30+ English Idioms Commonly Used In Daily Conversations

As a non-native speaker of English, the best way to understand idioms is to memorize their meanings from the standpoint of a native speaker.

1. Hit the hay

• Meaning: Go to bed

2. Tie the knot

• Meaning: To get married

3. Eat crow

• Meaning: To have to admit that you made a mistake

4. Bent out of shape

• Meaning: To feel upset or annoyed about something

5. Pie in the sky

Meaning: Something you hope will happen, but is very likely

6. A bad egg

• Meaning: Someone who behaves in a dishonest way

7. Buy a lemon

• Meaning: To buy something that doesn’t work well (usually refers to care)

8. A drop in the bucket

• Meaning: A very small or unimportant amount

9. A couch potato

• Meaning: Someone who sits around and matches too much TV

10. To kill 2 birds with 1 stone

• Meaning: To solve 2 problems at once with 1 action.

11. Break a leg

• Meaning: Good luck

12. Spit it out

• Meaning: Say what your trying to say

13. I have butterflies in my stomach

• Meaning: Your either in love or nervous

14. Get up on the wrong side of the bed

• Meaning: Someone that is having a horrible day

15. A blessing in disguise

• Meaning: Seems bad, but is actually good

16. Actions speak louder than words

• Meaning: Actions are more important than words

17. A piece of cake

• Meaning: Easy

18. Beating around the bush

• Meaning: Not discussing what is important/ procrastinating

19. Big task on your hand

• Meaning: Having something important to finish

20. Can’t stand (something)

• Meaning: To dislike something

21. Check out that

• Meaning: Give that a look

22. Close but no cigar

• Meaning: Close but failed at the end

23. Don’t swear it

• Meaning: Don’t worry about it

24. Driving me bananas

• Meaning: Making me feel crazy

25. Easier said than done

• Meaning: Easy to say, but hard to actually do

26. Get out of town

• Meaning: I don’t believe you

27. Get over it

• Meaning: Forget about the past

28. Gone off track

• Meaning: Forgot about your future goal

29. Hands down

• Meaning: For certain the right answer

30. Hang on a second

• Meaning: Wait for a moment

31. Hang out

• Meaning: Spend time with a friend

32. Have stumbled upon

• Meaning: To accidentally discover something

33. Hold your horses

• Meaning: Wait/ calm down

34. I made a key decision

• Meaning: Make an important decision

35. Inside scoop

• Meaning: The details

36. In the bag

• Meaning: Will definitely happen

37. I was knocked on my heels

• Meaning: I was surprised