5000+ Idioms and Phrases with Meanings and Examples - Summary
5000 idioms and phrases is an English vocabulary compilation containing high-frequency idiomatic expressions with their meanings, Hindi translations, and example sentences. Candidates preparing for competitive exams like SSC CGL, CHSL, Banking, CDS, NDA, and state government tests use this compilation to improve English comprehension and verbal ability scores.
This PDF arranges 5,000 idioms alphabetically from A to Z, providing clear definitions and practical usage examples for each entry. It also highlights idioms frequently repeated in previous year question papers across central and state recruitment tests.
Common Idioms and Phrases with Meanings and Examples
This table summarizes high-yield idioms commonly asked in competitive exams along with their meanings and usage examples:
| Idiom or Phrase | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Once in a blue moon | Very rarely | She visits her hometown once in a blue moon due to her busy work schedule. |
| Beat around the bush | Avoid speaking directly about the main issue | Stop beating around the bush and explain clearly what happened at the meeting. |
| A blessing in disguise | A good outcome from an apparently bad situation | Losing that initial contract was a blessing in disguise as they found a bigger client. |
| Burn the midnight oil | Work or study late into the night | Aspirants burn the midnight oil during the final weeks before the examination. |
| Piece of cake | Something very easy to achieve | The reading comprehension section was a piece of cake for regular readers. |
| Bite the bullet | Face an unavoidable difficult situation with bravery | He decided to bite the bullet and admit the accounting discrepancy to the manager. |
| At the eleventh hour | At the last possible moment | The candidate completed and submitted the registration form at the eleventh hour. |
5000 + Idioms and Phrases with Sentence (Idioms And Phrases With Examples)
- An Axe to Grind – personal end to serve ( अपना स्वार्थ सिद्ध करना) – People do not trust those who have an axe to grind.
- At Daggers drawn – open enmity ( घोर शत्रुता)- Rana Pratap and Akbar were at daggers drawn with each other.
- At Arm’s Length – at a distance ( दूर )- The father advised his son to keep himself at arm’s length from bad boys.
- At random – without any aim ( बिना किसी उद्देश्य के) – The Soldiers fired their guns at random.
- A bed of roses – quite comfortable ( फूलो की सेज )- The post of the Prime Ministers is not a bed of roses.
- At home in – well versed in ( दक्ष ) Ranjit is at home in English
- A bottle neck – obstacle (अवरोध) In Spite of all the bottle-necks created by his opponents, he got success in his mission.
- Beat About the bush – to come to the point in a round about way (घुमा फिर कर किसी बात पर आना)- Come to the main point, do not beat about the bush.
- Bread And Butter – livelihood (जीविका) – Every Person is busy in his bread and butter problem due to dearness.
- Break the ice – to break silence (मौन का वातावरण तोडना)- When all were silent for a long time I decided to break the ice.
- Bear the brunt of – to bear the main attack (आक्रमण का मुख्य भाग सहना)- Front Soldiers always bear the brunt of the battle.
- Bolt from the blue – a great shock (एक बड़ा सदमा)- His mother’s untimely death came to him as a bolt from the blue.
- Bury the hatchet – to forget the past enmity (पुरानी शत्रुता भुला देना)- It is wise for Ramesh and Hari to bury the hatchet and be friends again.
- Bring to book – to punish (सजा देना)- The naughty boy was brought to book by the Prinicpal.
- Between Scylla And Charybdis – between two difficulties (दो कठिनाइयों के मध्य) – If he does not take risk, he will be called a coward. If he does, his life will be in danger. He is between Scylla And Charybdis.
- Call A spade a spade – to call a thing as it is (साफ़-साफ़ कहना)- Bold person fearlessly call a spade a spade.
- Call In Question – to doubt (संदेह करना)- He called in question the truth of my statement.
- Dutch Courage – Courage Excited by Wine (नशे का जोश) – Many People Show Dutch Courage after drinking wine.
