Content updated on 24 April 2026
Why do we say "a piece of cake" when something is easy, or "break a leg" to wish someone luck? Idioms and phrases add colour and expression to English. They make your speech and writing sound more natural and interesting. This massive lesson for Class 6, 7, and 8 students covers 200 common idioms and phrases used in everyday English. They are divided into four easy‑to‑study groups of 50. Each idiom comes with a simple meaning and a clear example sentence so you can understand and start using it right away. Click any group to expand the list.
✅ Recommended for: Class 6–8 (Natural Expression) | CBSE & UP Board
(Click any topic to jump straight to that section)
Group 1: Idioms 1–50 (A–C)
๐ View Group 1 (50 idioms)
1. A blessing in disguise – something good that seems bad at first.
Sentence: Losing that job was a blessing in disguise.
2. A dime a dozen – very common, not special.
Sentence: Cheap toys are a dime a dozen.
3. A drop in the ocean – a very small amount compared to what is needed.
Sentence: My donation is a drop in the ocean, but I hope it helps.
4. A piece of cake – very easy.
Sentence: The maths test was a piece of cake.
5. A storm in a teacup – big fuss over a small matter.
Sentence: Their fight was just a storm in a teacup.
6. A white lie – a harmless lie to avoid hurting someone.
Sentence: I told a white lie about her new haircut.
7. Actions speak louder than words – what you do matters more than what you say.
Sentence: Prove your love; actions speak louder than words.
8. Add fuel to the fire – make a bad situation worse.
Sentence: Shouting at him only added fuel to the fire.
9. Against the clock – in a hurry, with limited time.
Sentence: We worked against the clock to finish the project.
10. All ears – fully listening.
Sentence: I'm all ears; tell me your story.
11. An arm and a leg – very expensive.
Sentence: That car cost an arm and a leg.
12. Apple of my eye – someone very precious.
Sentence: My little sister is the apple of my eye.
13. At the drop of a hat – immediately, without hesitation.
Sentence: He would help you at the drop of a hat.
14. Back to the drawing board – start over after a failure.
Sentence: Our plan failed; it's back to the drawing board.
15. Beat around the bush – avoid the main topic.
Sentence: Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth.
16. Bite the bullet – do something unpleasant but necessary.
Sentence: I hate the dentist, but I'll bite the bullet and go.
17. Break a leg – good luck.
Sentence: Break a leg on your performance tonight!
18. Burn the midnight oil – study or work late at night.
Sentence: She burned the midnight oil to prepare for exams.
19. Call it a day – stop working for the day.
Sentence: We completed the chapter; let's call it a day.
20. Caught red‑handed – caught in the act of doing wrong.
Sentence: The thief was caught red‑handed.
21. Come rain or shine – whatever happens.
Sentence: I'll be there, come rain or shine.
22. Cost an arm and a leg – be very expensive.
Sentence: That phone cost an arm and a leg.
23. Cross that bridge when you come to it – deal with a problem later.
Sentence: Don't worry about the party; cross that bridge when you come to it.
24. Cry over spilled milk – waste time worrying about past mistakes.
Sentence: Don't cry over spilled milk; just try again.
25. Cut corners – do something cheaply or poorly.
Sentence: Don't cut corners on your homework.
26. Cut someone some slack – be less critical.
Sentence: He's new here; cut him some slack.
27. Devil's advocate – arguing against a point for the sake of debate.
Sentence: I'm playing devil's advocate to test your plan.
28. Don't judge a book by its cover – don't judge by appearance.
Sentence: The hotel looked small, but don't judge a book by its cover.
29. Every cloud has a silver lining – there is something good in every bad situation.
Sentence: I failed the test, but every cloud has a silver lining—I studied harder.
30. Face the music – accept the consequences of your actions.
Sentence: You broke the vase; now face the music.
31. Feel under the weather – feel unwell.
Sentence: I won't come to school; I'm feeling under the weather.
32. Fit as a fiddle – very healthy.
Sentence: My grandmother is 80 but fit as a fiddle.
33. From rags to riches – from poverty to wealth.
Sentence: His story is a real rags‑to‑riches tale.
34. Get out of hand – become out of control.
Sentence: The party got out of hand; the neighbours complained.
35. Give the benefit of the doubt – believe someone without proof.
Sentence: I'll give you the benefit of the doubt this time.
36. Go back to the drawing board – start over.
Sentence: Our design failed; it's back to the drawing board.
