300+ Noun Phrases From A To Z With Meanings and Examples
Learn about Noun Phrases from A to Z with meanings and examples. This lesson will help you to increase your knowledge about noun phrases with meanings, uses, sentences, and examples of noun phrases from A to Z alphabetically arranged. Noun phrases which are start from Letter A to Letter Z.
Noun Phrases Alphabetically Arranged with Examples
Noun Phrases Starts With Letter A
- A bag of bones: an extremely thin person (ہڈیوں کا ڈھانچہ)
Example: His maidservant is a bag of bones.
If you do not eat more, you’ll soon be a bag of bones.
- A bed of roses: comfortable
Example: Life is not a bed of roses for a ruler in Pakistan.
- A bed of thorns: a difficult thing
Example: Life is a bed of thorns for a policeman.
- A beast of burden: an animal used for carrying heavy loads
Example: The donkey is a beast of burden.
- A big gun/shot: a big and important person
Example: He is a big gun in the world of business.
He has become a big gun/shot after becoming an M.N.A.
- A bird of passage: a migratory bird
Example: Do not trust him; he is a bird of passage.
- A bird’s eye view: is a view seen from above as by a bird flying.
Example: The headmaster took a bird’s eye view of the class.
- A black sheep: That member who is thought to be a disgrace to the other members of it.
Example: He is the black sheep of our family because he has been in jail twice.
Now every profession has got its black sheep.
- A blessing in disguise: something that proves to be fortunate after seeing unfortunate.
Example: The loss of wealth sometimes is a business in disguise.
- A blind alley: a narrow street closed at one end.
Example: The thief was easily caught when he ran into a blind alley.
- A blue-eyed boy: a favorite
Example: Mr. Saleem is a blue-eyed boy of his boss.
John was always the blue-eyed boy at school.
- A bluestocking: a woman having a literary taste
Example: She is not well educated but she is a bluestocking.
- A bolt from the blue: a sudden calamity
Example: The news of his son’s death in the car accident was a bolt from the blue for him.
- A bone of contention: the root of evil
Example: This piece of land is a bone of contention between the two brothers.
- A broken reed: someone untrusted worthy, not to be relied upon.
Example: Do not tell your secrets to him because he is a broken reed.
- A brown study: thinking deeply and not noticing what is happening around one
Example: I startled him from his brown study.
- A bull in a China shop: a wreckless or clumsy destroyer
Example: My son behaved like a bull in a China shop and destroyed everything in the library.
- A cooled blooded murder: a cruel murder
Example: The killing of Liaquat Ali Khan was a cold-blooded murder.
- As the crow flies: in a direct, a straightway
Example: This road leads to the station as straight as the crow flies.
- A cry in the wilderness: an impossible thing
Example: The cry of peace is a cry in the wilderness.
- At cross purpose: two persons having opposite views, that they do not understand each other.
Example: He is at a cross purpose with his father on the issue of his marriage.
I think we have been talking at cross purpose.
- A casting view: decisive vote
Example: The matter was decided by the casting vote of the speaker.
- A cat and dog life: a life of quarrels
Example: The husband and wife are leading a cat and dog life.
- A cat’s paw: a person used as a tool by another paw
Example: He is a cat’s paw in the hands of his wife.
- A chip of the old block: A child possessing the qualities of his father or mother
Example: He is a lover of money like his father. He will prove a chip off the old block.
- Achilles’ heel: The weak point in man’s circumstances or character.
Example: His Achilles’ heel was his pride.
- A close-fisted man: a miser, unwilling to spend money
Example: He does not give anything in charity. He is a close-fisted man.
Nobody likes him because he is a close-fisted man.
- A cock and bull story: An incredible story
Example: He narrated a cock and bull story.
His marriage with a film actress is a cock and bull story.
- A dark horse: An unexpected winner
Example: He proved a dark horse and came finally in the annual examination.
- A dead letter: Something no longer in force
Example: This law on divorce has already become a dead letter.
- A dog in the manger: A churlish person, who does not use a thing himself and does not let others use it.
Example: Salma is a real dog in the manger. She cannot drive, but she will not lend her car to anyone.
- A drawn game: A game in which neither party wins.
Example: The two teams played a drawn game.
- At daggers drawn: To have enmity
Example: All the religious parties in Pakistan are at daggers drawn with one another.
- An eyewash: Trickery, deception
Example: His sympathy for me was merely an eyewash.
Elections in Pakistan are just an eyewash.
