When learning English for the IELTS exam, it’s helpful to know more than just grammar and vocabulary. Idioms are special phrases that have a meaning different from the words you see. Native speakers use idioms every day, and using them well can help you sound more natural. Idioms can also show your understanding of the English language, which may help you do better on the speaking and writing parts of IELTS.
This article will explain some common idioms that can be useful for IELTS. You’ll learn what each one means and how to use them in everyday sentences. There’s also a quiz to test your knowledge. By the end, you’ll feel more ready to use these expressions in your own speaking and writing. Let’s get started and make learning idioms simple and fun.
Idioms for IELTS
1. Break the ice
Meaning: To start a conversation in a friendly way.
Within a Sentence: She told a joke to break the ice at the party. / I broke the ice by asking about his weekend.
In Other Words: Start talking easily. / Make people feel relaxed.
2. Hit the books
Meaning: To study hard.
Within a Sentence: I have to hit the books tonight for the big test. / He hits the books every weekend.
In Other Words: Study hard. / Spend time learning.
3. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling sick.
Within a Sentence: I didn’t go to school because I was under the weather. / She felt under the weather after lunch.
In Other Words: Not feeling well. / A bit sick.
4. Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Very rarely.
Within a Sentence: We go to the beach once in a blue moon. / She eats candy once in a blue moon.
In Other Words: Not very often. / Hardly ever.
5. A piece of cake
Meaning: Very easy.
Within a Sentence: The math test was a piece of cake. / Fixing the bike was a piece of cake for him.
In Other Words: Super easy. / No problem at all.
6. On cloud nine
Meaning: Very happy.
Within a Sentence: She was on cloud nine after winning the game. / I felt on cloud nine when I got an A.
In Other Words: Really happy. / Very excited.
7. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: To be exactly right.
Within a Sentence: You hit the nail on the head with your answer. / His guess hit the nail on the head.
In Other Words: Got it right. / Said it perfectly.
8. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: To share a secret by accident.
Within a Sentence: He let the cat out of the bag about the surprise. / She let the cat out of the bag during lunch.
In Other Words: Told the secret. / Gave it away.
9. Pull someone’s leg
Meaning: To joke or trick someone.
Within a Sentence: I was just pulling your leg about the test. / He pulled my leg, and I believed him.
In Other Words: Joke with someone. / Playfully lie.
10. Cost an arm and a leg
Meaning: Very expensive.
Within a Sentence: That phone cost an arm and a leg. / The new shoes cost an arm and a leg.
In Other Words: Too much money. / Very pricey.
11. The ball is in your court
Meaning: It’s your turn to do something.
Within a Sentence: I gave him the idea, now the ball is in his court. / She knows what to do the ball is in her court.
In Other Words: It’s your move. / Your turn to act.
12. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: Stay up late working.
Within a Sentence: He burned the midnight oil to finish his homework. / I had to burn the midnight oil for the science project.
In Other Words: Work late. / Stay up doing work.
13. Cut corners
Meaning: To do something badly to save time or money.
Within a Sentence: He cut corners on his report and got a low grade. / Don’t cut corners on the project.
In Other Words: Take shortcuts. / Do a poor job.
14. Back to the drawing board
Meaning: Start over from the beginning.
Within a Sentence: The plan didn’t work, so it’s back to the drawing board. / We had to go back to the drawing board after the test results.
In Other Words: Try again. / Start fresh.
15. Get cold feet
Meaning: To feel nervous about doing something.
Within a Sentence: I got cold feet before the spelling bee. / She got cold feet and didn’t join the club.
In Other Words: Feel too scared. / Change your mind.
16. Let someone off the hook
Meaning: To not punish someone.
Within a Sentence: Mom let me off the hook for forgetting my homework. / He got let off the hook after saying sorry.
In Other Words: Not in trouble. / Forgiven.
17. Go the extra mile
Meaning: To do more than expected.
Within a Sentence: She went the extra mile to help with the class project. / He goes the extra mile at work.
In Other Words: Do more. / Try harder.
18. Miss the boat
Meaning: Miss a chance.
Within a Sentence: I missed the boat on joining the art club. / He missed the boat when he forgot the sign-up date.
In Other Words: Missed the chance. / Too late.
19. In hot water
Meaning: In trouble.
Within a Sentence: He was in hot water after skipping class. / She got in hot water for talking back.
In Other Words: In trouble. / Got caught.
20. Keep an eye on
Meaning: Watch carefully.
Within a Sentence: Please keep an eye on the baby. / I’ll keep an eye on your books.
In Other Words: Watch closely. / Take care of.
21. Break a leg
Meaning: Good luck.
Within a Sentence: Break a leg in your play tonight! / My teacher told me to break a leg before my test.
In Other Words: Good luck. / Do your best.
22. Call it a day
Meaning: Stop working for the day.
Within a Sentence: We were tired, so we called it a day. / Let’s call it a day after cleaning the room.
In Other Words: Stop for now. / Done working.