37. Hit the sack – go to bed.
Sentence: I'm tired; let's hit the sack.
38. Hit the nail on the head – be exactly right.
Sentence: You hit the nail on the head; that's the problem.
39. In the blink of an eye – very quickly.
Sentence: The thief vanished in the blink of an eye.
40. In the heat of the moment – influenced by strong emotion.
Sentence: I shouted at her in the heat of the moment.
41. Jump on the bandwagon – follow a popular trend.
Sentence: Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon of this new game.
42. Keep your chin up – stay positive.
Sentence: Keep your chin up; things will improve.
43. Kill two birds with one stone – achieve two things at once.
Sentence: I walked to the shop—exercise and errand, two birds with one stone.
44. Let the cat out of the bag – reveal a secret.
Sentence: She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
45. Like two peas in a pod – very similar.
Sentence: Those twins are like two peas in a pod.
46. Look before you leap – think before acting.
Sentence: Before quitting your job, look before you leap.
47. Make a long story short – briefly summarize.
Sentence: To make a long story short, we missed the bus.
48. No pain, no gain – effort is needed to succeed.
Sentence: You must practise daily; no pain, no gain.
49. Once in a blue moon – very rarely.
Sentence: My father cooks once in a blue moon.
50. Out of the blue – unexpectedly.
Sentence: She called me out of the blue after years.
Group 2: Idioms 51–100 (D–K)
๐ View Group 2 (50 idioms)
51. Pull someone's leg – tease or joke with someone.
Sentence: Don't believe him; he's pulling your leg.
52. Rain on someone's parade – spoil someone's plans.
Sentence: I didn't mean to rain on your parade.
53. Read between the lines – understand the hidden meaning.
Sentence: Read between the lines; he's not happy.
54. Ring a bell – sound familiar.
Sentence: That name rings a bell, but I can't place it.
55. Rome wasn't built in a day – great things take time.
Sentence: Be patient; Rome wasn't built in a day.
56. See eye to eye – agree with each other.
Sentence: We don't see eye to eye on this topic.
57. Sit on the fence – avoid making a decision.
Sentence: Stop sitting on the fence; choose a side.
58. Speak of the devil – the person you were just talking about arrives.
Sentence: Speak of the devil; here comes Riya!
59. Steal someone's thunder – take the attention meant for someone else.
Sentence: She announced her prize and stole my thunder.
60. Take it with a grain of salt – don't take it too seriously.
Sentence: Take his advice with a grain of salt.
61. The ball is in your court – it's your decision now.
Sentence: I've done my part; the ball is in your court.
62. The best of both worlds – all the advantages.
Sentence: Working from home gives me the best of both worlds.
63. The elephant in the room – an obvious problem people ignore.
Sentence: We need to talk about the elephant in the room.
64. The last straw – the final problem that makes everything too much.
Sentence: The broken lock was the last straw.
65. Time flies – time passes quickly.
Sentence: Time flies when you're having fun.
66. To make matters worse – to make a bad situation even worse.
Sentence: I lost my way, and to make matters worse, my phone died.
67. Under the weather – feeling sick.
Sentence: She felt under the weather and stayed home.
68. Up in the air – uncertain, not decided.
Sentence: Our vacation plans are up in the air.
69. When pigs fly – something that will never happen.
Sentence: I'll clean my room when pigs fly.
70. You can't judge a book by its cover – appearance doesn't show true nature.
Sentence: That old shop has great books; you can't judge a book by its cover.
71. A penny for your thoughts – ask what someone is thinking.
Sentence: You're quiet; a penny for your thoughts.
72. Break the ice – start a conversation in a social setting.
Sentence: A joke broke the ice at the meeting.
73. Bury the hatchet – end a quarrel and make peace.
Sentence: After years, they buried the hatchet.
74. Cat got your tongue? – why are you silent?
Sentence: You didn't answer; cat got your tongue?
75. Couch potato – a person who sits and watches TV a lot.
Sentence: Stop being a couch potato; go outside.
76. Curiosity killed the cat – being too inquisitive can be harmful.
Sentence: Don't pry; curiosity killed the cat.
77. Cut to the chase – get to the point.
Sentence: Let's cut to the chase; what do you want?
78. Devil is in the details – small things cause problems.
Sentence: The plan looks good, but the devil is in the details.
79. Don't put all your eggs in one basket – don't risk everything on one plan.
Sentence: Invest wisely; don't put all your eggs in one basket.
