20 Common English Idioms That Native Speakers Use

English can be tricky to learn, especially when it comes to vocabulary. It often relies on idioms, which is where the issue lies for both beginner and more advanced learners.

Idiomatic expressions are difficult because they’re not literal. Instead, they convey meaning based on cultural and historical references. This means that you can’t just wing it, at least not with idioms. You have to learn these English phrases, and that’s exactly what this article is for.

We’ll go over some of the most common English idioms, explain their meaning, and give you some example sentences so you know how to use them.

What Are English Idioms?

Idioms are common sayings that have a figurative (or non-literal) meaning. Look at the following sentence:

• Sure, you didn’t get the job, but look at the silver lining: at least you don’t have to drive two hours to the office every single day!

In this sentence, the person isn’t being asked to look at an actual silver lining of something. That would make no sense. Instead, they’re being told to find something positive about their situation. That’s what the idiom “look at the silver lining” means.

But where does this figurative meaning come from? That’s the second part of the key to understanding idioms. These English phrases don’t come out of nowhere. Usually, they’re a reference to something of either cultural or historical significance.

For example, the phrase “look at the silver lining” comes from a 17th-century poem by John Milton. In this poem, he points out that behind every cloud is what appears to be a silver lining as the sun or the moon shines through. Even though the cloud may be covering the source of light, the light is still there, and you can see it.

Metaphorical meanings

Idioms aren’t just difficult to understand because of their deep cultural or historical meaning. There’s also the fact that some of these expressions heavily rely on metaphors.

A metaphor is a type of figurative speech that compares two different things or ideas by pointing out their hidden similarities. 

For example:

• “He’s a night owl.” – This doesn’t mean that someone is an actual owl. It’s a metaphor that suggests that the person has a habit of staying up late or being most active at nighttime, as owls do.
• “This news is music to my ears.” – This metaphor implies that the speaker has just received some very good news. The news isn’t actual music, but it is as pleasant as listening to music.

While not all idioms are metaphors (for example, “cut to the chase” is not a metaphor), some do carry metaphorical meanings. These include:

• “Walking on air,” which means “to feel very happy.” Here, the metaphor compares feeling happy to the feeling of being weightless or floating in the air.
• “Swimming against the tide” evokes this idea of great physical effort. As an idiom, this phrase means “to act or think in a way that goes against what the majority do or think.”
• “Barking up the wrong tree” is a metaphor that compares a dog following the wrong scent trail to someone pursuing the wrong course of action.

If you’re struggling to understand an idiom, it might be a good idea to stop and think about what it may mean metaphorically. While this won’t always help you figure the meaning out (as not all idioms are metaphors), it might be useful in at least some cases.

1

The structure behind idiomatic expressions

One thing that all idioms have in common is that they have a specific wording that you can’t change if you want to get the figurative meaning across. Changing just one small word will make the phrase lose its idiomatic meaning. 

Let’s take a look at some examples:

• “Bite the dust” means “to come to an end” or “to die.” However, if you were to say “bite some dust,” the idiom would lose its non-literal meaning. While the phrase would still be grammatically correct, it would no longer evoke the meaning of something dying or ending. Instead, it would just seem like you’re literally talking about someone eating some dust.
• In English, “throw in the towel” means “to give up.” The use of the definite article is key here. If you say “throw in a towel,” you lose the idiomatic reference. Instead, people will likely think you’re talking about doing laundry.
• The common saying “play your cards right” also has to be said exactly like this if you want to get the idiomatic meaning (“to do things in an intelligent way”) across. Saying “use your cards well” or “play the right card” ruins the idiom.

If you want to use English idioms, make sure you get the structure and the exact wording right. Failing to do so will confuse whoever you’re speaking to, as they will likely think you’re saying something completely different than what you’re actually trying to say.

Why are idioms important in English?

You may be wondering, do I really need to learn all these idioms? Are they truly so important?

The answer to both of these questions is yes. In English, idioms come up all the time. People use them in both speech and written text. There are idioms about all sorts of things, including food and color. Without understanding these, you will likely feel lost in conversations with native speakers. 

The good news is that idioms are fun! They’re one of those things that make English a quirky and interesting language to learn. So stop worrying, and let’s take a look at some common idioms examples.

20 Most Common English Idioms for Everyday Use

While there are countless idioms in English, some are more relevant than others. You don’t have to worry about learning every single obscure idiom (such a thing would be impossible, anyway), but you should at least be familiar with the most common idioms. 

