English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Alphabetical List of Idioms - R
from: 'race against time'
to: 'rake over the ashes'
- race against time
- When someone is in a race against time, they have to work very quickly in order to do or finish something before a certain time.
"It was a race against time to get everything ready for the inauguration."
- When someone is in a race against time, they have to work very quickly in order to do or finish something before a certain time.
- rack one's brains
- If you rack your brains, you try very hard to think of something or to remember something.
"Christmas is always a hassle for me. I have to rack my brains every year to find ideas for presents."
- If you rack your brains, you try very hard to think of something or to remember something.
- (go to) rack and ruin
- If something goes to rack and ruin, it deteriorates or falls into serious decline until it reaches a state of complete destruction.
"When the factory closed down, the building was to left to go to rack and ruin."
- If something goes to rack and ruin, it deteriorates or falls into serious decline until it reaches a state of complete destruction.
- on the rack
- If you are in a stressful situation, having to answer a lot of questions or wait for a decision, you are on the rack.
"The suspect was put on the rackby the police but he did not confess to anything."
- If you are in a stressful situation, having to answer a lot of questions or wait for a decision, you are on the rack.
- racked with pain
- When someone is suffering from severe pain, they are racked with pain.
"The soldier was so badly injured that he was racked with pain."
- When someone is suffering from severe pain, they are racked with pain.
- (from) rags to riches
- If a person goes from rags to riches, they start off being very poor and become very rich and successful.
"By renovating old houses in the right places, he went from rags to riches."
- If a person goes from rags to riches, they start off being very poor and become very rich and successful.
- (take a) rain check
- To say that you take a rain check means that you cannot accept an invitation or offer now, but you will be happy to accept it later.
"Do you mind if I take a rain checkon that lunch invitation? I'm going to be away all week."
- To say that you take a rain check means that you cannot accept an invitation or offer now, but you will be happy to accept it later.
- it never rains but it pours
- This expression is used to comment on the fact that when something bad happens, other bad things often happen too, and make the situation even worse.
"First he forgot his briefcase, then he lost his wallet, and when he reached the car park, his car had been stolen - it never rains but it pours!"
- This expression is used to comment on the fact that when something bad happens, other bad things often happen too, and make the situation even worse.
- raining cats and dogs
- If it's raining cats and dogs, it is raining very heavily.
"We'll have to cancel the picnic I'm afraid - it's raining cats and dogs."
- If it's raining cats and dogs, it is raining very heavily.
- raise eyebrows
- Someone who raises their eyebrows at something shows surprise or disapproval by the expression on their face.
"When the boss arrived in jeans, there were a lot of raised eyebrows."
- Someone who raises their eyebrows at something shows surprise or disapproval by the expression on their face.
- raise the roof
- When people raise the roof, they make a lot of noise by cheering, shouting, whistling or clapping their hands.
"The concert was such a success, the audience raised the roof."
- When people raise the roof, they make a lot of noise by cheering, shouting, whistling or clapping their hands.
- raise/lower one's sights
- If you raise/lower your sights, your raise or lower your expectations, or you are more or less ambitious.
"He had to lower his sights and accept a less well-paid job than what he hoped for."
- If you raise/lower your sights, your raise or lower your expectations, or you are more or less ambitious.
- rake over the ashes
- When people rake over the ashes, they discuss an unpleasant event which took place in the past.
"My grandfather's business went bankrupt years go, but he still rakes over the ashes from time to time."
- When people rake over the ashes, they discuss an unpleasant event which took place in the past.
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