23. A blessing in disguise
Meaning: Something good that looked bad at first.
Within a Sentence: Missing the bus was a blessing in disguise, it broke down later. / Her bad grade was a blessing in disguise because she studied harder.
In Other Words: Hidden good thing. / Surprise help.
24. It takes two to tango
Meaning: Both people are responsible.
Within a Sentence: They both argued it takes two to tango. / Fighting takes two to tango.
In Other Words: Both are involved. / Shared blame.
25. Kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: Do two things at once.
Within a Sentence: I cleaned my room and found my lost toy, two birds with one stone. / Walking the dog and exercising is two birds with one stone.
In Other Words: Do two jobs. / Save time.
26. Make a long story short
Meaning: Tell something quickly.
Within a Sentence: To make a long story short, we missed the train. / I’ll make a long story short we lost the game.
In Other Words: Say it quickly. / Skip details.
27. On the same page
Meaning: Agreeing or understanding the same thing.
Within a Sentence: We are on the same page about our project. / My teacher and I are on the same page now.
In Other Words: Agree. / Think alike.
28. The early bird catches the worm
Meaning: People who start early do better.
Within a Sentence: I woke up early because the early bird catches the worm. / She studies in the morning because of this saying.
In Other Words: Start early. / Be first.
29. Throw in the towel
Meaning: Give up.
Within a Sentence: I threw in the towel after failing the puzzle five times. / He didn’t throw in the towel, even when it was hard.
In Other Words: Quit. / Stop trying.
30. Time flies
Meaning: Time goes by quickly.
Within a Sentence: Time flies when we play outside. / It feels like time flies during summer break.
In Other Words: Time goes fast. / It passed quickly.
31. Spill the beans
Meaning: Share a secret.
Within a Sentence: He spilled the beans about the party. / Don’t spill the beans about the surprise!
In Other Words: Tell the secret. / Say it.
32. Bend over backwards
Meaning: Try very hard to help.
Within a Sentence: She bent over backwards to help me study. / He bent over backwards to make it work.
In Other Words: Help a lot. / Try really hard.
33. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: Be upset over something that can’t be changed.
Within a Sentence: Don’t cry over spilled milk, just clean it up. / I spilled my water but didn’t cry over spilled milk.
In Other Words: Don’t worry about it. / It’s done.
34. In the same boat
Meaning: In the same situation.
Within a Sentence: We both forgot our homework, we’re in the same boat. / Everyone is tired, we’re in the same boat.
In Other Words: Same problem. / Together.
35. Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: Don’t bring up old problems.
Within a Sentence: Just let sleeping dogs lie, we already talked about it. / He didn’t want to fight, so he let sleeping dogs lie.
In Other Words: Leave it alone. / Don’t stir trouble.
36. Not my cup of tea
Meaning: Not something I like.
Within a Sentence: Horror movies are not my cup of tea. / I tried sushi, but it’s not my cup of tea.
In Other Words: Don’t like it. / Not for me.
37. Put all your eggs in one basket
Meaning: Depend on one thing.
Within a Sentence: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket; apply to more schools. / He put all his eggs in one basket with that team.
In Other Words: Risk everything. / Only one plan.
38. See eye to eye
Meaning: To agree.
Within a Sentence: We see eye to eye on most ideas. / They don’t see eye to eye about chores.
In Other Words: Agree. / Think the same.
39. Read between the lines
Meaning: Understand the hidden meaning.
Within a Sentence: He didn’t say he was upset, but I read between the lines. / I read between the lines and knew she was sad.
In Other Words: See the truth. / Catch the meaning.
40. A dime a dozen
Meaning: Very common.
Within a Sentence: Cheap toys like that are a dime a dozen. / Mistakes are a dime a dozen just learn from them.
In Other Words: Easy to find. / Very usual.
41. Add fuel to the fire
Meaning: Make a bad situation worse.
Within a Sentence: Yelling only added fuel to the fire. / Don’t add fuel to the fire by laughing.
In Other Words: Make it worse. / Add trouble.
42. Bite off more than you can chew
Meaning: Take on too much.
Within a Sentence: I bit off more than I could chew with three clubs. / He bit off more than he could chew doing all the chores.
In Other Words: Took too much. / Overdid it.
43. Get a taste of your own medicine
Meaning: Be treated the way you treat others.
Within a Sentence: She got a taste of her own medicine when someone ignored her. / He didn’t like getting a taste of his own medicine.
In Other Words: Treated the same. / See how it feels.
44. Keep your chin up
Meaning: Stay positive.
Within a Sentence: Keep your chin up, you’ll do better next time. / I told her to keep her chin up after the loss.
In Other Words: Be strong. / Stay happy.
45. Leave no stone unturned
Meaning: Try every way.
Within a Sentence: We left no stone unturned to find my lost toy. / She left no stone unturned to win the contest.
In Other Words: Tried everything. / Looked everywhere.
46. On thin ice
Meaning: In a risky or dangerous situation.