- End In Smoke – to end in nothing (असफल होना )- All his efforts to get a job ended in smoke.
- Fool’s paradise – foolish hope (मूर्खतापूर्ण अभिलाषा )- The students who think that they can pass the examination without working hard, live in a fool’s paradise.
- Get rid of – to get relieved or be free from (छुटकारा पाना ) – I wish to get rid of this service.
- Grease the Palm – to bribe (रिश्वत देना )- If you grease the palm of the clerk, your pension will be sanctioned.
- Get into hot water – to be in bad circumstances (बुरी परिस्थिति में होना)- Suresh got into hot water due to joining bad company.
- Hold Water – to be correct (ठीक होना )- Without any eyewitness, your argument in this connection does not hold water.
- In Cold Blood – with cruel intent (जानबूझकर निर्दयतापूर्वक )- The Servant killed the master in cold blood.
- Keep the wolf from the door – to keep away starvation (भुखमरी को दूर करना )- His Father has to work day and night to support a big family to keep the wolf from the door.
- Maiden Speech – First Speech from a public platform (प्रथम भाषण)- The new Secretary made his maiden speech in the function.
- Nip in the bud – to destroy at the very beginning (आरम्भ में ही नष्ट करना )- All the bad habits must be nipped in the bud.
- Pell-mell – in confusion (घबराहट में )- The students ran pell-mell at the sight of the Principal.
- Red Letter Day – an important day ( महत्वपूर्ण दिन )- The 15th August, 1947 is a red letter day in the history of India.
- Spick And Span – neat and clean (साफ़-सुथरा )- A restaurant that looks spick and span attracts more customers.
- Time And Tide – course of time (समय की गति)- Time And Tide wait for none.
- Wild goose Chase – a fruitless attempt ( निष्फल प्रयास )- It was his wild goose chase to expect any help from not very useful.
Idioms And Phrases
| Idiom/Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Decked up | Put on special clothes to appear particularly appealing and attractive |
| Doing the rounds | To be passed from one person to another |
| Between the cup and the lips | On the point of achievement |
| A damp squib | Complete failure |
| Put off | An evasive reply, to delay doing something, especially because you do not want to do it |
| A dime a dozen | Anything that is common and easy to get |
| Cast iron stomach | Someone who has no problems, complications, or ill effects with eating anything |
| A mare’s nest | A false invention |
| Takes a beating | To be damaged because of performing badly or being criticized |
| A chip on your shoulder | Being upset for something that happened in the past |
| A toss-up | A result that is still unclear and can go either way |
| An iron hand | By force |
| A taste of your own medicine | When you are mistreated the same way you mistreat others |
| At the drop of a hat | Willing to do something immediately |
| A man of straw | A weak person |
| Bite your tongue | To avoid talking |
| An eyewash | A pretense |
| At sixes and sevens | Persons who are having different opinions |
| Bite off more than you can chew | To take on a task that is way too big to handle |
| Can’t cut the mustard | Someone who isn’t adequate enough to compete or participate |
| Call a spade a spade | Straight talk |
| Don’t count your chickens before they hatch | Don’t rely on it until you are sure of it |
| Dog days of summer | The hottest day of the summer season |
| Ever and anon | Now and then, occasionally |
| Field day | An enjoyable day or circumstance |
| Bits and Pieces | Small things of different types |
| Kick the bucket | Die |
| Know the ropes | To understand the details |
| Latin and Greek | Unable to understand |
| Like a chicken with its head cut off | To act in a frenzied manner, crazily |
| A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush | Having something that is certain is much better than taking a risk for more, because chances are you might lose everything |
| A blessing in disguise | Something good that isn’t recognized at first |
| Bull in a china shop | One who causes damage |
To strengthen other sections of English paper, check the English grammar topics list, review exam requirements in the SSC CGL syllabus, or consult the SSC CHSL syllabus. Official exam dates and notification updates are available on ssc.gov.in.
