Idioms are phrases where the meaning isn’t exactly what the words say. Instead, they have a special meaning that makes conversations more interesting and expressive. In this post, you’ll find 20 common English idioms along with their meanings and simple example sentences. These idioms are perfect for students, teachers, and English learners who want to understand everyday expressions used in real conversations.
20 Common Idioms in English
- Break a leg
- Hit the books
- Under the weather
- Let the cat out of the bag
- A piece of cake
- Once in a blue moon
- Spill the beans
- The ball is in your court
- Bite your tongue
- Raining cats and dogs
- Cry over spilled milk
- Blow off steam
- On cloud nine
- Barking up the wrong tree
- Pull someone’s leg
- Cold feet
- In hot water
- Head in the clouds
- Break the ice
- Bite off more than you can chew
20 Common Idioms in English (With Meaning and Example Sentences)
Here is a list of 20 popular English idioms, each with a clear meaning and a simple sentence to help you understand how it’s used in real life.
1. Break a leg
Meaning: Good luck (usually said before a performance)
Example: “You’ll do great in your play—break a leg!”
2. Hit the books
Meaning: To start studying
Example: “Exams are coming, so I need to hit the books tonight.”
3. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling sick
Example: “I didn’t go to school today because I was feeling under the weather.”
4. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: To accidentally reveal a secret
Example: “You let the cat out of the bag about her surprise party!”
5. A piece of cake
Meaning: Something very easy
Example: “The quiz was a piece of cake—I finished it in five minutes.”
6. Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Very rarely
Example: “We go to the beach only once in a blue moon.”
7. Spill the beans
Meaning: To share a secret
Example: “Don’t spill the beans about my birthday gift!”
8. The ball is in your court
Meaning: It’s your turn to take action
Example: “I’ve done my part—now the ball is in your court.”
9. Bite your tongue
Meaning: To stop yourself from saying something
Example: “I wanted to complain, but I bit my tongue and stayed calm.”
10. Raining cats and dogs
Meaning: Raining very heavily
Example: “We canceled the game because it was raining cats and dogs.”
11. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: To be upset about something that has already happened
Example: “It’s no use crying over spilled milk. Let’s fix it instead.”
12. Blow off steam
Meaning: To release strong emotions by doing something active
Example: “After school, I play soccer to blow off steam.”
13. On cloud nine
Meaning: Extremely happy
Example: “She was on cloud nine after winning the art contest.”
14. Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: Blaming the wrong person or looking in the wrong place
Example: “If you think I took your book, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
15. Pull someone’s leg
Meaning: To joke or tease someone
Example: “I’m just pulling your leg—of course, you look great!”
16. Cold feet
Meaning: Nervousness before doing something important
Example: “I got cold feet before the talent show started.”
17. In hot water
Meaning: In trouble
Example: “He’s in hot water for forgetting his homework again.”
18. Head in the clouds
Meaning: Daydreaming or not paying attention
Example: “She missed the question because her head was in the clouds.”
19. Break the ice
Meaning: To say or do something to make people feel more comfortable in a new situation
Example: “To break the ice, the teacher told a funny story on the first day of school.”
20. Bite off more than you can chew
Meaning: To take on too much
Example: “He bit off more than he could chew by joining five clubs at once.”
