Awesome Idiom Examples


Would you believe there are more than 1,000 interesting idiom examples on this website?

That's a fraction of the idioms in English (more than 25,000) but this will give you a great start to learning these important phrases.

Infographic about what an idiom is with examples

To make it easier for my visitors to see what is offered here, I've divided these visual idioms into categories for you to peruse.

Take a look at the ones that seem interesting to you.

But before we even look at examples, you do know what an idiom is, don't you?

If not, I suggest you take a look at this infographic I created and then come back to look at the many different examples that are highlighted on this page.


Check out these idiom examples with pictures

These popular idiom examples with pictures will help you in two main ways. 

First, if you are learning English as a second language, you may not know some of the basic vocabulary.

For example, do you know what a "nail" is? Take a look at the picture at the right. Seeing a picture of someone hammering a nail into a date on a calendar makes the vocabulary easy to know without having to find the words in the dictionary.

Second, it's much easier to remember this idiom because you can associate an image with the definition. Sentence examples are very good to help see the idiom in context. A picture that illustrates the sentence example is even better.

Can you see how visual idiom examples help make these expressions more memorable an easy to understand?

I will continue to add as many as I can.

Check out the many examples with pictures at the links below:

a drop in the bucket | a fly on the wall a hard nut to crack | a little bird told me a man of few words | a money pit | a needle in a haystack a nose for something a small fortune a ton of | a whale of a time | ants in your pants | apple of your eye | as cool as a cucumber | at a snail’s pace | bad hair day | ball in someone’s court | bark up the wrong tree | bear fruit | beat the pants off bend over backwards best thing since sliced bread | bird’s-eye view | blind as a bat | bore the pants off | boxed in | burn the candle at both ends | can of worms | cat and mouse | catch someone’s eye | cat's got your tongue | caught with your pants down | couch potato | count sheep crack someone up | cry over spilled milk | cry your eyes out the dead of winter dig your own grave | dog eat dog | down in the dumps | drink like a fishdrive someone crazy | drive someone nuts drive someone up the wall | eat like a pig | foam at the mouth | get your ducks in a row | go/jump through hoops| go to waste | gravy trainhappy hour | head in the sand | heart of gold | hit the road | hold your horses | hot potato | in demand in good hands in the doghouse | in the wake of somethingjazz up something | join the fraykeep a close watchkeep your head above water kick to the curb | leave someone at the alter like a thief in the night look down on someone | off the wall 

make off with something make someone sick |march to the beat of your own drum | money doesn't grow on trees nail something down | off the beaten track off the hook | off the wall on the ball | on the rockson thin ice over the moon | par for the coursepig out pop the question (don't) put all your eggs in one basket | pull your hair outpour salt in the woundrace against time raining cats and dogs | safe and sound | safety in numbers scare the pants off somebody see eye to eye | see red sick as a dog sleep like a log sleep on it | smell a rat spill the beans | squirrel away stir the pot 

Idiom pour salt in the wound

straight from the horse's mouth | sweater up | that ship has sailed | take after someone | take some doing | taken aback | talk someone through something | thank your luck stars | that’s a wrap | the lion's share | the world is your oyster | think outside the box | third time lucky| third wheel | tickle the ivories | tickled pink | tighten one’s belt | tie the knot | time flies | under scrutiny | unsung hero | up for grabs | up in years | up to your eyeballs | wait tables | walk on eggshells | walk someone through something |  wake up and smell the coffee | wash something down | ward off | warm up to | warts and all | wash up | waste away | waste your breathwear your heart on sleeve | wear the pants | when pigs fly | whip up something | with your back against the wall | with your tail between your legs | wolf in sheep’s clothing | you can’t judge a book by its cover | your name in lights | you’re toast  


Funny expressions: Idiom examples in comics and humor

Who doesn't like to laugh? Idioms are perfect for expressing sarcasm, irony and double meanings. If's for those reasons you will frequently find the in comics and humorous writing. Below is a list of some of the funnier idioms on this site:

a ton of sth bore the pants of sb | caught with your pants down | in a nutshell jump (right) in | kick in | leave a paper trail | on paper | a pain in the neck | recharge your batteries | score something | (not) see eye to eye | take to sb/sth | talk past each other | while the cat's away (the mice will play)


Get our free idioms in pictures ebook


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You'll learn 25 popular idioms and see the idiom used in context with several sentence examples for each phrase:  FREE illustrated idioms ebook.


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