“Better safe than sorry”
It’s better to be cautious than regret later.
Search this index of English idioms. Each idiom has its own page with meaning, examples, and related expressions.
“Better safe than sorry”
It’s better to be cautious than regret later.
“Under the weather”
Feeling slightly ill or unwell.
“Break the ice”
To do or say something that makes people feel more comfortable in a new or awkward situation.
“Your guess is as good as mine”
I don’t know either.
“Cut corners”
To do something cheaply or badly to save time or money.
“When pigs fly”
Something that will never happen.
“Let the cat out of the bag”
To reveal a secret accidentally or intentionally.
“A picture is worth a thousand words”
An image can express more than words.
“Actions speak louder than words”
What people do is more important than what they say.
“Beat a dead horse”
To waste time on something already decided.
“Speak of the devil”
The person you were talking about appears.
“Bite off more than you can chew”
To take on too much responsibility.
“A dime a dozen”
Very common and easy to find; not special or valuable.
“Hit the nail on the head”
To describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem.
“Spill the beans”
To reveal secret information.
“Sit on the fence”
To avoid choosing a side.
“Wrap one's head around something”
To understand something complicated.
“Turn a blind eye”
To ignore something wrong or unpleasant on purpose.
“Ball is in your court”
It is your decision or responsibility now.
“Take it with a grain of salt”
To not completely believe something.
“Barking up the wrong tree”
To make a wrong assumption.
“Once in a blue moon”
Very rarely.
“Keep an eye on”
To watch or monitor carefully.
“Burn the midnight oil”
To work late into the night.
Idiom of the Day
“Through thick and thin”
In good and bad times.
A highlighted idiom from our collection. Browse the full index above for more.
Open idiom pageReinforce idiom meaning with context-based quiz practice and short daily game sessions.
Idioms are fixed expressions where the meaning is different from the literal words.
They make speech sound natural and help you understand native-level communication.
Study idioms in context, repeat example sentences aloud, and review them regularly.
Start with high-frequency idioms from daily conversation and workplace English.