English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions

Lists of well-known English idioms used in everyday conversations, with their meaning.

What are idioms?

Idioms are words, phrases or expressions which are commonly used in everyday conversation by native speakers of English. Learning the most well-known idioms will help make your English sound more fluent.

Idioms are often metaphorical and make the language more colourful. People use them to express something more vividly and often more briefly. They serve as an image or mental picture.

Example: Let the cat out of the bag: If you let the cat out of the bag, you reveal a secret.

N.B. It is important to remember that idiomatic expressions are used when speaking informally. They are not used in formal exchanges.

Lists of idioms by theme and in alphabetical order:

Idioms by theme:

Idioms in alphabetical order: (A-Z list of idioms)