80. Easy come, easy go – something gained easily can be lost easily.
Sentence: He spent his lottery win quickly—easy come, easy go.
81. Every dog has its day – everyone gets a chance.
Sentence: Don't worry; every dog has its day.
82. Fall on deaf ears – be ignored.
Sentence: My advice fell on deaf ears.
83. Fish out of water – uncomfortable in a situation.
Sentence: At the party, I felt like a fish out of water.
84. Get a taste of your own medicine – experience what you've done to others.
Sentence: Now you know how it feels; you got a taste of your own medicine.
85. Give a cold shoulder – ignore someone deliberately.
Sentence: She gave me the cold shoulder all day.
86. Go the extra mile – do more than expected.
Sentence: The teacher always goes the extra mile for her students.
87. Hit the books – study hard.
Sentence: Exams are near; I need to hit the books.
88. In the same boat – in the same difficult situation.
Sentence: We all failed; we're in the same boat.
89. Keep an eye on – watch carefully.
Sentence: Keep an eye on the baby while I cook.
90. Laugh it off – treat a problem lightly.
Sentence: He fell down but just laughed it off.
91. Leave no stone unturned – try every possible method.
Sentence: We will leave no stone unturned to find the answer.
92. Let sleeping dogs lie – avoid restarting old conflicts.
Sentence: Don't bring up that argument; let sleeping dogs lie.
93. Like a fish out of water – uncomfortable.
Sentence: In the new school, I felt like a fish out of water.
94. Make a mountain out of a molehill – exaggerate a small problem.
Sentence: It's a tiny scratch; don't make a mountain out of a molehill.
95. Not my cup of tea – not something I enjoy.
Sentence: Horror movies are not my cup of tea.
96. On cloud nine – very happy.
Sentence: She was on cloud nine after winning the prize.
97. Once bitten, twice shy – after a bad experience, you're more careful.
Sentence: I won't trust him again; once bitten, twice shy.
98. Out of sight, out of mind – easily forgotten when not present.
Sentence: I forgot about the cake—out of sight, out of mind.
99. Pull up your socks – improve your performance.
Sentence: You have exams soon; pull up your socks.
100. Put your foot down – be firm and assert authority.
Sentence: Mom put her foot down; no video games before homework.
Group 3: Idioms 101–150 (L–P)
๐ View Group 3 (50 idioms)
101. Raining cats and dogs – raining heavily.
Sentence: I can't go out; it's raining cats and dogs.
102. Run like the wind – run very fast.
Sentence: The athlete runs like the wind.
103. Saved by the bell – rescued at the last moment.
Sentence: The bell rang before the teacher asked me; I was saved by the bell.
104. See the light at the end of the tunnel – hope after a long difficulty.
Sentence: After months of hard work, I see the light at the end of the tunnel.
105. Shape up or ship out – improve or leave.
Sentence: The coach told him to shape up or ship out.
106. Spill the beans – reveal a secret.
Sentence: Who spilled the beans about the surprise?
107. Take a rain check – postpone an invitation.
Sentence: I can't come today; can I take a rain check?
108. The grass is greener on the other side – other situations seem better.
Sentence: Don't envy others; the grass is always greener on the other side.
109. Through thick and thin – in good and bad times.
Sentence: Friends stick together through thick and thin.
110. Turn a blind eye – ignore something wrong.
Sentence: The guard turned a blind eye to the rule.
111. Under the wire – just in time.
Sentence: I submitted the assignment just under the wire.
112. Up a creek without a paddle – in a difficult situation with no help.
Sentence: Without a map, we were up a creek without a paddle.
113. Vanishing act – disappearing.
Sentence: The magician performed a vanishing act.
114. Waiting in the wings – ready to take over.
Sentence: The junior players are waiting in the wings.
115. Walk on eggshells – be very careful not to offend.
Sentence: I walk on eggshells around my angry boss.
116. Wear your heart on your sleeve – show emotions openly.
Sentence: He wears his heart on his sleeve; you always know how he feels.
117. Whole nine yards – everything possible.
Sentence: For her birthday, we went the whole nine yards.
118. Win‑win situation – where everyone benefits.
Sentence: The deal is a win‑win for both companies.
119. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink – you can offer help but can't force someone to accept.
Sentence: I gave him the books, but he didn't study; you can lead a horse to water.
120. Zip your lip – be quiet.
Sentence: Zip your lip; the teacher is coming!
