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Top 100+ Most Common English Idioms

By: Author Xmen

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English idioms are phrases that are commonly used in everyday conversation but can be difficult for non-native speakers to understand. They can add color and interest to language, but can also be a source of confusion if you are not familiar with them.

Below is the list of common English idioms and sayings (in everyday conversational English), that can help to speak English by learning English idiomatic expressions.

Common English Idioms

What is an idiom?

An idiom is a phrase or expression that cannot be understood by the literal meaning of its individual words, but instead takes on a figurative meaning. English idioms are a rich part of the language and can add color and expression to speech and writing. Some examples include “break a leg,” which is used to wish someone good luck before a performance, and “the ball is in your court,” which means that it is now someone else’s turn to take action.

List of Common English Idioms

Here is a list of the most common idioms:

  • A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
  • A dime a dozen
  • A fish out of water
  • A penny for your thoughts
  • A picture is worth a thousand words
  • A snake in the grass
  • A taste of your own medicine
  • Actions speak louder than words
  • Add fuel to the fire
  • Against the clock
  • All ears
  • All in the same boat
  • All thumbs
  • All washed up
  • All work and no play
  • An arm and a leg
  • An axe to grind
  • An elephant in the room
  • An ounce of prevention
  • Apple of my eye
  • As easy as pie
  • As the crow flies
  • At the drop of a hat
  • Babe in the woods
  • Back against the wall
  • Back to square one
  • Barking up the wrong tree
  • Beating around the bush
  • Bend over backwards
  • Bite off more than you can chew
  • Bite the bullet
  • Bite your tongue
  • Blessing in disguise
  • Blow off steam
  • Blow your own horn
  • Break a leg
  • Bring home the bacon
  • Burn the midnight oil
  • Burn your bridges
  • Butter someone up
  • Button your lip
  • Buy time
  • Call it a day
  • Call the shots
  • Carry the ball
  • Carry the day
  • Catch some z’s
  • Cat’s out of the bag
  • Change of heart
  • Charity begins at home
  • Chewing the fat
  • Chomping at the bit
  • Clean bill of health
  • Clear as mud
  • Close, but no cigar
  • Cold turkey
  • Come hell or high water
  • Crack of dawn
  • Cry over spilt milk
  • Cry your eyes out
  • Cut to the chase
  • Cutting corners
  • Dark horse
  • Dead ringer
  • Devil’s advocate
  • Die-hard
  • Dime a dozen
  • Dirty laundry
  • Do a disappearing act
  • Do or die
  • Do the honors
  • Dog-eat-dog
  • Don’t count your chickens
  • Don’t look a gift horse

English Idioms | Pictures

Idiom 1 in touch iDIOM 02 TAKE it easy Idiom 3 piece of cake Idiom 4 on the ball Idiom 05 under the weather Idiom 06 once in a blue moon Idiom 07 be all ears Idiom 08 hit the sack Idiom 9 an arm and a leg Idiom 10 sit on the fence Idiom 11 up in the air Idiom 12 a little bird told me Idiom 13 a needle in haystack Idiom 14 A penny for your thoughts Idiom 15 a short fuse Idiom 16 a stone throw Idiom 17 actions speak louder than words Idiom 18 Add insult to injury Idiom 19 blow smoke Idiom 20 at the drop of a hat Idiom 21 back to the drawing board Idiom 22 bark up the wrong tree Idiom 23 be glad to see the back of Idiom 24 beat around the bus Idiom 25 bend over backwards Idiom 26 best of both worlds Idiom 27 best thing since slided bread Idiom 28 bite off more than you can chew Idiom 29 love is blind Idiom 30 not someone cup of tea Idiom 31 blow of steam Idiom 32 bread and button Idiom 33 break a leg idiom 34 bring home the bacon idiom 35 to burn the midnight's oil Idiom 36 call it a day Idiom 37 cant judge a book by its cover Idiom 38 cash cow idiom 39 cat got someone tongue Idiom 40 chin up Idiom 41 cross the bridge when you come to it Idiom 42 cry over spilt milk Idiom 43 cry wolf Idiom 44 curiousity killed the cat Idiom 45 cut corners Idiom 46 cut the mustard Idiom 47 cut to the chase Idiom 48 dont put all your egg into one basket Idiom 49 draw the line Idiom 50 Drive someone up the wall Idiom 51 Drop someone a line Idiom 52 eager beaver Idiom 53 Easier said than done Idiom 54 Every cloud has a silver lining Idiom 55 Face the Music Idiom 56 Far Cry From Idiom 57 Fed up with Idiom 58 Find Someone's feet Idiom 59 It's not rocket science Idiom 60 Get the ball rolling Idiom 61 Go the extra mile Idiom 62 Hit the books Idiom 63 Hit the nail on the head Idiom 64 in the nick of time Idiom 65 It takes two to tango Idiom 66 jump on the bandwagon Idiom 67 Keep something at bay Idiom 68 Kill two birds with one stone Idiom 69 Know (something) like the back of one's hand Idiom 70 let sleeping dogs lie Idiom 71 let the cat out of the bag Idiom 72 Make long story short Idiom 73 Loose Touch Idiom 74 Miss the boat Idiom 75 Not be caught dead Idiom 76 not playing with a full deck Idiom 77 Off one's rocker Idiom 78 Once in a while Idiom 79 Out of the Blue Idiom 80 Picture paints a thousand words Idiom 81 Pitch in Idiom 82 put the cart before the horse Idiom 83 ring a bell Idiom 84 pull someone's leg Idiom 85 Rule of thumb Idiom 86 Run on fumes Idiom 87 See eye to eye Idiom 88 be sick and tired of Idiom 89 Sit tight Idiom 90 Speak of the devil Idiom 91 Stab someone in the back Idiom 92 Steal someone's thunder Idiom 93 Straight from the horse's mouth Idiom 94 Take with a grain of salt Idiom 95 the ball is in your court Idiom 96 Thumbs Up Idiom 97 Twist someone’s arm Idiom 98 When pigs fly Idiom 99 Whole nine yards Idiom 100.Your guess is as good as mine

Conclusion

In conclusion, English idioms are an important and unique aspect of the language that can add depth and expression to communication. They can be difficult for non-native speakers to understand and use, but with practice and exposure, they can be mastered. Understanding idioms can also help to improve comprehension of spoken and written English. However, it’s worth noting that idioms can vary regionally and culturally, so it’s important to be familiar with the idioms used in the context where you are using the language.

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