100 Must-Know English Idioms for Daily Conversations

Idioms are an essential part of English, adding color and depth to the language. They can express complex ideas succinctly and often bring a touch of humor or wisdom to conversations. If you’re looking to enrich your English skills, here are 100 must-know idioms you can use in your daily life.

1-10: Everyday Expressions

1. Break the ice – To initiate conversation in a social setting.
2. Hit the nail on the head – To describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem.
3. Kill two birds with one stone – To achieve two aims with a single effort.
4. Let the cat out of the bag – To inadvertently reveal a secret.
5. Piece of cake – Something that is very easy to do.
6. Spill the beans – To disclose a secret.
7. Under the weather – Feeling ill or unwell.
8. Burning the midnight oil – Working late into the night.
9. Bite the bullet – To face a difficult situation with courage.
10. Cost an arm and a leg – To be very expensive.

11-20: Work and Success

11. The ball is in your court – It’s up to you to make the next decision.
12. Jump on the bandwagon – To join a popular activity or trend.
13. On the same page – To agree about something.
14. Think outside the box – To think creatively.
15. Burning the candle at both ends – To exhaust oneself by doing too much.
16. Get the ball rolling – To start something, especially a project.
17. Call it a day – To stop working for the day.
18. Put all your eggs in one basket – To risk everything on one venture.
19. Cut to the chase – To skip over the details and get to the main point.
20. At the eleventh hour – At the last possible moment.

21-30: Emotions and Relationships

21. A blessing in disguise – Something that seems bad at first but results in something good.
22. Cry over spilled milk – To waste time worrying about things that can’t be changed.
23. Hit the hay – To go to bed.
24. Piece of the pie – A share of something, usually money or resources.
25. Get cold feet – To become frightened or hesitant.
26. A perfect storm – A rare combination of events that leads to a negative outcome.
27. Keep your chin up – To stay positive in difficult times.
28. Barking up the wrong tree – To make a wrong assumption about something.
29. Caught between a rock and a hard place – To be faced with two difficult choices.
30. Like two peas in a pod – Very similar or close.

31-40: Nature and Environment

31. Hit the ground running – To start something and proceed quickly and effectively.
32. Let sleeping dogs lie – Don’t disturb a situation as it is since it would result in trouble.
33. Every cloud has a silver lining – There’s something good in every bad situation.
34. A drop in the ocean – A small amount compared to the larger context.
35. In the same boat – In the same situation as someone else.
36. Out of the woods – Out of a dangerous or difficult situation.
37. Make hay while the sun shines – Take advantage of favorable conditions.
38. The calm before the storm – A quiet moment before chaos ensues.
39. Steal someone’s thunder – To take credit for someone else’s achievements.
40. Throw caution to the wind – To take a risk.

41-50: Learning and Growth

41. Bite off more than you can chew – To take on more responsibility than you can handle.
42. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks – It’s difficult to change someone’s established habits.
43. Learn the ropes – To learn how to do a job or activity.
44. Trial and error – The process of experimentation to achieve an outcome.
45. Hit a brick wall – To encounter an obstacle that stops progress.
46. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps – To succeed through hard work without help.
47. Face the music – To confront the consequences of one’s actions.
48. Every dog has its day – Everyone gets a chance at success at some point.
49. When life hands you lemons, make lemonade – Make the best out of a bad situation.
50. The early bird catches the worm – Those who act quickly have an advantage.

51-60: Opinions and Thoughts

51. A penny for your thoughts – Asking someone what they are thinking.
52. Burning question – An issue that needs immediate attention.
53. From the horse’s mouth – Information directly from the source.
54. Read between the lines – To understand the hidden meaning.
55. Keep your options open – To not make a firm decision yet.
56. Take it with a grain of salt – To be skeptical of something.
57. Put your money where your mouth is – To back up your words with actions or money.
58. See eye to eye – To agree with someone.
59. Make a long story short – To summarize or shorten a story.
60. A fish out of water – Someone who feels uncomfortable or out of place.

61-70: Challenges and Resilience

61. Weather the storm – To endure a difficult situation.
62. Light at the end of the tunnel – A sign of improvement after a difficult period.
63. When the going gets tough, the tough get going – Strong people take action during difficulty.
64. A tough cookie – A person who is strong and resilient.
65. Burn the midnight oil – To read or study late into the night.
66. Throw in the towel – To give up.
67. On thin ice – In a risky situation.
68. Keep your head above water – To manage in a difficult situation.
69. Put your best foot forward – To show your best effort.
70. The tip of the iceberg – The first signs of a larger problem.

71-80: Mistakes and Regrets

71. Slip through the cracks – To be overlooked or forgotten.
72. Drop the ball – To make a mistake or fail in one’s responsibilities.
73. Back to square one – To start over from the beginning.
74. Make a mountain out of a molehill – To exaggerate a minor issue.
75. Fall through the cracks – To fail due to neglect.
76. Come to terms with – To accept a situation or decision.
77. Get your act together – To organize oneself.
78. Cut corners – To do something in the easiest or cheapest way.
79. Throw shade – To criticize someone indirectly.
80. Burn bridges – To damage relationships.

81-90: Humor and Fun

81. Kick the bucket – A light-hearted way to talk about death.
82. Get a kick out of – To enjoy something.
83. Full of beans – Energetic and lively.
84. A smart cookie – A clever person.
85. Have a blast – To have a great time.
86. Out of the blue – Something unexpected.
87. Put a sock in it – To tell someone to be quiet.
88. Take it easy – To relax.
89. Make a scene – To create a public disturbance or fuss.
90. Party pooper – Someone who spoils the fun.

91-100: Closing Remarks

91. Throw in the sponge – To give up on a task or challenge.
92. The elephant in the room – An obvious problem that is ignored.
93. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer – Stay aware of what your adversaries are doing.
94. Ride the wave – To take advantage of a situation while it’s favorable.
95. Put the cart before the horse – To get things confused or do them in the wrong order.
96. A leopard can’t change its spots – People can’t change their true nature.
97. Go down in flames – To fail spectacularly.
98. In hot water – In trouble.
99. Too good to be true – Something that seems so good that it’s probably not real.
100. Cross that bridge when you come to it – Deal with a problem when it arises.

Using idioms can greatly enhance your English speaking and writing skills, making your communication more relatable and engaging. Try incorporating a few of these idioms into your daily conversations, and watch how they add flavor to your interactions!