to debate: not decided/settled
out and about: outdoors; travelling from one place to another
out in the open: (of secrets) revealed, known
out of bounds: prohibited, forbidden (place)
out of print: (of books) not available anymore
out of the blue: suddenly and unexpectedly
out of the frying pan into the fire: from a situation to a worse/similar one
out of the question: impossible
out of turn: not in the correct order/time
out-and-out: complete, total

 

P

 

paint the town red: have a great time
part and parcel of: basic part of
part company with: end association
pay sb’s way: contribute your shares of a bill
pick someone’s brains: ask sb to help with a problem
pitch black: very dark
play cat and mouse with sb: keep sb in a state of uncertain expectation treating them alternatively cruelly and kindly
play it by ear: act in a situation by responding to events rather than according to plan
play one’s cards right: act cleverly
play truant: stay away from school without permission
plenty more fish in the sea: many more opportunities in life for love
point the finger of suspicion: blame sb for sth
pop the question: make a proposal of marriage
pull a few strings: use influential contacts in order to obtain an advantage
pull one’s leg: tease or trick sb
pull one’s socks up: make a greater effort
put a damper on: ruin sth or make it less enjoyable
put down roots: settle down
put on a brave face: try to hide one’s disappointment
put one’s foot down: insist on sth
put one’s foot in it: make a tactless comment
put one’s heart and soul into sth: be devoted to sth
put sb’s name forward: nominate sb
put the cat among the pigeons: cause trouble/controversy
put two and two together: arrive at the truth by looking at facts
put words into one’s mouth: pretend that sb has said sth that they haven’t actually said

 

R

 

rack sb’s brains: think very hard about sth
rain cats and dogs: rain heavily
red herring: sth which distracts you from sth important
red tape: unnecessary bureaucracy
ring a bell: remind sb of sth
rise to the challenge: act and be successful even though sth is new

 

S

 

see eye to eye with sb: agree with sb
see fit: think suitable or right
see red: suddenly become very angry
see the back of: be glad to see sb leave
set in one’s ways: fixed in one’s habits
shed light upon: give new/further information
short and sweet: brief but pleasant (usually ironic)
show one’s true colours: reveal one’s real character
sleep like a dog: be sound asleep
sleep on it: think about sth
slip one’s mind: forget about sth
slow on the uptake: slow to understand
smell a rat: suspect that sth is wrong
sour grapes: say unpleasant comments because of jealousy
speak volumes: be strong evidence of sb’s feelings or merits
spill the beans: reveal a secret/the facts
stand in sb’s way: prevent sb from doing sth
status symbol: property/possession that shows sb’s high social rank wealth etc.
stay clear of: avoid sb/sth
stew in one’s own juice: suffer the consequences of one’s own action
sth comes in handy: be very useful/practical
straight from the horse’s mouth: from the most direct source
strike a chord: make sb feel sympathy
strike gold: come across sth useful
sweet tooth: enjoy eating sweet things
swim like a fish: swim very well

 

T

 

take it easy: not work too hard/relax
take one’s time: not to hurry
take sb for granted: not appreciate sb
take sth into account: consider sth
take sth on the chin: bravely accept criticism
take sth to heart: take personally/be influenced by
take sth with a pinch of salt: not believe sth completely
take the bull by the horns: deal with sth boldly and directly
take things to pieces: dismantle things
take to one’s heels: run away
talk the hind legs off a donkey: talk for a long time, uninterrupted
the black sheep of the family: a disgraced family member
the ins and outs: the details of an activity
the last straw: the last and worst episode in a chain of bad experiences
the life and soul of sth: the most lively and amusing person present somewhere
the lion’s share: the biggest part/portion
the pot calling the kettle black: accusing sb of a fault one has oneself
the rat race: the competitive nature of modern urban life
the tip of the iceberg: small evident part of a much larger, concealed situation
the year dot: a long time ago
thick-skinned: insensitive
through thick and thin: whatever happens
throw a party: have/hold a party
to no effect: unsuccessful
tongue in cheek: not serious, ironic
tooth and nail: fiercely
touch and go: with uncertain result
turn a blind eye to sth: ignore
turn over a new leaf: make a new start
under the weather: depressed/unwell

 

U

 

until one is blue in the face: as hard/long as one possibly can
until the cows come home: for a long time
up and coming: likely to be successful
up in the air: existing, but not talked about
ups and downs: good things with bad ones

 

W

 

wash sb’s hands of sb: refuse to be involved with sb
wet behind the ears: inexperienced
wet blanket: dull person who spoils people’s happiness
whet sb’s appetite: make sb eager to have/experience more
white elephant: useless/unwanted possession
white-collar job: office/clerical work
with a view to doing sth: with the intention or hope of doing sth
with flying colours: with great success
without fail: do sth no matter what
work a miracle: make sth almost impossible happen
work to rule: adhere strictly to the rules as a form of protest

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