Go Dutch
All a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
All Types idiom phrasal-verb proverb
Content locale
EN English BN Bengali HI Hindi ES Spanish FR French DE German RU Russian ZH Chinese JA Japanese
All Expression Cards All Expressions
idiom

Go Dutch

Meaning
To share the cost of something equally.
Example
Let’s **go Dutch** on the dinner tonight.
idiom

carry the weight

Meaning
to take on a large responsibility or burden
Example
As the team leader, it's his job to **carry the weight** of the project's success.
idiom

know the ropes

Meaning
to be very familiar with something; to have a thorough understanding of something
Example
He really **knows the ropes** in this field of work.
idiom

swept off your feet

Meaning
to be suddenly and strongly attracted to someone
Example
She was **swept off her feet** by his charm.
idiom

lay off

Meaning
to dismiss someone from a job due to lack of work or money
Example
The company hopes to avoid having to **lay off** employees.
idiom

burst of creativity

Meaning
a sudden outpouring of creative ideas
Example
She had a **burst of creativity** and finished the design in one go.
idiom

In vogue

Meaning
Currently popular or fashionable
Example
Long skirts are **in vogue** again this season.
idiom

Heart full of gratitude

Meaning
Deeply thankful and appreciative.
Example
She spoke with a **heart full of gratitude** for her teachers.
idiom

win someone over

Meaning
to persuade someone to support you or agree with you
Example
The candidate’s speech **won the crowd over**.
idiom

win by a landslide

Meaning
to win by a very large margin
Example
The candidate **won by a landslide** with 80% of the votes.
idiom

take heart

Meaning
to feel encouraged or more confident
Example
You should **take heart**; things will get better soon.
idiom

step into someone's shoes

Meaning
to take on someone's role or responsibility
Example
She was able to **step into her boss's shoes** when he was on vacation.
idiom

ahead of its time

Meaning
to be unusually advanced or innovative for its era
Example
That invention was **ahead of its time**.
idiom

run like clockwork

Meaning
to operate smoothly and efficiently
Example
The production line **runs like clockwork** these days.
idiom

warm-hearted

Meaning
kind and sympathetic
Example
She is a **warm-hearted** person who cares for everyone.
idiom

heart of gold

Meaning
a very kind and generous person
Example
My grandmother has a **heart of gold**.
idiom

play to the gallery

Meaning
to try to gain approval from the general public rather than experts
Example
The politician was clearly **playing to the gallery** with his speech.
idiom

A red herring

Meaning
A misleading clue or distraction intended to divert attention from the real issue.
Example
The new law was just a **red herring** to distract from the corruption scandal.
idiom

die of envy

Meaning
to be extremely jealous
Example
He’ll **die of envy** when he sees your new car.
idiom

shake like a leaf

Meaning
to tremble with fear or nervousness
Example
She was **shaking like a leaf** before her first flight.
idiom

All hands on deck

Meaning
Everyone must work together or help with a task.
Example
We need **all hands on deck** to finish this project by tomorrow.
idiom

grab attention

Meaning
to make people notice something immediately
Example
Bright colors and bold fonts are used to **grab attention**.
idiom

line up for

Meaning
to queue in anticipation of something
Example
Fans will **line up for** tickets at dawn.
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

kindness goes a long way

Meaning
a small act of kindness can have a big positive impact
Example
Remember, **kindness goes a long way** in building good relationships.
idiom

split second

Meaning
a very short amount of time
Example
The decision was made in a **split second**.
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

break the mold

Meaning
to do something differently from tradition
Example
She **broke the mold** by becoming the first female CEO.
idiom

flesh out

Meaning
to add more detail to something
Example
We need to **flesh out** the proposal before presenting it.
idiom

feel ten feet tall

Meaning
to feel very proud and confident
Example
He **felt ten feet tall** after completing the challenge.
idiom

ray of hope

Meaning
a small sign that something good might happen
Example
The new treatment offers a **ray of hope** for patients.
idiom

throw a wrench into the works

Meaning
to disrupt or complicate something
Example
The sudden resignation of the minister threw a **wrench into the works** of the peace negotiations.
idiom

to have hope in one's heart

Meaning
to remain hopeful and optimistic about the future
Example
Despite all the challenges, he always **has hope in his heart**.
idiom

drag on

Meaning
to continue for too long and become boring
Example
The meeting **dragged on** for hours.
idiom

narrow down

Meaning
to reduce a list of options to a smaller number
Example
We’ve **narrowed down** the candidates to the final three.
idiom