121. A hot potato – a controversial issue.
Sentence: The topic of school uniforms became a hot potato.
122. Bite off more than you can chew – take on too much.
Sentence: Joining three clubs? Don't bite off more than you can chew.
123. Call it a night – stop an evening activity.
Sentence: It's late; let's call it a night.
124. Chip on your shoulder – holding a grudge.
Sentence: He still has a chip on his shoulder about the old fight.
125. Count your chickens before they hatch – rely on something before it's certain.
Sentence: Don't count your chickens before they hatch; wait for the results.
126. Cry wolf – raise a false alarm.
Sentence: No one believes him because he often cries wolf.
127. Don't give up your day job – you're not very good at something.
Sentence: Your singing? Don't give up your day job.
128. Face the facts – accept reality.
Sentence: Face the facts; you need to study more.
129. Feel a bit under the weather – slightly unwell.
Sentence: I feel a bit under the weather; I might rest.
130. Get a kick out of – enjoy greatly.
Sentence: I get a kick out of solving puzzles.
131. Give it a shot – try.
Sentence: I'm not good at drawing, but I'll give it a shot.
132. Go down in flames – fail spectacularly.
Sentence: The project went down in flames.
133. Hang in there – don't give up.
Sentence: Hang in there; the exam is almost over.
134. Have a bone to pick – have a complaint.
Sentence: I have a bone to pick with you about the mess.
135. Head over heels – completely in love.
Sentence: He's head over heels for that new game.
136. In a nutshell – briefly.
Sentence: In a nutshell, the plan failed.
137. Jump the gun – start too early.
Sentence: Don't jump the gun; wait for the signal.
138. Keep your fingers crossed – hope for good luck.
Sentence: Keep your fingers crossed for my result.
139. Lay off – stop criticising.
Sentence: Lay off him; he's trying his best.
140. Like looking for a needle in a haystack – extremely difficult to find.
Sentence: Finding my earring in the sand is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
141. Miss the boat – miss an opportunity.
Sentence: I missed the boat on that scholarship.
142. Off the hook – no longer in trouble.
Sentence: The teacher let me off the hook.
143. On the ball – alert and efficient.
Sentence: Our new monitor is really on the ball.
144. Open a can of worms – create a complicated problem.
Sentence: Asking about the missing money opened a can of worms.
145. Over my dead body – absolutely not.
Sentence: You'll quit school? Over my dead body!
146. Pass the buck – shift responsibility.
Sentence: Stop passing the buck; own your mistake.
147. Play it by ear – improvise.
Sentence: We haven't planned; we'll play it by ear.
148. Put the cart before the horse – do things in the wrong order.
Sentence: Preparing the speech before the topic? Don't put the cart before the horse.
149. Rule of thumb – a general rule.
Sentence: As a rule of thumb, I study for two hours daily.
150. See red – become very angry.
Sentence: I see red when someone lies.
Group 4: Idioms 151–200 (R–W)
๐ View Group 4 (50 idioms)
151. Shake a leg – hurry up.
Sentence: Shake a leg or we'll miss the bus!
152. Sight for sore eyes – a welcome sight.
Sentence: After the long journey, the hotel was a sight for sore eyes.
153. Skeleton in the closet – a hidden secret.
Sentence: Nobody knew about his skeleton in the closet.
154. Slip of the tongue – an accidental mistake in speech.
Sentence: Calling her by the wrong name was just a slip of the tongue.
155. Small world – used when you meet unexpectedly.
Sentence: We met again? Small world!
156. Steer clear of – avoid.
Sentence: Steer clear of that dog; it's angry.
157. Strike while the iron is hot – act quickly while the opportunity exists.
Sentence: Ask now; strike while the iron is hot.
158. Take a nosedive – fall quickly.
Sentence: His grades took a nosedive after he stopped studying.
159. The ball is in your court – it's your turn to act.
Sentence: I've paid; now the ball is in your court to deliver.
160. The pot calling the kettle black – a hypocrite.
Sentence: You're lazy? That's the pot calling the kettle black.
161. Throw in the towel – give up.
Sentence: Don't throw in the towel; keep trying.
162. Twist someone's arm – persuade forcefully.
Sentence: I didn't want to, but she twisted my arm.
163. Two heads are better than one – teamwork is better.
Sentence: Let's solve it together; two heads are better than one.
164. Under the gun – under pressure.
Sentence: I completed the work under the gun.
165. Up the ante – increase stakes.
Sentence: The team upped the ante in the second half.