- A fair-weather friend: A friend who leaves you in trouble
Example: Do not trust him, he is a fair-weather friend.
A fair-weather friend is not of much help in an emergency.
- A feather in one’s cap: Feather a distinction
Example: The prize that he won was quite a feather in his cap.
- A far cry: A long-distance; a very different thing from
Example: London is a far cry from here.
Truth in politics is a far cry.
- A fish out of water: A state of uneasiness
Example: The mother felt like a fish out of water in the absence of her child.
- A fishy story: Doubtful, seeing bad or dishonest
Example: He narrated a fishy story about his progress in the business.
- A fly in the ointment: Something that spoils a good situation
Example: The function was going on well, but his presence proved a fly in the ointment.
- A fool’s errand: Useless or unprofitable mission
Example: This plan came to be a fool’s errand.
- A fool’s paradise: To be the victim of illusory happiness
Example: They think they can line on love alone but they are living in a fool’s paradise.
People who think there will be peace in the world, are living in a fool’s paradise.
- A Freudian slip: Something you say that is different from what you intended to say
Example: Freudian: related to the theory of Freud about the interpretation of dreams.
- A gala day: A happy day
Example: 14th August is a gala day for the Muslims of Pakistan.
- A give and take: A policy of mutual accommodation and forbearance
Example: We should adopt a give and take policy in life.
- A Gordian knot: A difficult problem
Example: To build Kalabagh Dam is to cut a Gordian knot.
- A hard nut to crack: An uphill task
Example: To root out corruption from our society is a hard nut to crack.
- A hard and fast rule: Fixed; set
Example: There are no hard and fast rules for writing an essay.
- A hairbreadth escape: A narrow escape
Example: He had a hairbreadth escape in the car accident.
- A hat trick: Three successive victories
Example: Imran khan had a hat trick in the cricket match when he bowled out three players of the Indian team.
- A hearty meal: A large meal
Example: Most of the laborers in Pakistan do not have a hearty meal these days.
- A henpecked husband: A husband who obeys his wife
Example: He cannot help you without the permission of his wife as he is a henpecked husband.
- A Herculean task: A very difficult task
Example: A work which can be performed by Hercules strength.
Example: To make an end of employment in Pakistan is a Herculean task.
- A house of cards: A plan that is likely to fail
Example: The term is an allusion to a children’s game of constructing a toy house with playing cards.
Example: His plan to reform the world fell to pieces like a house of cards.
- A hole and corner policy: A policy based on secrets and dishonest motives and action
Example: I do not like the hole and corner policy of the company in which I work.
- A hornet’s nest: To create an unpleasant situation
Example: You may stir up a hornet’s nest if you dismiss him from service.
- Hot water: In trouble
Example: You’ll be in hot water if you’re late again.
- A jack of all trades: A person who can do any kind of work
Example: He is a jack of all trades but master of none.
- A jailbird: A person who has been in prison several time
Example: He is an old jailbird and has been convicted many times before.
- A jaundiced eye: A prejudiced mind
Example: Everything appears yellow to a jaundiced eye.
Example: He looks at the present rulers with a jaundiced eye.
- A knotty problem: A difficult problem
Example: To end poverty in Pakistan has become a knotty problem.
- A lame excuse: Unsatisfactory explanation
Example: Do not make a lame excuse to leave the class.
- A labor of love: A thankless labor
Example: My father is doing a labor of love in the education department.
- A live wire: A person full of energy, A person full of action wire
Example: Our new principal is a man of action. He is a live wire.
- At large: Free
Example: The thief is still at large.
- Aladdin’s lamp: Anything that helps you to realize your desire in the shortest time.
Example: Ready money is Aladdin’s lamp. (Lord Byron)
Example: Goodwill is almost as effective as Aladdin’s lamp.
- At loggerheads: To be on inimical terms
Example: She is at loggerheads with her boss over the new working hours.
Example: Management and staff are at loggerheads over the plan.
- A laughing stock: Someone who is laughed at
Example: If I wear that hat, I shall be the laughing stock of the village.
Example: He was the laughing stock of the school.
- All moonshine: Altogether foolish or untrue
Example: His declaration to serve mankind throughout his life is all moonshine.
- All the rage: In the current fashion
Example: The new hairstyle has become all the rage among the girls.
- A man of letters: Literary man
Example: Dr. Iqbal is a man of letters.
- A man of parts: A man of superior ability
Example: Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan is a man of parts.
- A man of spirits: Brave person
Example: Major Aziz Bhatti is a man of spirits.