Share a smile

Meaning
to smile and bring happiness to others
Example
It's easy to **share a smile** and brighten someone's day.
idiom

tip off

Meaning
to secretly give information or a warning
Example
A neighbor **tipped off** the police about the noise.
idiom

scaling up

Meaning
to expand a business rapidly after initial success
Example
After their Series A funding, the team focused on **scaling up**.
idiom

Hold your head high

Meaning
To be proud and confident even after failure or hardship.
Example
Even after losing, she **held her head high**.
idiom

take a turn for the worse

Meaning
to become more ill
Example
His condition **took a turn for the worse** last night.
idiom

data-driven decision making

Meaning
making decisions based on data analysis rather than intuition or personal experience
Example
In the world of business, **data-driven decision making** is crucial for success.
idiom

turn up the heat

Meaning
to increase pressure or intensity
Example
The scientists decided to **turn up the heat** on the experiment.
idiom

hang back

Meaning
to remain behind or hesitate to act
Example
If you **hang back**, you might miss the opportunity.
idiom

to hack into

Meaning
to gain unauthorized access to a system or network
Example
The attackers managed **to hack into** the company's internal servers.
idiom

plug into

Meaning
to connect or become involved in something, usually a system or network
Example
You need to **plug into** the right social media channels to reach a wider audience.
idiom

snowed under

Meaning
to have too much work to do
Example
I'm **snowed under** with assignments this week.
idiom

get a second wind

Meaning
to have a burst of energy after feeling tired
Example
After a short break, she **got a second wind** and finished the race.
idiom

stand trial

Meaning
to appear in court to answer criminal charges
Example
He will **stand trial** for fraud next month.
idiom

cut and dry

Meaning
clear and straightforward; no room for confusion
Example
The decision wasn’t as **cut and dry** as they expected.
idiom

keep smiling

Meaning
to stay cheerful even when facing difficulties
Example
Whatever happens, just **keep smiling**.
idiom

pile up

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

sweat blood

Meaning
to make an enormous effort
Example
He **sweat blood** to get that promotion.
idiom

think for yourself

Meaning
to form your own opinions and make your own decisions
Example
You should learn to **think for yourself** instead of copying others.
idiom

get a new lease on life

Meaning
to gain new energy or enthusiasm for something
Example
After the surgery, she felt like she had **got a new lease on life**.
idiom

work-life harmony

Meaning
a balanced and peaceful relationship between work and personal life
Example
She believes in maintaining **work-life harmony**.
B1 idiom

fish out of water

Someone who feels uncomfortable or out of place
Meaning
Someone who feels uncomfortable or out of place
Example
At the formal party, the casual dresser felt like a fish out of water.
At the formal party, the casual dresser felt like a fish out of water.
idiom

bolt from the blue

Meaning
a sudden and unexpected event
Example
The project cancellation came as a **bolt from the blue**.
idiom

to learn the hard way

Meaning
to learn by making mistakes or through difficult experiences
Example
He **learned the hard way** that honesty is the best policy.
idiom

plow ahead

Meaning
to continue doing something despite difficulties
Example
Even with setbacks, they decided to **plow ahead** with the project.
idiom

keep your options open

Meaning
to delay making a final decision so you have choices
Example
I’ll **keep my options open** until I hear back from all the universities.
idiom

