+300 English Idioms, Definitions and Examples
Table of Contents
Idioms about TIME in English
| Time to hit the road | Time to depart |
| Around the clock | At all times |
| A devil of a time | A difficult or frustrating time |
| For the time being | At the present moment; for now |
| Bad time | An inconvenient moment or an unfortunate experience |
| Kill time | To do something while waiting |
| As time goes by | As time passes or moves |
| Lose track of time | To be unaware of what time it is |
| Caught in a time wrap | Unchanged in an antiquated or obsolete way |
| Have a time of it | To experience particular trouble or difficulty |
Idioms about FRUITS in English
Idioms About Colors
Some of the idioms about colors and examples;
- Pink tickling; means that very pleased with the situation.
Example: My uncle was tickled pink that you called on her birthday!
- White lie; is a small lie that is said politely or avoiding hurting one’s feelings.
Example: I knew it would be sad, so I couldn’t say I didn’t like your clothes, and I lied a white lie.
Example: He had forgotten his mother’s birthday, but he lied a white lie not to upset him.
- With flying colors: with great or total success.
- Out of the blue; means that randomly, without warning, immediately.
Example: Out of the blue my cousin came to visit and he came with bad news. I was caught unprepared.
- Green with envy; means that to be very jealous, envious.
Example: She really envies me because I can get shopping as much as her want.
- Gray area; is an unclear, undefined something.
Example: Allowing mobile phones at work is now a gray area, available and not available.
- Caught red-handed; means that to catch someone in the act of doing something.
- Green thumb; means that to be skilled at gardening.
Example: Gardener grows all kinds of flowers, he has a green thumb.
Example: Gardener collecting dead plants, he has a green thumb.
- Black sheep; means that to be the outcast, odd one out, unlike the others.
- Blue once a month; means that it is very rarely seen.
- Take the red eye; means that a late night flight that arrives early in the morning.
Red tape; Official or bureaucratic tasks
To be yellow; To be cowardly
To see red; To be very angry
Black out; Faint
Black and blue; Describe something that is badly bruised
Golden opportunity; The perfect chance
Have the blues; Be sad or depressed
Black sheep; A person who is a disgrace to a family or group
Idioms About Human Body
Blood Is Thicker Than Water
Family relationships take precedence over others.
Example: No matter how much I’ve fought with my brother, but blood is thicker than water.
Brain Drain
Departure of talented, well-educated individuals from a place.
Example: Venezuela is experiencing a brain drain right now, with many professionals leaving for other countries because of bad conditions at home.
No-Brainer
Something that not requires thought.
Example: If the salary offered to me is more than my current salary, the decision is a no-brainer.
On the Blink
Not working, intermittently not working.
Example: We have work piling up, the computer’s on the blink.
Bend over Backwards
You make every effort to achieve something, especially you should to be fair or helpful.
Example: I’ve bent over backwards to please you. But it never seems to be good enough.
A Hair’s Breadth
A very small distance or space.
Example: He was going to set a more successful a hair’s breadth than his predecessors, unfortunately he got tired in the last kilometer of the race.
Be a Bundle of Nerves
Someone who is extremely nervous.
Example: Since the robbery, I’ve been a bundle of nerves.
Example: I was a bundle of nerves before my exam, but I calmed down once we got the questions and started to work.
Idioms About Weather
A storm of protest; means that a situation in which people suddenly protest about or criticize something, showing very strong feelings.
- The government plan to raise the taxes provoked a storm of protest.
To be under a cloud (of suspicion); means that to be suspected of doing something illegal or wrong.
- I left the office under a cloud of suspicion.
- The only cloud on the horizon was the final exam in July.
A sunny smile; means that a happy and friendly smile.
- The air hostess greeted the passengers with a sunny smile.
A storm in a teacup; means that a lot of fuss about something unimportant.
- That’s a storm in a teacup, stop fussing about it, you can do it.
To flood the market; means that to produce and a sell a large number of one type of thing, so that its price goes down.
- They have the intention to flood the market with their new mobile phones.
To be flooded with something; means that to receive so many letters or inquiries that you cannot deal with all of them.
- We’ve been flooded with letters, but we will try to answer them all.
Idioms About Health
- Clean bill of health: Report showing that a person is healthy.
If someone has a clean bill of health, they apply to many profession
- Fit as a fiddle: Excellent state of health.
My grandmother’s old, but she’s as fit as a fiddle.
If you a few days of rest and medication, you’ll be as fit as a fiddle.
- In the pink of health: In very good health.
There is no guarantee that he will always spend his life that way even if someone is in the pink of health.
- Under the weather: means that slowly unwell or in low spirits.
I’m sorry I can’t make it. I’m feeling a bit under the weather today.
- Look or feel like death warmed up: To look or feel very ill and tired.
If someone looks or feels like ill or tired, they look death warmed up.
Oh dear! You look like death warmed up, I think doctor will prescribe you a lot of medicine.
You shouldn’t be working all night when you’re so ill, you looks like death warmed up.
- Frog in one’s throat: Difficulty in speaking because of a cough or sore throat.
If someone has a frog in his throat, they will have difficulty speaking because of a sore throat and may feel like a cough, make it difficult to talk to, and should see a doctor.
- Go under the knife: To have a surgery; it could also mean cosmetic surgery.
My mum’s not worried about the operation. She’s been under the knife several times.
Stacy went under the knife last week.
- On one’s last legs: To be very tired, ill or near to death.
If someone is in their last legs, they are in a weak state and cannot live longer and die soon.
- As right as rain: To be in excellent health.
