Idioms | English Olympiad for Class 6 PDF Download

What Is an Idiom?

• An idiom is a phrase or group of words that has a special meaning, different from the usual meaning of the words in it. 
• For example, if someone says, "It’s raining cats and dogs," it doesn’t mean animals are falling from the sky; it just means that it’s raining very heavily.
• According to different dictionaries, an idiom is a phrase where the meaning changes when the words are put together. You can’t figure out the meaning by looking at each word separately. 
• For example, the phrase "up in the air" doesn’t mean something is flying; it means something is undecided or not settled yet.
  

Why Use Idioms?

• Idioms make language more fun and creative, especially when used in informal writing or speech. 
• They can add humour or express an idea in a unique way. 
• However, idioms shouldn’t be used in formal writing, like school essays or professional work, because they might confuse people who don't know the idiom's meaning.
• So, when using idioms, make sure your audience will understand them. If they don't know what the idiom means, your sentence might not make sense to them.

List of Commonly Used Idioms 

• Idiom: Under the weather
  Meaning: Feeling ill / Getting a cold
  Sentence Example: My mom was feeling a bit under the weather.

• Idiom: Break the ice
  Meaning: To initiate conversation in a social setting
  Sentence Example: At the start of the meeting, Jane told a joke to break the ice.

• Idiom: A piece of cake
  Meaning: Something very easy to do
  Sentence Example: The math problem was a piece of cake for her.

• Idiom: Hit the nail on the head
  Meaning: To be exactly right about something
  Sentence Example: When you said that the team lacked coordination, you hit the nail on the head.

• Idiom: Let the cat out of the bag
  Meaning: To reveal a secret accidentally or prematurely
  Sentence Example: She let the cat out of the bag when she mentioned the surprise party.

• Idiom: Burn the midnight oil
  Meaning: To work late into the night
  Sentence Example: I had to burn the midnight oil to finish my project on time.

• Idiom: Bite the bullet
  Meaning: To endure a painful or unpleasant situation bravely
  Sentence Example: I hate going to the dentist, but I'll just have to bite the bullet.

• Idiom: Spill the beans
  Meaning: To disclose a secret
  Sentence Example: John accidentally spilled the beans about the company's new product launch.

• Idiom: A blessing in disguise
  Meaning: Something that seems bad at first but turns out to be good
  Sentence Example: Losing that job was a blessing in disguise—it pushed me to start my own business.

• Idiom: Once in a blue moon
  Meaning: Something that happens very rarely
  Sentence Example: My brother visits me once in a blue moon.

• Idiom: When pigs fly
  Meaning: Something that will never happen
  Sentence Example: I'll tidy my room when pigs fly.

• Idiom: Hit the books
  Meaning: To study hard
  Sentence Example: I have an exam tomorrow, so I need to hit the books tonight.

• Idiom: Let sleeping dogs lie
  Meaning: Avoid bringing up old conflicts
  Sentence Example: I think we should let sleeping dogs lie and not bring up the argument again.

• Idiom: Break a leg
  Meaning: Good luck (especially used in theatre)
  Sentence Example: Before going on stage, everyone told the actor to break a leg.

• Idiom: Kill two birds with one stone
  Meaning: To accomplish two things with a single action
  Sentence Example: I killed two birds with one stone by going to the bank and picking up groceries on my way home.

• Idiom: The ball is in your court
  Meaning: It’s up to you to take action
  Sentence Example: I’ve given you all the information you need—the ball is in your court now.

• Idiom: Cost an arm and a leg
  Meaning: Something very expensive
  Sentence Example: That designer handbag costs an arm and a leg.

• Idiom: Pull someone’s leg
  Meaning: To joke or tease someone
  Sentence Example: Don’t worry, I’m just pulling your leg.

• Idiom: Jump on the bandwagon
  Meaning: To join others in doing something that is currently popular
  Sentence Example: Everyone’s talking about the new app, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon and download it.

• Idiom: Barking up the wrong tree
  Meaning: To make a wrong assumption
  Sentence Example: If you think I’m the one who broke the vase, you’re barking up the wrong tree.

Some More Commonly Used Idioms

• Cry over spilt milk
  Meaning: To waste time worrying about something that’s already happened
  Sentence Example: There’s no use crying over spilt milk—what’s done is done.

• Add fuel to the fire
  Meaning: To make a situation worse
  Sentence Example: His rude comments only added fuel to the fire.

• All ears
  Meaning: Eager to listen
  Sentence Example: I’m all ears; tell me what happened.

• Actions speak louder than words
  Meaning: What you do is more important than what you say
  Sentence Example: He keeps promising to help, but actions speak louder than words.

• Raining cats and dogs
  Meaning: Raining very heavily
  Sentence Example: It’s raining cats and dogs outside, so let’s stay indoors.

• Go the extra mile
  Meaning: To make an extra effort
  Sentence Example: She always goes the extra mile to help her friends.

• Beat around the bush
  Meaning: To avoid talking about the main issue
  Sentence Example: Stop beating around the bush and tell me what really happened.

• On cloud nine
  Meaning: Extremely happy
  Sentence Example: He was on cloud nine after winning the competition.

• In the same boat
  Meaning: To be in the same difficult situation as someone else
  Sentence Example: We’re all in the same boat, trying to meet this deadline.

• The best of both worlds
  Meaning: A situation where you can enjoy the benefits of two different things
  Sentence Example: Working from home gives me the best of both worlds—flexibility and comfort.

• Once in a lifetime
  Meaning: Very rare or only happening once
  Sentence Example: This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so don’t miss it.

• Like a fish out of water
  Meaning: To feel uncomfortable in an unfamiliar situation
  Sentence Example: He looked like a fish out of water during his first day at the new school.

• Burn bridges
  Meaning: To ruin a relationship permanently
  Sentence Example: Be careful not to burn bridges when you leave your job.

• Hitting the sack
  Meaning: Going to bed
  Sentence Example: I’m exhausted; I’m hitting the sack now.

• Curiosity killed the cat
  Meaning: Being too curious can lead to trouble
  Sentence Example: I wouldn’t ask too many questions—curiosity killed the cat, you know.

• Cut corners
  Meaning: To do something in a way that is easy but not thorough or honest
  Sentence Example: The contractor cut corners on the building project, which led to several issues later.

• Let bygones be bygones
  Meaning: To forget past offenses or conflicts
  Sentence Example: After years of arguing, they decided to let bygones be bygones.