down on one’s luck
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idiom

down on one’s luck

Meaning
to be experiencing a period of bad luck
Example
He’s **down on his luck** and can’t find a job.
idiom

run circles around someone

Meaning
to be much better than someone at something
Example
She can **run circles around** anyone in the debate team.
idiom

in my opinion

Meaning
used to express what one thinks or believes
Example
**In my opinion**, this movie is too long.
idiom

At a snail’s pace

Meaning
Very slowly.
Example
The traffic was moving **at a snail’s pace**.
idiom

There's strength in numbers

Meaning
A larger group is stronger than an individual.
Example
Together we can achieve more because **there's strength in numbers**.
idiom

a Eureka moment

Meaning
a moment of sudden discovery or realization
Example
He had **a Eureka moment** when he solved the equation.
idiom

fall flat on your face

Meaning
to fail completely in an embarrassing way
Example
He **fell flat on his face** during his first business attempt.
idiom

keep your fingers crossed

Meaning
to hope for good luck
Example
I am **keeping my fingers crossed** for the exam results.
idiom

a heart of steel

Meaning
someone who is emotionally strong and unyielding
Example
Despite all the challenges, he handled everything with **a heart of steel**.
idiom

face up to

Meaning
to accept and confront a difficult situation
Example
It’s time to **face up to** the staffing gaps.
idiom

hit the nail on the head

Meaning
to be exactly right about something
Example
You **hit the nail on the head** with that analysis.
idiom

lend an ear

Meaning
to listen carefully to someone’s problems or feelings
Example
She’s always ready to **lend an ear** when I’m feeling down.
idiom

Climb the ranks

Meaning
To move up to higher positions through hard work and experience.
Example
He **climbed the ranks** from an intern to a manager in five years.
idiom

rolling in money

Meaning
having a lot of money
Example
After his business took off, he’s been **rolling in money**.
idiom

keep one's word

Meaning
to do what one has promised to do
Example
He always **keeps his word**, no matter what.
idiom

pick yourself up

Meaning
to recover from a failure or setback
Example
She failed the first time, but she **picked herself up** and tried again.
idiom

grey matter

Meaning
intelligence; the ability to think
Example
Use your **grey matter** to solve the puzzle.
idiom

give someone a piece of your mind

Meaning
to express your opinion strongly, especially when criticizing someone
Example
She **gave him a piece of her mind** after the argument.
idiom

keep the fire burning

Meaning
to stay motivated and passionate about something
Example
Even after failure, he managed to **keep the fire burning**.
idiom

lose ground

Meaning
to lose advantage or control in a situation
Example
During the talks, one side began to **lose ground** quickly.
idiom

strong password

Meaning
a password that is difficult for others to guess, typically combining letters, numbers, and symbols
Example
For better security, always use a **strong password** with at least eight characters.
idiom

juggle with

Meaning
to handle several tasks or responsibilities at once
Example
She’s **juggling with** classes, work, and childcare.
idiom

rack your brains

Meaning
to think very hard about something
Example
I had to **rack my brains** to remember her name.
idiom

a man of his word

Meaning
a person who keeps their promises
Example
He’s **a man of his word**, you can trust him.
idiom

keep your shirt on

Meaning
stay calm; don’t get angry or impatient
Example
**Keep your shirt on**, we’ll solve it soon.
idiom

talk at cross purposes

Meaning
to misunderstand each other when talking about different things
Example
I think we’re **talking at cross purposes**—I meant next week, not this one.
idiom

fend off

Meaning
to defend against something or someone
Example
They installed lights to **fend off** raccoons in the yard.
idiom

kill two birds with one stone

Meaning
to succeed in achieving two things in a single action
Example
I can **kill two birds with one stone** by listening to a podcast while I exercise.
idiom

play devil's advocate

Meaning
to argue against an idea to test how strong it is
Example
I don't necessarily disagree, but let me **play devil's advocate** for a moment.
idiom

conversion rate

Meaning
The percentage of visitors to a website who take a desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up.
Example
Our **conversion rate** has significantly improved after the redesign of the website.
idiom