Here’s a list of some of the most useful ones:

• “A blessing in disguise” refers to something that may seem unfortunate at first but turns out to be lucky in the end. For example, if you lose out on a job you really wanted, only to find out that the company is going under two months later.
• “Beat around the bush” means “to avoid talking about what actually matters.” If you want someone to get to the point, tell them to stop beating around the bush.
• “Bite the bullet” is an idiom that means you’re forcing yourself to do something unpleasant or difficult. You may be “biting the bullet” when you finally initiate that dreaded “What are we?” talk with your on-and-off situationship.
• Saying “break a leg” to someone doesn’t mean you literally want them to break someone’s leg. It’s actually a way of wishing them good luck, especially before a performance.
• “Break the ice” means to do something that will make two strangers feel more comfortable around each other. For example, you might crack a joke to break the ice before a meeting.
• “By the skin of your teeth” means “slightly” or “barely just.” If you need 5/20 points to pass an exam and you get only those 5, you could say you passed by the skin of your teeth.
• When someone “calls it a day,” they’re basically stopping what they were doing. For example, after a long study session, they might say, “I can’t even think about grammar anymore. Let’s call it a day!”
• If someone accuses you of “cutting corners,” they’re implying that you’re trying to save money, time, or resources by not doing something properly or fully. For example, if you skip research and let AI write a paper the night before the deadline, you’re cutting corners.
• “Hit the nail on the head” refers to something that perfectly describes what is causing a certain situation. For instance, saying that sewing can be difficult to learn because of all the different patterns and stitches could be described as hitting the nail on the head.
• “Hit the sack” doesn’t mean you’re actually hitting some kind of sack. It means that you’re going to bed to sleep. If you’re tired after a long day, you could say, “I’m going to hit the sack now.”
• If someone “lets the cat out of the bag,” they basically let a secret slip, often accidentally. Telling someone that they’re getting a promotion before the official meeting would be letting the cat out of the bag.
• “No pain, no gain” is a saying you’ll often come across in the gym. It means that sometimes, it is necessary to suffer if you want to make progress. People lifting loaded barbells may sometimes tell themselves this as a reminder that the painful exercise will ultimately make them stronger.
• If something happens “once in a blue moon,” it happens very rarely or not very often. For example, someone who’s on a tight budget might only go to a fancy restaurant once in a blue moon.
• The idiom “piece of cake” is used when you’re trying to describe something that is easily done or achieved. For example, if your grandma asks you to set up a new email account for her, you might say, “Of course, Grandma! That will be a piece of cake.”
• When you’re “pulling someone’s leg,” you’re trying to trick or prank them by making them believe something that isn’t true. For example, telling someone that you made that 8-tier wedding cake at your friend’s wedding when, in reality, you have no idea how to bake, would be pulling their leg.
• “Spill the beans” means “to tell people something that was supposed to be a secret.” If you accidentally let the gender of your sister’s baby slip to your parents, she could accuse you of spilling the beans.
• “The last straw” is the latest problem in a long series of problems that makes the entire situation impossible to deal with. For example, if your roommate has been leaving dirty dishes in the sink and playing loud music at night, you might be annoyed but still willing to let it go. But when they eat the sandwich you made for work, that might be the last straw for you that makes you move out.
• When there’s an “elephant in the room,” there’s a huge problem that people are refusing to address, even though it’s impossible to ignore. For instance, if you’re at a family dinner and your parents are not speaking to each other, but no one is bringing it up, that tension is the elephant in the room.
• “Under the weather” is an idiom that means someone is feeling a bit sick. For example, if your throat has been sore lately, you could say that you’ve been feeling under the weather.
• “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it” is something people say when they only want to deal with a problem once they’re actually faced with it. For example, if you’re planning an outdoor wedding and someone asks you what you’ll do if it rains, you might say that you’ll cross that bridge when you come to it.

Tip: If you ever come across another idiom that you don’t quite understand, look it up in the Cambridge Free English Dictionary, which is a reliable source that we can’t recommend enough. 

How to Use Idioms Naturally

Now that you’re familiar with some of the most common idioms, it’s time to start using them. But how do you do this naturally? Here are some useful tips:

• Copy native speakers. Listen to how and when native speakers use idioms and then follow their lead. 
• Don’t use too many idioms. You don’t want to sound like a walking thesaurus. Use idioms when appropriate, but don’t try to sneak one in every other sentence.
• Practice using idioms in conversations. Practice makes perfect, and you won’t get anywhere without trying things out for yourself. If you’re nervous in person-to-person conversations, consider practicing with AI first.
• Use the right idioms in the right situations. Some idioms are more casual and appropriate to use with your friends. Others can also be used at work. For example, watch this video about idioms to use at work:

Remember: We all make mistakes, so it’s okay if you don’t always get it right. Language learning can often be very trial-and-error, so just go for it. You’ll figure it out eventually!

Practice English Idioms with Promova

If you’re looking for a way to practice your idiom skills, try Promova! With our app, you can access bite-sized lessons all about idioms (including food idioms, animal idioms, clothing idioms, and relationship idioms). 

What’s more, you can also practice new vocabulary in sentences with our AI chat. This feature will help you learn to communicate with more confidence, especially when you use the AI role-play speaking chat.

Try Promova today to improve your English language skills!

Conclusion

Congratulations, you’ve done it! Now you know some of the most common idioms in English. We hope that this article helped you clear some things up and motivated you to dive deeper into this wonderful language. Idioms truly are one of the most fun parts of learning English, wouldn’t you agree?