Idioms and Phrases (original) (raw)

Last Updated : 7 Nov, 2025

Idioms and phrases are an important concept of English comprehension, which is often asked in competitive exams. Candidates preparing for competitive exams or interviews must practice the questions of idioms and phrases to score well in the Verbal Ability section.

Idioms

An **idiom is a phrase or expression whose meaning is different from the literal meanings of its individual words. Idioms make language more colorful and expressive, and they are commonly used in everyday speech.

Examples of Idioms

Here are some popular idioms with their meanings

Phrases

A **phrase is a group of words that acts as a single unit in a sentence but does not contain both a subject and a verb, and therefore cannot form a complete sentence on their own. Phrases add extra information or detail to a sentence.

**Types of Phrases with Examples:

To understand phrases, it's best to see them within the context of a full sentence.

**Noun Phrase: Acts as the subject or object of a sentence.

**Verb Phrase: The main verb and its helpers in a sentence.

**Prepositional Phrase: Begins with a preposition (e.g., in, on, at, of) and shows a relationship or location.

**Adjectival Phrase: Describes a noun or pronoun.

**Adverbial Phrase: Modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb, often describing how, when, where, or why.

List of Important Idioms and Phrases

The following is the list of Important Idioms and Phrases:

**Idioms and Phrases **Meaning
to have ants in your pants To be restless, fidgety, and unable to sit still.
to take the bull by the horns To deal with a difficult situation with courage.
to let the cat out of the bag To reveal a secret, often by mistake.
Cat got your tongue? Doesn't have words to say or is usually quiet.
to be raining cats and dogs Raining heavily.
to have a cow To become very angry or agitated about something.
to wait until the cows come home Waiting for someone for a long time.
to be in the doghouse To be in trouble with a specific person (like a partner or family member).
to let sleeping dogs lie To avoid interfering in a situation that is currently stable, to avoid causing trouble.
to be in a fine kettle of fish To be in an awkward, difficult, or messy situation.
to seem a little fishy To seem suspicious or questionable.
to live high on the hog To live luxioursly and prosperous.
to eat like a horse Eat large quantities of food.
to look a gift horse in the mouth Finding faults in a gift or favour.
to hear it straight from the horse's mouth Hearing the information from the main source.
to hold your horses To tell someone to stop, wait, or be more patient.
to put the cart before the horse To do things in the wrong order; to reverse the proper sequence of events.
to change horses in midstream To choose a new leader or strategy in the middle of an important activity.
Under the weather Feeling unwell.
Turning a blind eye To knowingly ignore or pretend not to see something.
Make a beeline To go quickly and directly toward something.
At sixes and sevens If someone is in a state of confusion.
Don't count your chickens before they hatch It means don't make plans based on future events that may not happen.
Pain in the neck Someone or something that is very annoying.
Like chalk and cheese Used to emphasize that two people or things are completely different from each other.
To sit on the fence To delay making a decision or to refuse to take a side in a dispute.
Once in a blue moon An incident that happens very rarely.
Burn the midnight oil Work hard for a long time.
Cook the Books To alter financial records dishonestly.
Decked up Wearing special clothes to look attractive.

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