in my book

Meaning
according to one’s own opinion or standards
Example
**In my book**, honesty comes first.
idiom

reach for the stars

Meaning
to aim for something very ambitious or difficult to achieve
Example
She always tells her students to **reach for the stars** and never give up.
idiom

on fire

Meaning
performing very well; full of energy and success
Example
The sales team is **on fire** this month!
idiom

pile up

Meaning
to increase into a large amount
Example
Emails tend to **pile up** over the weekend.
idiom

roam around

Meaning
to travel or walk around aimlessly
Example
We spent the afternoon **roaming around** the old city.
idiom

written in the stars

Meaning
destined to happen; fated
Example
They believe their meeting was **written in the stars**.
idiom

pay through the nose

Meaning
to pay a very high price for something
Example
We **paid through the nose** for that concert ticket.
idiom

Fall into the same trap

Meaning
to make the same mistake again, often due to not learning from previous experiences
Example
She **fell into the same trap** by trusting him again.
idiom

in the red

Meaning
to be in debt; losing money
Example
After the pandemic, many small businesses were **in the red**.
idiom

Eureka moment

Meaning
a sudden moment of discovery or realization
Example
She had a **Eureka moment** when she found the solution to the problem.
idiom

Blue skies thinking

Meaning
Creative or open-minded thinking without limits.
Example
Our brainstorming session encouraged **blue skies thinking**.
idiom

You can do it

Meaning
Have confidence; believe in your ability.
Example
Don’t doubt yourself, **you can do it**!
idiom

draw down

Meaning
to reduce the level or amount of something
Example
We plan to **draw down** inventory over the summer.
idiom

soft sell

Meaning
a subtle and persuasive way of selling without pressure
Example
They used a **soft sell** strategy to gain customer trust.
idiom

never look back

Meaning
to focus on moving forward and not dwell on past mistakes
Example
Once she made the decision, she promised to **never look back**.
idiom

spur on

Meaning
to encourage someone to continue or try harder
Example
Her mentor’s feedback **spurred her on** to apply for the grant.
idiom

Take a leap of faith

Meaning
to do something uncertain, trusting that it will succeed
Example
Starting her own company was a **leap of faith**, but it paid off.
idiom

Gordian knot

Meaning
A very complex or unsolvable problem.
Example
The issue of climate change is like a **Gordian knot** that needs bold action.
idiom

blow off steam

Meaning
to express anger or frustration so that you feel better
Example
He went for a run to **blow off steam** after the argument.
idiom

keep things in perspective

Meaning
to stay calm by seeing things realistically
Example
When stressed, try to **keep things in perspective**.
idiom

a meeting of minds

Meaning
a situation where people agree or have a shared understanding
Example
The agreement was the result of a real **meeting of minds**.
idiom

take by surprise

Meaning
to catch someone off guard; to surprise unexpectedly
Example
The sudden rain **took us by surprise**.
idiom

get the picture

Meaning
to understand the situation
Example
After a few minutes, I started to **get the picture**.
idiom

hang loose

Meaning
to relax and take things easy
Example
We’re on vacation, so just **hang loose** and enjoy.
idiom

big picture

Meaning
the overall perspective or situation
Example
Producers always try to see the **big picture** before making changes.
idiom

butterflies in my stomach

Meaning
feeling nervous or anxious
Example
I had **butterflies in my stomach** before the interview.
idiom

good Samaritan

Meaning
a person who helps others selflessly
Example
A **good Samaritan** helped the old man cross the street.
idiom

hang out with

Meaning
to spend time with friends
Example
We usually **hang out with** our classmates after school.
idiom

a rolling stone gathers no moss

Meaning
a person who keeps moving and exploring avoids boredom or stagnation
Example
**A rolling stone gathers no moss**, and he’s always on the move.
idiom

hold back on

Meaning
to delay or reduce doing something
Example
Let’s **hold back on** hiring until sales improve.
idiom

breaking the deadlock

Meaning
to end a situation where no progress is being made
Example
The negotiation team succeeded in **breaking the deadlock**.
idiom

get a handle on something

Meaning
to understand or gain control of something
Example
I'm trying to **get a handle on** the new software.
idiom

a daydreamer

Meaning
someone who spends a lot of time thinking about pleasant things rather than working
Example
She’s **a daydreamer** who often forgets what she’s doing.
idiom

the walls have ears

Meaning
be careful what you say because someone might be listening
Example
Speak quietly—**the walls have ears**.
idiom

at the eleventh hour

Meaning
at the very last moment
Example
He submitted his assignment **at the eleventh hour**.
idiom