Things will get better

Meaning
difficult situations will improve over time
Example
I know you're stressed, but remember, **things will get better**.
idiom

split hairs

Meaning
to argue about small or unimportant details
Example
Stop **splitting hairs** and focus on the main issue.
idiom

filter out

Meaning
to remove unwanted parts from something
Example
Use this tool to **filter out** spam messages.
idiom

Economic bubble

Meaning
A situation where asset prices rise far above their real value.
Example
The housing **economic bubble** burst in 2008, causing a global crisis.
idiom

how do you do

Meaning
a formal greeting used when meeting someone for the first time
Example
**How do you do?** It’s a pleasure to meet you.
idiom

out of your mind

Meaning
crazy or extremely worried
Example
You must be **out of your mind** to drive that fast!
idiom

light the fire

Meaning
to inspire or motivate people to act passionately
Example
Her speech really **lit the fire** in the employees’ hearts.
idiom

A nest egg

Meaning
A sum of money saved for the future or retirement.
Example
He built up a **nest egg** for his children's education.
idiom

have the upper hand

Meaning
to have control or advantage over someone
Example
After the merger, the larger company **had the upper hand**.
idiom

win the peace

Meaning
to succeed in maintaining peace after a conflict
Example
The treaty was a success, but they still had to **win the peace**.
idiom

gray area

Meaning
a situation that is not clearly defined or falls between two categories
Example
AI surveillance laws still fall into a **gray area**.
idiom

in my opinion

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

dance the night away

Meaning
to dance for a long time, especially during a celebration
Example
Everyone **danced the night away** at the wedding reception.
idiom

key in on

Meaning
to give focused attention to something specific
Example
The coach asked the team to **key in on** their defensive mistakes.
idiom

green-eyed with envy

Meaning
showing strong jealousy
Example
They were **green-eyed with envy** at her luxurious lifestyle.
idiom

paint yourself into a corner

Meaning
to put yourself in a difficult situation with no easy way out
Example
By making so many promises, he **painted himself into a corner**.
idiom

go over

Meaning
to review or discuss something thoroughly
Example
Can we **go over** the agenda together?
idiom

have a smile on your face

Meaning
to appear happy and cheerful
Example
She always has a smile on her face, no matter the situation.
idiom

a drama queen

Meaning
someone who exaggerates or overreacts to situations
Example
Stop acting like **a drama queen**; it’s not that serious.
idiom

judge a book by its cover

Meaning
to form an opinion based on appearance only
Example
Don’t **judge a book by its cover**; she’s actually very kind.
idiom

where there’s a will, there’s a way

Meaning
if you are determined, you can find a solution
Example
**Where there’s a will, there’s a way**—you can do it!
idiom

take someone at their word

Meaning
to trust that someone is telling the truth
Example
You can **take her at her word**; she never lies.
idiom

under investigation

Meaning
being examined or looked into by authorities for possible wrongdoing
Example
The suspect is currently **under investigation** for his involvement in the crime.
idiom

Cook up a story

Meaning
To invent a false story.
Example
He **cooked up a story** to explain why he was late.
idiom

out of harm’s way

Meaning
To be safe from danger or difficulty.
Example
Make sure the children are **out of harm’s way** before lighting the fire.
idiom

batten down

Meaning
to secure something tightly in preparation for trouble
Example
Residents will **batten down** their windows before the storm.
idiom

deep down

Meaning
in one’s innermost feelings
Example
**Deep down**, she knew she was wrong.
idiom

The more you know, the less you know

Meaning
The more you learn, the more you realize how little you actually know.
Example
After years of study, he said, '**The more you know, the less you know**.'
idiom