- A man of straw: Of no importance
Example: Nobody respects him, because he is a man of straw.
- A maiden speech: The first speech that one makes
Example: His maiden speech in the Assembly was successful.
- A mare’s nest: A hoax, an imaginary plan (خیالی تجویز)
- A moot point: A point or question open to discussion
Example: The scope and applications of family planning in Pakistan are still a moot point.
- A necessary evil: An evil that cannot be avoided
Example: Examinations are a necessary evil.
- A nail in the coffin: An action or thing that may bring something to make an end of something
Example: The new taxation policy proved a nail in the Government’s coffin.
- Animal spirits: Youthful cheerfulness and vigor
Example: The children were full of animal spirits on Eid day.
- An open secret: A secret known to everybody
Example: His marriage with a beautiful actress in an open secret.
- An oily tongue: Oily, covered with oil
Example: Beware of the oily tongue of your new friend.
- At one’s wits ends: Utterly confused and desperate
Example: I am at my wit’s end with his complicated situations.
I am at my wit’s end at the loss of my documents.
- Apple of someone’s eye: Someone’s favorite person or thing
Example: He is the apple of his father’s eye.
- An apple of discord: An object of dispute
Example: This house is an apple of discord between two brothers.
- Apple pie order: Perfectly neat and methodical arrangements
Example: The books were lying on the table in apple-pie order.
The room was in apple-pie order.
- A queer fish: A strange or crazy person
Example: It is a colloquialism for a strange person.
Example: Your new boss is a queer fish. He does strange things in the meeting.
- A rainy day: Time of difficult
Example: We must lay by something or against a rainy day.
- A red-letter day: An auspicious or fortunate day
Example: 14th August 1947 is a red-letter day in the history of Pakistan.
- A red rag to the bull: The cause of provocation
Example: My name to my enemy is a red rag to the bull.
- A ruling passion: Dominating passion
Example: Greed has become a ruling passion with most of us nowadays.
- A rolling stone: An unstable person
Example: A rolling stone gathers no moss.
- A random shot: A carelessly made answer or shot
Example: It was a random shot and we should not take it seriously.
- A raw deal: Unfair treatment
Example: Women got a raw deal when it comes to paying.
- A right-hand man: A person’s most trusted and useful assistant
Example: The head clerk of our college is the right-hand man of the principal.
- A rotten apple or a rotten egg: One bad person who has a bad effect on others in a group
Example: Our class is very peaceful as there is no rotten apple in it.
Example: There are many rotten apples in every department of the university.
- A rope of sand: A bond that is easily broken
Example: Your promise to lend him money is a rope of sand.
- A scapegoat: A person singled out for punishment
Example: All of them were guilty but Aslam was made a scapegoat.
- A serpent in the egg: In the first stage
Example: When a bad custom begins, we must kill the serpent in the egg.
- At sea: Puzzled, bewildered
Example: I am at sea to understand the mystery of the universe.
- A short cut: A shorter way
Example: There is no shortcut to success.
- A sheet anchor: The last and best hope for safety
Example: This medicine served as a sheet anchor for his life.
- A sight for sore eyes: دکھتی ہوئی آنکھیں،خوشگوار صورت حال
Example: You are a sight for sore eyes.
Example: Your presence among us is a sight for sore eyes.
Noun Phrases Starts With Letter B
- By the backstairs: Private influence of an unworthy nature
Example: I got the job in the education department by the backstairs.
- Bad blood: Ill feeling
Example: There has always been bad blood between the two brothers.
- Better half: Wife
Example: You should be sincere and kind to your better half.
- Brevity is the soul of wit: اختصار سے گفتگو ذہانت کا جوہر ہوتی ہے
Example: You must not beat about the bush; you must know that brevity is the soul of wit.
- Birds of a feather: ہم نوالہ، ہم پیالہ، ایک جیسا مزاج
Example: Birds of a feather flock together.
- Blue blood: Royal blood
Example: She is a blue-blooded duchess.
Example: There runs blue blood in her veins.
- Burning question: An urgent and important matter
Example: The burning question is when Kashmir will become a part of Pakistan.
- Below one’s dignity: Contrary to one’s honor
Example: It is below my dignity to do injustice to a poor worker.
- Below the belt: Unfair method
Example: A true Muslim does not hit his enemy below the belt.
- Behind the scenes: Privately, Secretly
Example: A new agreement of friendship has been drawn between India and Pakistan behind the scenes.
- Bolt from the blue or out of blue: A sudden calamity
Example: The news of his son’s death in the car accident was a bolt from the blue for me.