Within a Sentence: He’s on thin ice after missing two practices. / I was on thin ice for not doing my homework.
In Other Words: Be careful. / In trouble.
47. A penny for your thoughts
Meaning: Tell me what you’re thinking.
Within a Sentence: You’re quite a penny for your thoughts? / She asked for a penny for my thoughts during lunch.
In Other Words: What are you thinking? / Share your mind.
48. The tip of the iceberg
Meaning: Just a small part of something bigger.
Within a Sentence: The noise is just the tip of the iceberg; more problems are coming. / That was only the tip of the iceberg in the story.
In Other Words: Small start. / Much more behind it.
49. Get your act together
Meaning: Get organized and start doing better.
Within a Sentence: You need to get your act together before the test. / I got my act together and cleaned my room.
In Other Words: Shape up. / Do better.
50. Go with the flow
Meaning: Accept things as they happen.
Within a Sentence: We missed the bus, but I went with the flow. / He goes with the flow and doesn’t worry much.
In Other Words: Stay calm. / Be flexible.
51. In a nutshell
Meaning: In a few words.
Within a Sentence: In a nutshell, the trip was fun. / He said, in a nutshell, it’s a no.
In Other Words: To sum up. / Simply put.
52. In the blink of an eye
Meaning: Very quickly.
Within a Sentence: The day was over in the blink of an eye. / The car passed by in the blink of an eye.
In Other Words: So fast. / Very quick.
53. Jump on the bandwagon
Meaning: Join others in doing something popular.
Within a Sentence: I jumped on the bandwagon and joined the chess club. / She jumped on the bandwagon after seeing her friends.
In Other Words: Follow the crowd. / Join in.
54. Keep your fingers crossed
Meaning: Hope for good luck.
Within a Sentence: I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a snow day. / Keep your fingers crossed that I pass.
In Other Words: Hope it works. / Wish me luck.
55. Learn the ropes
Meaning: Learn how to do something.
Within a Sentence: I’m still learning the ropes at my new school. / He learned the ropes quickly at the job.
In Other Words: Figure it out. / Learn how it works.
56. Put your thinking cap on
Meaning: Think hard about something.
Within a Sentence: Put your thinking cap on for the puzzle. / I had to put my thinking cap on during the quiz.
In Other Words: Try to think. / Focus.
57. A storm in a teacup
Meaning: A big fuss over a small issue.
Within a Sentence: Their fight was a storm in a teacup. / It was just a storm in a teacup, nothing serious.
In Other Words: Overreaction. / Not a big deal.
58. Through thick and thin
Meaning: In good times and bad.
Within a Sentence: We are friends through thick and thin. / She stayed with him through thick and thin.
In Other Words: Always there. / No matter what.
59. You can’t judge a book by its cover
Meaning: Don’t judge something by how it looks.
Within a Sentence: That plain gift was amazing. You can’t judge a book by its cover. / He looked mean, but was nice.
In Other Words: Look deeper. / Don’t assume.
60. Your guess is as good as mine
Meaning: I don’t know either.
Within a Sentence: Why is the bus late? Your guess is as good as mine. / She asked, and I said, “Your guess is as good as mine.”
In Other Words: No idea. / I don’t know.
True/False Quiz – Idioms for IELTS
- Saying “Break the ice” means to end a friendship.
True / False - If someone “hits the books,” they are studying hard.
True / False - “Under the weather” means feeling excited about something.
True / False - If something is “a piece of cake,” it is very hard to do.
True / False - “On cloud nine” means someone is very happy.
True / False - If you “let the cat out of the bag,” you have kept a secret.
True / False - “Cost an arm and a leg” means something is very cheap.
True / False - “Back to the drawing board” means you are starting over with a new idea.
True / False - If someone “gets cold feet,” they are feeling brave.
True / False - “Throw in the towel” means to keep trying until you win.
True / False - If you are “in hot water,” you are probably in trouble.
True / False - “Go the extra mile” means to do more than expected.
True / False - Saying “kill two birds with one stone” means doing one thing at a time.
True / False - “Read between the lines” means to understand something that is not said directly.
True / False - If someone says, “Time flies,” they mean that time is moving slowly.
True / False
Answer Key
- False
- True
- False
- False
- True
- False
- False
- True
- False
- False
- True
- False
- False
- True
- False
Scoring Guide
- 15 Correct Answers: Idioms Master!
- 10–14 Correct Answers: You really get Idioms, nice work!
- 6–9 Correct Answers: You’re learning, keep going!
- 0–5 Correct Answers: Let’s learn about Idioms together!
Conclusion
Idioms are special phrases that can help you sound more like a native English speaker. They don’t always mean what the words say, so it’s important to learn their real meaning. Using idioms in IELTS can help you do better in writing and speaking.
Now that you’ve seen many idioms, try using them in your own sentences. Keep practicing a few at a time. The more you hear and use them, the easier they get. Idioms can make your English more fun and clear. Keep learning one step at a time.