166. Use your loaf – think, use your brain.
Sentence: Use your loaf; the answer is obvious.
167. Vicious circle – a cycle of problems.
Sentence: Debt leads to more debt—it's a vicious circle.
168. Walk in the park – something very easy.
Sentence: That task was a walk in the park.
169. Water under the bridge – past events that are forgotten.
Sentence: Forget our fight; it's water under the bridge.
170. Wear many hats – have many roles.
Sentence: As a mom and worker, she wears many hats.
171. What goes around comes around – karma.
Sentence: He cheated and later lost; what goes around comes around.
172. When in Rome, do as the Romans do – adapt to local customs.
Sentence: Wear traditional clothes; when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
173. Whole lot of nothing – nothing useful.
Sentence: The meeting was a whole lot of nothing.
174. Wild goose chase – a pointless search.
Sentence: Looking for that old book was a wild goose chase.
175. Win by a whisker – win by a very small margin.
Sentence: Our team won by a whisker.
176. With flying colours – with great success.
Sentence: She passed the exam with flying colours.
177. Work like a charm – work perfectly.
Sentence: The new method works like a charm.
178. Worn out – very tired.
Sentence: I'm worn out after the long walk.
179. You bet – certainly.
Sentence: "Can you help?" "You bet!"
180. Your guess is as good as mine – I don't know either.
Sentence: "Where's the cat?" "Your guess is as good as mine."
181. A watched pot never boils – time feels longer when you wait.
Sentence: Stop checking the clock; a watched pot never boils.
182. Bite the dust – fail or die.
Sentence: The old computer finally bit the dust.
183. Blow off steam – release anger.
Sentence: I run to blow off steam.
184. Cry over spilt milk – regret something already done.
Sentence: There's no use crying over spilt milk.
185. Drive someone up the wall – greatly annoy.
Sentence: That noise drives me up the wall.
186. Fish for compliments – try to get praise.
Sentence: Stop fishing for compliments.
187. Get cold feet – become nervous before a big event.
Sentence: I got cold feet before the speech.
188. Hit the hay – go to sleep.
Sentence: Let's hit the hay; tomorrow is busy.
189. In the nick of time – just before it's too late.
Sentence: We arrived in the nick of time.
190. Keep your cool – remain calm.
Sentence: During the fire drill, we kept our cool.
191. Let the chips fall where they may – accept the outcome.
Sentence: I've done my best; let the chips fall where they may.
192. Make up your mind – decide.
Sentence: Hurry up and make up your mind!
193. Out of the frying pan into the fire – from a bad situation to a worse one.
Sentence: Quitting without a job is out of the frying pan into the fire.
194. Practice makes perfect – regular practice leads to mastery.
Sentence: Keep drawing; practice makes perfect.
195. Put your best foot forward – make a good impression.
Sentence: For the interview, put your best foot forward.
196. Roll up your sleeves – prepare to work hard.
Sentence: Let's roll up our sleeves and clean the park.
197. Sit tight – wait patiently.
Sentence: Sit tight; the doctor will see you soon.
198. Stand your ground – refuse to back down.
Sentence: She stood her ground against the bully.
199. Take the bull by the horns – confront a problem directly.
Sentence: It's time to take the bull by the horns and talk to the principal.
200. Up to the minute – very latest.
Sentence: I get up‑to‑the‑minute news from my phone.
How Idioms Make Your English Sound Real
Idioms are the secret sauce of natural English. Native speakers use them all the time, and knowing them helps you understand movies, books, and conversations better. The key is to use them sparingly and correctly—don't force too many into one paragraph. Pick five idioms you like, practise making sentences with them, and try using one in your next English assignment. Over time, these expressions will become a natural part of your vocabulary toolbox.
- Vocabulary Building Hub — All vocabulary lessons.
- Story Writing Guide — Use idioms to bring characters to life.
- Hindi Grammar Hub — เคฎुเคนाเคตเคฐे เคเคฐ เคฒोเคोเค्เคคिเคฏाँ।
- Worksheets Master Hub — Every worksheet you need.
๐ Idioms & Phrases Worksheet – Class 6, 7 & 8
This worksheet covers 200 idioms and phrases. It includes meaning‑matching exercises, sentence‑completion tasks, and paragraph writing using the idioms you learned. Includes 50 questions.
Idioms & Phrases Worksheet »Answer key included • Aligned with CBSE & UP Board curriculum