Noun Phrases Starts With Letter C
- Capital punishment: Death sentence
Example: The child-lifters should be awarded capital punishment.
- Chicken hearted: Cowardly (بزدل)
Example: Only the chicken-hearted persons can flatter their officers.
- Child’s play: Work demanding no efforts
Example: It is not child’s play to pass the CSS examination.
- Cold comfort: No consolation at all, no satisfaction
Example: The promise to help her may appear cold comfort to her.
- Creature comforts: What makes the body comfortable
Example: Most of us do not have creature comforts in Pakistan.
- Crocodile tears: False tears (مگرمچھ کے آنسو، جھوٹے آنسو)
It was a false belief that the crocodile wept to allure its victims.
Example: The stepmother shed crocodile tears on her son’s death.
Example: She shed crocodile tears at our misery.
- Cupboard love: Love which is based on dead selfishness
Example: Being a selfish person, he has a cupboard in love with his wife.
Noun Phrases Starts With Letters D, E, F
- D-Days: Fixed day to start some movement (refers to the freedom movement started in America)
Example: 5th Feb is a D-Day for the freedom fighters of Kashmir.
- Dog’s life: Miserable life
Example: The poor lead a dog’s life in Pakistan.
- Double face: Insincere, Hypocrite
Example: Most of the politicians in Pakistan are double-faced.
- Every inch: Completely
Example: He is every inch a gentleman.
- Fair play: Fairness and justice in the control of an activity
Example: Islam directs us to have fair play even with the enemy.
- Foul play: A criminal act esp. involving murder
Example: The police suspect foul play in the death of a public leader.
- Fair sex: Women
Example: We should be polite and kind to the fair sex.
- For good: Forever
Example: He gave up smoking for good.
- French leave: Leave without permission
Example: Many students take French leave from the class to see a film.
Example: The clerk took French leave after working hard for a week.
Noun Phrases Starts With Letters G, H, I
- Gift of the gab: Fluency of speech
Example: The president possessed the gift of the gab and impressed the audience.
- Good for nothing: Useless
Example: My servant is good for nothing fellow.
- Hand in glove with: In intimate terms
Example: Ali and Arshad are great friends. They are hand in glove with each other.
- In black and white: In writing
Example: Give me your statement in black and white.
- In the doldrums: To be in low spirits
Example: He was in the doldrums at his failure to marry the girl of his liking.
- In one’s elements: To be in agreeable circumstances
Example: Our players of cricket were in their element before the start of the match.
- In a fix: Colloquial for to be in difficulty
Example: We are in a fix and do not know what to do in this hour of misery.
- In full swing: Going ahead or continuing, vigorously
Example: The work was in full swing.
- In good books: Favorite
Example: He is in the good books of his teacher.
- Into the bargain: Extra
Example: He purchased the house but got the furniture into the bargain.
- In a nutshell: Briefly
Example: Give your statement in a nutshell.
- Ins and outs: The complete details of a plan
Example: He alone knows the ins and outs of this plan.
- Iron hand: Firm control, severely
Example: Akbar ruled India with an iron hand.
Example: The Government crushed the criminal with an iron hand.
- Iron will: Strong determination
Example: Quaid-E-Azam was a man of iron will.
- In the air: Known to everybody
Example: The news of his murder is in the air.
- Ill at ease: Uncomfortable
Example: He is an angry person. I always feel ill at ease in his company.
- In the pipeline: Already being considered, Prepared, or developed but not yet ready
Example: A new plan to end poverty is in the pipeline.
Noun Phrases Starts With Letters J, K, L, M, N
- The last straw: A little addition that makes a thing very miserable
Example: Quaid-E-Azam’s hard work in his old age proved the last straw for his health.
- Lion’s share: The largest show
Example: The wife got the lion’s share of her husband’s property.
- Maiden speech: First speech (Maiden: A young girl who is unmarried)
Example: His maiden speech in the Assembly was successful.
- Not worth the salt: May do not deserve the pay that one gets
Example: My new servant does not work sincerely, he is certainly not worth the salt.
Noun Phrases Starts With Letters O, P, Q
- On the cards: Likely to happen
Example: The strike by the railway workers is on the cards.
- On the air: Broadcasting on radio or television
Example: He is on the air almost every week.
- Open secret: A secret known to everybody
Example: His marriage with a film actress is an open secret.
- On the anvil: Under discussion
Example: The new education policy is on the anvil.
