Idioms for IELTS Speaking PDF 2025
Download 50 idioms for IELTS Speaking with meaning PDF Book for free. This comprehensive resource features 50 essential idioms with clear meanings, designed to add a natural and engaging touch to your responses. Idioms can significantly boost your IELTS Speaking score. Please note that while idioms are excellent for speaking, they should be avoided in writing as they are considered informal. Download the IELTS Idioms PDF now and take a big step toward achieving your desired IELTS Speaking score in 2025!
50 Idioms for IELTS Speaking with Meaning
The following idioms for IELTS Speaking include their meanings and sample sentences for better understanding.
1. Keep on Your Toes
To remain alert and prepared for anything:
“The unpredictable nature of the job requires us to keep on our toes at all times“
2. Open a can of worms
To start a complicated or problematic situation:
“Discussing the budget cuts will only open a can of worms, so let’s stick to the agenda“
3. Pull someone’s leg
To joke or trick someone:
“Don’t worry, I’m just pulling your leg—of course, you didn’t miss the meeting!“
4. Wrap your head around something
To fully understand something that’s difficult:
“It took me a while to wrap my head around the new software, but now I’ve got the hang of it“
5. You missed the boat
You missed an opportunity:
“The deadline for applying to that scholarship was last week; you really missed the boat“
6. Bread and Butter
Your main source of income or livelihood:
“Freelance writing is her bread and butter, but she’s trying to break into novel writing“
7. Call it a day
To Stop working for the day:
“After ten hours of work, we decided to call it a day and finish the rest tomorrow“
8. Cost an arm and a leg
To be very expensive:
“That luxury car costs an arm and a leg, so I’m saving up for now“
9. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Don’t risk everything on a single plan:
“I diversified my investments because I didn’t want to put all my eggs in one basket“
10. Don’t judge a book by its cover
Don’t make assumptions based on appearance:
“That old, rundown house looked terrible, but inside, it was beautifully renovated—don’t judge a book by its cover“
11. A smart cookie
A clever person who makes good decisions:
“She solved that complex puzzle in minutes—she’s such a smart cookie“
12. As cool as a cucumber
Calm and composed, even in difficult situations:
“Even under pressure, he remained as cool as a cucumber during the presentation“
13. Break a leg
A way to wish someone good luck, especially before a performance:
“Good luck with your audition tonight—break a leg!“
14. Break the ice
To introduce yourself and make people feel more comfortable:
“Telling a funny story at the beginning of the meeting helped break the ice“
15. Bite the bullet
To do something unpleasant that you’ve been avoiding:
“I didn’t want to go to the dentist, but I had to bite the bullet and get the root canal done“
16. A snowball effect
When something grows larger or more important over time:
“The small protest gained momentum, creating a snowball effect that led to a massive movement“
17. A piece of cake
Something very easy to do:
“Solving that math problem was a piece of cake for her“
18. Beat around the bush
To avoid discussing the main topic or issue:
“Stop beating around the bush and tell me exactly what happened“
19. Break the bank
To spend all of your money or something that is very expensive:
“I’d love to buy that watch, but I’m not willing to break the bank for it“
20. Black sheep
A person seen as the odd one out in a group, often negatively:
“He’s always been the black sheep of the family, choosing his own unconventional path“
21. Elephant in the room
A major issue that everyone is avoiding:
“No one wanted to mention the elephant in the room—our declining sales figures“
22. Feeling under the weather
To feel sick or unwell:
“I’m feeling a bit under the weather today, so I think I’ll stay home and rest“
23. Find your feet
A way to wish someone good luck, especially before a performance:
“It took her a few months to find her feet in the new city, but now she’s thriving“
24. Getting out of hand
When something becomes uncontrollable or chaotic:
“The party started getting out of hand when people began arguing“
25. Go on a wild goose chase
To search for something that is impossible to find:
“Searching for the key without knowing where it is feels like going on a wild goose chase“
26. Having a lot on your plate
To have many things to do or be busy with:
“I’ve got a lot on my plate this week, so I can’t take on any new projects“
27. Having your head in the clouds
To be distracted or thinking unrealistically:
“You’ll miss important details if you keep having your head in the clouds during meetings“
28. In the same boat
In the same situation as someone else:
“We’re all in the same boat when it comes to dealing with these tight deadlines“
29. It’s a piece of cake
Something is very easy:
“Learning to use this app is a piece of cake once you try it“
30. No pain, no gain
You have to work hard to achieve success:
“She’s been working out every day because she believes in the motto, “No pain, no gain“”
31. Give someone the axe
To fire someone:
“Unfortunately, the company had to give several employees the axe due to budget cuts“
32. Hit the books
To study hard:
“Finals are coming up, so I need to hit the books this weekend“
33. Hit the hay
To go to bed means:
“I’m exhausted—I think I’ll hit the hay early tonight“
34. In a pickle
To be in a difficult or troublesome situation:
“I’m in a pickle because I accidentally scheduled two meetings at the same time“
35. It’s not rocket science
Something that is easy to understand:
“Managing your finances isn’t rocket science; it just takes some discipline“
36. Cutting corners
Doing something in the quickest or easiest way, often sacrificing quality:
“The contractor was caught cutting corners, resulting in subpar construction quality“
37. Couch potato
Someone who spends a lot of time sitting and watching TV:
“He’s been such a couch potato lately, binge-watching TV shows all weekend“
38. Down the rabbit hole
To get involved in something more complicated than expected:
“I went online to research one thing and ended up down the rabbit hole of random articles“
39. Draw the line
To set a limit or boundary:
“I’m happy to help, but I draw the line at doing someone else’s work for them“
40. Every cloud has a silver lining
Even in bad situations, something positive can come from them:
“Losing the job was tough, but it led to a better opportunity—every cloud has a silver lining“
41. Ring a bell
To sound familiar, to remind someone of something:
“That name rings a bell, but I can’t remember where I’ve heard it before“
42. Sitting on the fence
To avoid making a decision:
“He’s still sitting on the fence about whether to accept the job offer“
43. Speak of the devil
When someone who was being talked about appears:
“Speak of the devil! We were just talking about you“
44. Throw someone under the bus
To betray someone for personal gain:
“He threw his teammate under the bus to avoid getting blamed for the mistake“
45. When pigs fly
Something that will never happen:
“Sure, I’ll clean my room when pigs fly!“
46. Fan the flames
To make a situation worse:
“His remarks only served to fan the flames of an already heated debate“
47. Fit as a fiddle
In very good health:
“After recovering from the flu, she’s back to being fit as a fiddle“
48. Full of beans
Full of energy or enthusiasm:
“The kids were full of beans, running around the park all afternoon“
49. Get into deep water
To get involved in a difficult or risky situation:
“He got into deep water after lying to his boss about the missed deadline“
50. Go the extra mile
To do more than is expected:
“She always goes the extra mile to ensure her clients are satisfied“
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