60+ Most Common Idioms & Example Phrases List in English

In this lesson, you’ll learn the most common idioms and phrases in English. An idiom is a group of words that has a figurative meaning different from its literal translation. If you try to interpret an idiom word for word, the meaning can change entirely. For example, “a white elephant” means something that is useless or of no benefit. Learning these idioms will enhance your English fluency and help you understand expressions used in daily conversations.

Table of Contents

The most common idioms list

A bone of contention

Meaning: Reason for Conflict
Example: This land is a bone of contention among the brothers.

Bear out:

Meaning: Confirm

Example: He will bear out my honesty.

Break out:

Meaning: Blow up
Example: War broke out between India and China.

60+ Most Common Idioms

Here’s the list of most commonly used idioms and phrases in everyday conversations:

Idioms	Meanings	Example Sentences
A bone of contention	Reasons of Conflict	This land is a bone of contention among the brothers.
Above Board	Honest and fair	His honesty is above board.
A Birds Eye View	Overview	You can get a bird’s-eye view of the city from the hills.
A curtain lecture	Wife conflict with husband	His wife often gives him a curtain lecture.
A far cry	Far away	It is a far cry from here to Karachi
A jailbird	convicted criminal	He is a jailbird and does not care for the law.
A red-letter day	Good day	Fourteen August (Pakistan Independence Day) is a red-letter day for us.
A white elephant	Useless with no benefit	This old car is a wild elephant for me
A wild goose chase	No gain	Passing the BA examination without effort is a wild goose chase.
All and sundry	Everyone	All and sundry were invited to the party.

60+ Most Common Idioms & Example Phrases List In English

Idioms with Example Sentences

Idioms with Meanings and Examples

Idioms	Meanings	Example Sentences
All at sea	Worried	He was all at sea and could not answer a single question.
All in all	All things considered	A principal is all in all in college.
An ax to grind	Private purpose	Asim will help you only when he has an ax to grind.
An eyewash	Cheating	Her tears were nothing but an eyewash.
Animal spirits	Full of cheers	The actor was full of animal spirits.
At daggers drawn	Conflicts	The two friends are at daggers drawn these days.
At sixes and sevens	Without proper arrangement	His books were lying at six and seven.
At a stone’s throw	Near	Our house is a stone’s throw from Salma’s.
Back out	U-turn	He promised to help me, but now he has backed out.
Back up	Care for	We back up the rights of Kashmiris.

Commonly Used Idioms with Meanings

Idioms	Meanings	Example Sentences
Bag and baggage	With everything they have	He left the city bag and baggage.
Bear out	Confirm	He will bear out my honesty.
Beat about the bush	Rubbish talking	Do not beat about the bush; come to the point.
Better half	Wife	Salma is my better half.
Bird of passage	Vagabond	He does not stop at one place; he is a bird of passage.
Birds of features	Same thoughts	Birds of a features flock together.
Black sheep	Fake actors	Get rid of black sheep if you want to succeed.
Bluestocking	Women fond of studying	She is a bluestocking lady in our family.
Bone of contention	Reason of Conflict	This land is a bone of contention among them.
Bosom Friend	True friend	Aslam is my bosom friend.

30 Idioms with Meanings and Examples

Idioms	Meanings	Example Sentences
Bread and butter	Income	He works hard to earn his bread and butter
Break out	Blow up	War broke out between India and China.
Bring to book	Take to task	The criminal must be brought to book.
Bring to light	Reveal	His crimes were brought to light
Burn the midnight oil	Great hard work	He burnt the midnight oil and got success.
Burn the candle at both ends	Consume uselessly	He burnt the candle at both ends and soon came to grief.
Bury the hatchet	End up fighting	Let us bury the hatchet and be friends again.
By and by	Slowly, slowly	By and by, she will recover.
By and large	Totally	By and large, he is going well.
Capital punishment	Sentence of death	The terrorist was given capital punishment.

Common Idioms with Example Phrases

Idioms	Meanings	Example Sentences
Carry the day	Be successful	Our hockey team carried the day.
Cat and dog life	Always in a fight	The husband and wife are leading a cat and dog life.
Cat’s paw	Instrument	He is a cat’s paw in the hands of his wife.
Cheeks by jowl	Close	The two friends were sitting cheeks by jowl.
Cold-blooded murder	Cruel murder	Everybody lamented her cold-blooded murder.
Cocks and bull story	Fake story	I could not believe her cock-and-bull story.
Chicken-hearted fellow	Coward man	He proved a chicken-hearted fellow in the fight.
Come off	Have a relation to	He comes from a very noble family.
Come off	Happens	Her marriage will come off next month.
Crocodile tears	Fake tears	She shed crocodile tears before her husband.

Idioms Meanings with Examples

20 Idioms with Meanings and Examples

Idioms	Meanings	Example Sentences
Cut a sorry figure	Apologetic	He cut a sorry figure in the debate.
Cut and dried	Clear and well planned	There are no cut-and-dried rules in this office.
Cut to quick	Hurt someone’s feelings	His insulting remarks cut her to the quick.
Dark horse	Hidden gem	He proved a dark horse in the election.
Dead letter	Ended law	This law has now become a dead letter.
Die in harness	Killed in effort	The poor worker died in harness.
Do away with	End something	He did away with his weakness in English.
Dog in manger	One who creates a disturbance	Selfish people follow a dog in the manager’s policy.
Drawn game	Equal pay	The two teams played a drawn game.
Face the music	Will bear	If you fail you have to face the music.
Fall foul of	Having a fight	We should not fall foul of someone.