AI accountability

Meaning
the responsibility of developers and organizations to ensure AI systems act fairly, safely, and ethically.
Example
Ensuring **AI accountability** is essential to avoid harmful consequences in society.
idiom

draw up

Meaning
to prepare an official document or plan
Example
The lawyer will **draw up** the agreement this afternoon.
idiom

tip of the hat

Meaning
a gesture of appreciation or respect
Example
A **tip of the hat** to everyone who made this event possible.
idiom

step in

Meaning
to become involved in order to help or stop something
Example
The manager will **step in** if the discussion gets heated.
idiom

clean up one’s act

Meaning
to improve behavior or performance; to become more responsible
Example
The factory had to **clean up its act** to avoid heavy fines.
idiom

playing the field

Meaning
competing with many other companies or individuals in the same market
Example
The company is **playing the field** by expanding into new markets worldwide.
idiom

strike it rich

Meaning
to suddenly make a lot of money
Example
They **struck it rich** after investing in that startup.
idiom

trade off

Meaning
to balance between two opposing things; to compromise
Example
Globalization involves a **trade off** between efficiency and equality.
idiom

own up to your mistakes

Meaning
to admit that you have done something wrong
Example
It takes courage to **own up to your mistakes**.
idiom

Spread like wildfire

Meaning
To become widely known very quickly.
Example
The news of their engagement **spread like wildfire**.
idiom

A clear conscience is a soft pillow

Meaning
When you live honestly, you sleep peacefully without guilt.
Example
After telling the truth, he had a peaceful night’s sleep because **a clear conscience is a soft pillow**.
idiom

machine minds

Meaning
refers to artificial intelligence systems capable of learning or thinking
Example
The rise of **machine minds** is reshaping industries worldwide.
idiom

team effort

Meaning
work done by a group of people to achieve a common goal
Example
The success of the project was due to a great **team effort**.
idiom

strike a chord

Meaning
to cause someone to feel sympathy or emotion
Example
Her story **struck a chord** with the audience.
idiom

to fall flat on one's face

Meaning
to fail completely or embarrass oneself
Example
The comedian **fell flat on his face** when no one laughed.
idiom

out of bounds

Meaning
not allowed or beyond acceptable limits
Example
His rude comment was **out of bounds**.
idiom

street smart

Meaning
having practical intelligence and experience, not just book knowledge
Example
He may not have a degree, but he’s very **street smart**.
idiom

a loose cannon

Meaning
A person who behaves unpredictably and may cause problems.
Example
Be careful with him — he’s **a loose cannon**.
idiom

Know it all

Meaning
Someone who acts as if they know everything.
Example
He’s such a **know it all**, it’s annoying.
idiom

well-oiled machine

Meaning
something that operates smoothly and efficiently
Example
Our engineering team runs like a **well-oiled machine**.
idiom

have nerves of steel

Meaning
to be very brave and calm under pressure
Example
A firefighter must **have nerves of steel** to face danger every day.
idiom

talk someone's ear off

Meaning
to talk too much and for a long time
Example
She **talked my ear off** about her new job.
idiom

have a soft spot for

Meaning
to have a fondness or affection for something or someone
Example
I **have a soft spot for** old classic movies.
idiom

have it out

Meaning
to talk openly about a disagreement to resolve it
Example
They decided to **have it out** instead of staying angry.
idiom

back out of

Meaning
to withdraw from an agreement or commitment
Example
He **backed out of** the trip at the last minute.
idiom

from the bottom of my heart

Meaning
with sincere gratitude
Example
I thank you **from the bottom of my heart** for everything.
idiom

