💬 Idioms by Topics - English For Yourself

In this section you learn English idioms by topics.

18 idioms about relationships

A match made in heaven: a perfect combination.
Love is blind: if someone is in love, that person is perfect for them no matter what.
The apple of someone’s eyes: someone who is very liked by someone else.
To be at loggerheads: to be in disagreement with someone.
To be head over heels: to be in love with someone.
To be in the dark: to be unaware of something.
To be the center of attention: to be the main focus in a situation.
To fight like cat and dog: to argue constantly.
To get off on the wrong foot: to start a relationship in bad terms.
To get on like a house on fire: to have a good relationship with someone.
To get on someone’s nerves: to irritate someone.
To go round in circles: to be unclear about a situation.
To have a soft spot for someone: to have affection for someone.
To hit it off: to have a good connection with someone.
To kiss and make up: to reconcile with someone.
To rub someone up the wrong way: to annoy someone.
To tell your side of the story: to explain your version of what happened.
To tie the knot: to get married.

29 idioms about feelings and emotions

Out of sorts: when you feel unwell.
Seeing red: to be outraged.
To be an open book: to be very knowledgeable.
To be cheesed off: to be annoyed because of something.
To be down in the dumps: To feel depressed.
To be fed up: when you get frustrated.
To be happy go lucky: to have a relaxed attitude.
To be hot under the collar: to be very irritated.
To be in high spirits: when you are optimistic.
To be in seventh heaven: to be in a state of happiness.
To be on cloud nine: to be extremely happy.
To be on top of the world: to be extremely joyful.
To be over the moon: to be extremely delighted.
To be scared to death: to be extremely terrified.
To be shaken up: when you get disturbed by a shocking experience.
To be thrilled to bits: to be extremely excited.
To bent out of shape: to be angered about something.
To feel blue: when you feel sad or depressed.
To feel chilled out: to feel at ease.
To fly off the handle: to lose your composure.
To go white as a sheet: to become pale.
To have a change of heart: when you change your mind about something.
To have a face like thunder: to have an expression of annoyance.
To have a long face: when you have a disappointed expression on your face.
To have butterflies in your stomach: to get a feeling of excitement and nervousness.
To hit rock bottom: to reach a point where you cannot handle things anymore.
To lose someone’s temper: to lose control over your emotions.
To lose your cool: when you lose your temper.
To shake like a leaf: when you tremble uncontrollably.

12 idioms about technology

Bells and whistles: extra features to enhance the attractiveness of something.
Light years ahead: to be far advanced in terms of understanding.
Nuts and bolts: the basic components of something.
Rocket science: complex or difficult.
To be on the same wavelength: to be in agreement with someone.
To be right on the button: to be precise.
To blow a fuse: to lose one’s temper.
To blow a fuse: to suddenly become angry.
To get your wires crossed: to get confused.
To have a screw loose: to be unstable.
To pull the plug: to abruptly stop something.
To push someone’s buttons: to provoke or irritate someone.

18 idioms about business and work

An ace up your sleeve: a secret resource.
Bait and switch: a misleading sales tactic.
Call it a day: to stop doing something, like working.
Get your foot in the door: when you establish an opportunity that could lead to further progress.
On the back burner: to postpone something to focus on more important matters.
To be back to square one: to return to the initial stage of something.
To boil the ocean: to engage in something that is time-consuming.
To break your back: to work very hard physically and mentally to achieve something.
To breath down someone’s neck: to closely supervise someone causing discomfort.
To call the shots: to have the authority about something.
To cut corners: to neglect some standards.
To get the ball rolling: to start an activity.
To give someone the sack: to fire someone from their position.
To hold all the aces: to have complete power in a situation.
To miss the mark: when you fail to achieve an intended goal.
To pull a few strings: to influence someone to get a favor.
To recharge my batteries: to take a break or to rest.
To show the ropes: to teach someone how to do a task.

9 idioms about school and education

Bookworm: someone who likes books and spends time reading them.
To brainstorm something: to generate new ideas about something.
To hit the books: to study.
To learn by heart: to memorize something intensively.
To learn something the hard way: when you learn something by facing challenges.
To make the grade: to meet the standards in terms of academic performance.
To pass with flying colors: to accomplish something with outstanding results.
To pick someone’s brains: to seek knowledge from someone who is an expert in that field.
To skip class: to not attend a class.

8 idioms about health

Full of beans: when you have enthusiasm.
Off colour: to feel unwell.
To be back on one’s feet: when you recover from a difficult situation.
To be fit as a fiddle: to be in a perfect condition.
To be given a clean bill of health: when you get a notice that you are in good condition.
To be in bad shape: when you do not have a good physical condition.
To have one foot in the grave: when you are very frail.
Under the weather: when you are not in your best state of health.

10 idioms about sports

A long shot: when something you want to achieve requires a lot of effort.
The ball is in your court: it refers when it is your turn to make a decision.
To be on the ball: when you are attentive to respond to a situation.
To get to first base: to progress.
To give it your best shot: to do the best you can to achieve something.
To give the game away: to reveal something that was supposed to be a secret.
To go overboard: to act inappropriate or unreasonable.
To have the upper hand: to have an advantage in a situation.
To learn the ropes: to become familiar when doing a particular task.
To throw in the towel: to surrender.

20 idioms about money

A license to print money: a highly profitable business.
A penny saved is a penny earned: saving money is the same as earning it with effort.
Cost an arm and a leg: when something is very expensive.
Foot the bill: to pay for expenses.
From rags to riches: when you go from a humble background to being wealthy.
In the red: to not be in a good financial situation.
Money doesn’t grow on trees: it means that money is not easily earned.
On a shoestring: when you have to live with a very limited amount of money.
Pay through the nose: to pay a lot of money for something.
Strapped for cash: when you are in a financially tight situation.
The other side of the coin: it refers to another perspective of a situation.
Time is money: it means that time is valuable.
To be born with a silver spoon in your mouth: to be born into an affluent family.
To break the bank: to be expensive.
To cash in your chips: to sell something quickly.
To cut your losses: to stop investing in something that is not profitable.
To have deep pockets: to have a lot of financial resources.
To make ends meet: when you have enough money to cover your bills.
To save for a rainy day: when you save money for emergencies.
To spend money like water: to spend money without concern.

15 idioms about nature and weather

A late bloomer: someone who achieves something much later than others.
A ray of sunshine: someone or something that just brings you happiness.
Beat around the bush: to avoid discussing about something.
Come rain or shine: when something will happen no matter what.
Down to earth: a humble attitude.
Go with the flow: to go along with something.
In the shade: to be in an insignificant situation.
Once in a blue moon: when something occurs very rarely.
Shrinking violet: someone who is bashful.
The calm before the storm: a period of peace before a period of turmoil.
The tip of the iceberg: a small part of the whole problem or situation.
To be out of the woods: to overcome a difficult situation and to be in a better one.
To be stone deaf: when you are unable to hear anything.
To come naturally: when you do or something happens in a very natural way.
To make a mountain out of a molehill: to overreact and creating a big problem.