- On the horns of a dilemma: To be in a fix
Example: She likes Ali but her parents force her to marry her cousin. She is on the horns of a dilemma and does not know what to do.
- On the spur of the moment: At once
Example: The fire brigade reached the house on fire on the spur of the moment.
- On one’s last legs: Very near to falling down, or collapsing with exhaustion
Example: Our cricket team is on its last legs.
- Once in a blue moon: Very rarely
(The appearance of a blue moon is a rare phenomenon.)
Example: He visits the college office once in a blue moon.
- Out at elbows: Shabby, worn, cut
Example: He always wears that old jacket although it is out at elbows.
- Pandora’s Box: A collection of evils
Example: The publication of this book opened up a Pandora’s Box in politics.
- Point-blank: Plainly or directly and perhaps rudely
Example: He refused to help me point-blank.
Example: I told him point-blank that we no longer wanted him to work for us.
- Red tape: Official rules that seem more complicated than necessary and prevent things from beings done
Example: Because of red tape, Ali took weeks to get a visa.
Example: Most of our offices suffer from the red tape.
- Royal road: Easy path
Example: There is no royal road to learn the English language.
Noun Phrases Starts With Letters S, T, U, V, W
- Small hours: The hours immediately after midnight
Example: She works into the small hours every night.
- Small talk: Polite conversation about unimportant things
Example: After the meeting, the members of staff made small talk for a while.
- Scot-free: Escape from a situation without receiving the punishment
Example: She was punished while the others got off scot-free.
- The schoolmaster is abroad: Education
Example: The schoolmaster is abroad in Pakistan.
- Star-crossed: Unlucky
Example: He is star-crossed as his parents died in childhood.
- Sour grapes: Saying or pretending that something is not worth having because one cannot obtain it
Example: His search for an attractive job proved sour grapes for him.
- Tall talk: Boastfulness, Exaggerated language
Example: The story of his stay in America appeared to be a tall talk.
- To the backbone: In every way, completely
Example: He is honest to the backbone.
- The fourth estate: The press, the newspaper
Example: The fourth estate wields a great influence in a democratic country.
- The crux of the problem: The real difficulty of a question
Example: The crux of the problem is how to end poverty in Pakistan.
- The old Adam: The unredeemed part of a man’s nature, prone to sin and error
Example: Everybody has the old Adam in him.
- The salt of the earth: Very good and worthy person
Example: The companions of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) are the salt of the earth.
- The eternal triangle: Problems arising, from two women’s love for one man or two men’s love for one woman.
Example: The theme of most of the Pakistan films is the eternal triangle.
- The milk of human kindness: Kind feelings
Example: The Hindus do not have the milk of human kindness for the Kashmiris’.
- The sword of Damocles: A bad or unpleasant thing that might happen to you at any time
Example: The sword of Damocles was hanging over me since I discovered that I was going to be divorced.
Example: This law hangs like a sword of Damocles over the future of the country.
- Tongue in cheek: Insincere without meaning what one says
Example: He said it with his tongue in his cheek.
Example: He said he was terribly sorry but I know spoke with his tongue in his cheek.
- The writing on the wall: Something which shows that a disaster or failure is about to happen
Example: The downfall of the present rulers in Pakistan seems to be the writing on the wall.
- The three Rs. : Reading, writing, and arithmetic, thought of as the most necessary parts of a basic necessary
Example: Modern education does not lay much stress on three Rs.
- Under a cloud: Under suspicious, in trouble of disgrace
Example: He left his job under a cloud.
- The underdog: A person or country that is weak and is always treated badly
Example: The underdog in a Muslim society must be treated well.
- Thumbnail sketch: A short description giving main facts
Example: I cannot show the thumbnail sketch of my future planning.
- Up to the mark: To reach the required or normal standard
Example: His method of teaching is not up to the mark.
- Up with the lark: To rise very early
Example: He rises up with the lark and goes out for a walk in the evening.
- With flying colors: With a distinction
Example: He passed the B.A. examination with flying colors.
- With a grain of salt: To believe a thing with grain hesitation
Example: We should accept his statement with a grain of salt.
- With open arms: Warmly
Example: He received the Chief Guest with open arms.
- Worthwhile: Useful
Example: This medicine is worthwhile for fever.
- Yeoman’s service: Help in need
Yeoman (زرعی اراضی کا مالک جو خود اس پر کاشت کرتا ہو)
Example: The army rendered yeoman’s service to the flood affected people.
- Yellow press: Press which is based on sided and prejudiced views
Example: In underdeveloped countries, the yellow press is often in progress.