Change is the only constant

Meaning
Everything in life keeps changing; nothing stays the same.
Example
Don’t resist — change is the only constant.
idiom

slippery slope

Meaning
a situation that can lead to serious problems if not controlled
Example
Allowing AI to make moral decisions is a **slippery slope**.
idiom

a heart of gold

Meaning
someone who is very kind and caring
Example
She has **a heart of gold**, always helping anyone in need.
idiom

move ahead with

Meaning
to continue progress on something
Example
Despite the delay, we’ll **move ahead with** the rollout.
idiom

draw out

Meaning
to encourage someone to express themselves
Example
The mentor helped **draw out** her confidence.
idiom

the teacher’s pet

Meaning
a student who is favored by the teacher
Example
Everyone knows he’s **the teacher’s pet** in our class.
idiom

pick someone’s brain

Meaning
to ask someone knowledgeable for advice or ideas
Example
I’d like to **pick your brain** about this project idea.
idiom

cutting-edge marketing

Meaning
using the latest and most advanced marketing techniques
Example
Our company invests in **cutting-edge marketing** strategies.
idiom

more luck than sense

Meaning
successful because of luck, not intelligence
Example
He survived the accident—he’s got **more luck than sense**.
idiom

wise beyond one's years

Meaning
showing wisdom or maturity greater than expected for one's age
Example
Her advice is always thoughtful—she’s **wise beyond her years**.
idiom

stick to your guns

Meaning
to remain firm in your beliefs or decisions even under pressure
Example
He **stuck to his guns** even when others doubted him.
idiom

in high spirits

Meaning
feeling cheerful and happy
Example
Everyone was **in high spirits** during the festival.
idiom

skeleton in the closet

Meaning
a family secret that one wants to keep hidden
Example
Every family has a **skeleton in the closet** they don't talk about.
idiom

add fuel to the fire

Meaning
to make a bad situation worse
Example
Your comments **added fuel to the fire**.
idiom

in the cloud

Meaning
stored or managed on remote servers via the internet
Example
All our data is now **in the cloud**.
idiom

take a hike

Meaning
to go for a walk or leave; to go away
Example
Let’s **take a hike** in the mountains this weekend.
idiom

teacher’s pet

Meaning
a student who is favored by the teacher
Example
Everyone teases her for being the **teacher’s pet**.
idiom

algorithm

Meaning
a set of rules or instructions for solving a problem or performing a task
Example
The **algorithm** sorts the data into categories.
idiom

ring a bell

Meaning
to sound familiar or remind someone of something
Example
That name **rings a bell**, but I can't remember where I heard it.
idiom

jump through hoops

Meaning
to do a lot of difficult or complicated things to achieve something
Example
I had to **jump through hoops** to get my visa approved.
idiom

fib

Meaning
a small or trivial lie
Example
It was just a little **fib**, nothing serious.
idiom

diplomatic immunity

Meaning
legal protection given to diplomats from prosecution
Example
He could not be arrested because he had **diplomatic immunity**.
idiom

security blanket

Meaning
something that gives a sense of safety or comfort
Example
Using a strong password manager is my **security blanket** online.
idiom

level up

Meaning
to improve or advance to a higher level
Example
With his hard work, he has been able to **level up** in his career.
idiom

The best things in life are worth waiting for

Meaning
The most valuable things take time and effort to achieve.
Example
Remember, **the best things in life are worth waiting for**.
idiom

In the picture

Meaning
Involved or informed about a situation
Example
I want to stay **in the picture** about the new project.
idiom

chew someone out

Meaning
to angrily scold or criticize someone
Example
The coach **chewed out** the team for their poor performance.
idiom

count your blessings

Meaning
be grateful for the good things in your life
Example
Instead of complaining, **count your blessings**.
idiom

paint a rosy picture

Meaning
to describe something in an overly optimistic way
Example
The guide **painted a rosy picture** of the museum's future.
idiom

Go against the grain

Meaning
to do something that is contrary to the usual way of doing things
Example
Their new approach really **goes against the grain** of traditional research methods.
idiom

go off the rails

Meaning
to start behaving in an unusual or uncontrolled way
Example
After losing his job, his life seemed to **go off the rails**.
idiom

hold the vision

Meaning
to maintain a clear sense of direction or goal
Example
Leaders who **hold the vision** can guide their teams through difficult times.
idiom

make a fuss

Meaning
to complain or get angry about something small or unimportant
Example
She always **makes a fuss** about her food being cold.