go green

Meaning
to adopt an environmentally friendly lifestyle
Example
Many companies are trying to **go green** by using renewable energy sources.
idiom

teach by example

Meaning
to show others how to do something by demonstrating it yourself
Example
Good mentors always **teach by example**, showing the way with their actions.
idiom

head back to

Meaning
to return to a place
Example
Let’s **head back to** the office after lunch.
idiom

make friends

Meaning
to form new friendships
Example
It’s easy to **make friends** when you’re kind to others.
idiom

artificial instinct

Meaning
a machine’s ability to make decisions that seem natural or human-like
Example
The new model shows a kind of **artificial instinct** while driving.
idiom

check back in

Meaning
to reconnect later to get an update
Example
Let’s **check back in** next week on the prototype.
idiom

brush off

Meaning
to dismiss something or someone as unimportant
Example
He tried to **brush off** the criticism during the meeting.
idiom

the world is your oyster

Meaning
you can achieve anything you want in life
Example
With your talent, **the world is your oyster**.
idiom

pipe dream

Meaning
an unrealistic or impossible hope
Example
Becoming a billionaire overnight is just a **pipe dream**.
idiom

make a killing

Meaning
to earn a large profit quickly
Example
They **made a killing** with their new tech product.
idiom

Freudian slip

Meaning
An unintentional mistake that reveals one's true thoughts or feelings.
Example
He made a **Freudian slip** when he called his boss ‘mom’.
idiom

in harm’s way

Meaning
In a position to be injured or in danger.
Example
Firefighters often put themselves **in harm’s way** to save others.
idiom

it’s raining cats and dogs

Meaning
raining very heavily
Example
We can’t go out now; **it’s raining cats and dogs**.
idiom

push the envelope

Meaning
to go beyond the usual limits; to innovate boldly
Example
Tech companies must **push the envelope** to stay competitive.
idiom

Pass down from generation to generation

Meaning
To transfer knowledge, customs, or traditions from one generation to the next
Example
These folk songs have been **passed down from generation to generation**.
idiom

A truth universally acknowledged

Meaning
A widely accepted truth or belief.
Example
**A truth universally acknowledged** is that honesty is important.
idiom

lose one's temper

Meaning
to become very angry
Example
He **lost his temper** when he saw the mess.
idiom

right up one’s alley

Meaning
something that suits one’s interests or abilities perfectly
Example
That cooking workshop is **right up your alley**, you should join!
idiom

run a tight ship

Meaning
to manage an organization or group efficiently and strictly
Example
The manager **runs a tight ship**, and everyone follows the rules.
idiom

bring to life

Meaning
to make something more interesting or realistic
Example
The artist’s use of color really **brought the painting to life**.
idiom

to come clean

Meaning
to admit the truth, especially when it is difficult or embarrassing
Example
He decided it was time to **come clean** about his mistake.
idiom

make a good impression

Meaning
to create a positive image of yourself in someone's mind
Example
You should dress well to **make a good impression**.
idiom

The sun will shine again

Meaning
Better times will come after bad ones.
Example
Don’t worry too much — **the sun will shine again**.
idiom

white hat

Meaning
a hacker who uses skills ethically to improve security
Example
**White hats** help companies identify and fix security flaws.
idiom

chill out

Meaning
to relax and stop being angry or nervous
Example
You need to **chill out** and enjoy the weekend.
idiom

at peace with oneself

Meaning
feeling calm and accepting of oneself
Example
She felt **at peace with herself** after making the decision.
idiom

take the stage

Meaning
to begin performing or speaking publicly
Example
The new actor will **take the stage** for the first time tonight.
idiom

cool as a cucumber

Meaning
very calm and composed
Example
He stayed **cool as a cucumber** during the meeting.
idiom

call to arms

Meaning
a call to take action, especially to defend a cause
Example
The leader’s speech was a **call to arms** for all citizens to fight corruption.
idiom

pull the strings

Meaning
to control or influence someone or something secretly
Example
He got the job because his uncle **pulled the strings**.