20 English Idioms Everyone Should Learn and Use

If you want to sound more like a native English speaker, mastering idioms is a great place to start. Idioms are expressions that don’t mean exactly what the words say, but rather carry a figurative meaning. They add color, personality, and depth to your communication.

Here are 20 popular English idioms you should know and use:

1. Break the ice – To initiate conversation in a social setting.
   “He told a joke to break the ice at the meeting.”

2. Hit the nail on the head – To be exactly right about something.
   “You hit the nail on the head with your analysis.”

3. Let the cat out of the bag – To reveal a secret.
   “She accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.”

4. Bite the bullet – To endure something unpleasant or difficult.
   “I had to bite the bullet and go to the dentist.”

5. Under the weather – Feeling sick.
   “I’m staying home today because I’m feeling under the weather.”

6. Spill the beans – To disclose a secret or reveal information prematurely.
   “Don’t spill the beans about the new project yet.”

7. Piece of cake – Something very easy to do.
   “The exam was a piece of cake.”

8. Once in a blue moon – Something that happens very rarely.
   “He only visits once in a blue moon.”

9. Cost an arm and a leg – Very expensive.
   “That designer bag cost an arm and a leg.”

10. The ball is in your court – It’s your decision or responsibility now.
    “I’ve done my part, now the ball is in your court.”

11. Burn the midnight oil – To work late into the night.
    “She’s been burning the midnight oil to finish her thesis.”

12. Hit the sack – To go to bed.
    “I’m exhausted. Time to hit the sack.”

13. Cut corners – To do something in a cheap or easy way, often sacrificing quality.
    “They cut corners when building the house, and now it’s falling apart.”

14. Throw in the towel – To give up or admit defeat.
    “After several failed attempts, he threw in the towel.”

15. Go the extra mile – To put in more effort than expected.
    “She always goes the extra mile for her clients.”

16. Kick the bucket – A humorous way to say someone has died.
    “The old man finally kicked the bucket.”

17. Back to the drawing board – Start over after a failure.
    “That idea didn’t work, so it’s back to the drawing board.”

18. On the fence – Undecided between two options.
    “I’m on the fence about which job to take.”

19. Pull someone’s leg – To tease or joke with someone.
    “Relax, I was just pulling your leg.”

20. Beat around the bush – Avoiding the main topic.
    “Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.”

Learning idioms not only improves your English fluency, but also helps you better understand cultural nuances. Start using a few of these in your daily conversations, and you’ll be speaking like a native in no time!