It is a List of Idioms in English & Phrasal Verbs in English here. Basically, it is to understand What are idioms definition with examples also and What are phrasal verbs definition with examples.
It is also the part of easiest, shortest, and updated notes almost for all classes, academic and competitive exams. It is the best way for the preparation of your upcoming annual examination.
These fresh notes of idioms and phrasal verbs in English will help you to learn fast in a short time for final exams of BA/BSc/ADP, MA/MSc/BS, PPSC, CSS, FPSC, and NTS e.g PU, UOS, UOG, BZU, GCU, and NUST. (Top 50 Idioms)
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List of 50 Idioms in English & Phrasal Verbs in English
There are almost 14-15 Set of idioms and phrasal verbs in English below. Every Set has a list of different English Idioms and English Phrasal Verbs.
You can write the same sentence for every English idiom and English phrasal verb of a Set. And that particular sentence is written under every Set of Idioms.
In this way, you will be able to learn more than 100 most important idioms and phrasal verbs list in English only by 14 sentences really.
1): – Set-1
- A fool errand,
- Small talk,
- A rotten egg,
- Double-faced,
- A bad egg,
- Window dressing,
- Freudian Slip,
- Buy (ing) Off,
- Fishy deal,
- A dead letter,
- A house of cards.
“A ………… always brought a bad name to us.”
2): – Set-2
The most important video lectures to understand these sets of idioms, phrasal verbs, and their rules.
- Cold Shoulder/Cold Comfort,
- A Wet blanket,
- A broken reed,
- A dark horse,
- A bird of passage,
- A close-fisted man,
- A man of straw,
- A wolf in sheep’s clothing,
- A black sheep,
- A fair-weather friend,
- A slow Coach,
- Hen-packed husband,
- A turn coat,
- A dog in the manger,
- As cool as cucumber,
- At low ebb,
- caught red handed,
- At a snail’s pace,
- Done up,
- A thorn in the flesh/A thorn in the side,
- As busy as bee,
- An under dog,
- At boiling point,
- Between the devil and the deep sea,
- Between two fires,
- At dagger drawn,
- On pins and needles,
- On tenterhooks,
- In a fix,
- Off hand,
- On the horns of a dilemma,
- Out of elbows,
- On the alert,
- On the anvil,
- A rolling stone,
- All at sea,
- A fly in the ointment,
- A snake in grass,
- At large,
- Over head and ears,
- Under a cloud,
- A puffed pipe.
“Don’t depend upon him. He is a …….. .”
3): – Set-3
- A big shot,
- A big gun,
- A cat’s paw,
- The sword of Damocles,
- A big name,
- An apple of one’s (his) eye,
- A jail bird,
- A red rag to a bull,
- Taken a back,
- A sleeping partner,
- At a loose end,
- At its wit’s end,
- A white elephant,
- Vicious circle,
- Become a by word,
- A bolt from the blue.
“He has become …….. after winning the election.”
4): – Set-4
- To take a leap in the dark,
- To go to pieces,
- To go to rack and ruin,
- To go to the dogs,
- Come to grief,
- Bury one’s (his) head in the sand,
- Ran to seed,
- Burn one’s finger,
- Run into hot water,
- Run into hot soup,
- Take by storm,
- Cut to the quick,
- Catch with chaff
“He took a leap in the dark and ……… .”
5): – Set-5
- A square peg in a round hole,
- To be in the doldrums,
- Be in the soap,
- To get into scrape,
- Strike (Struck) down,
- In a mess,
- To end in smoke,
- At the end of one’s (his) tether.
“He is …….. and bearing the worst circumstances.”
6): – Set-6
- A men of letters,
- A man of parts,
- up to date,
- A live wear,
- All in all,
- Time server,
- A man of spirits,
- A right-hand man,
- A tower of strength,
- In the limelight,
- Above board,
- At beck and call,
- Blue blood,
- In one’s (my) elements,
- Spick and span,
- In one’s (my good) books,
- Fair and square,
- First and foremost,
- In high spirits,
- A jack of all trades,
- Of the first water,
- A blessing in disguise,
- To go (ing) through fire and water.
“You can add Mr. Raaj in your company because he is …….. .”
7): – Set-7
- At cross purpose,
- A bull(s) in China shop,
- Apple of discard,
- At the helm,
- At logger heads,
- Beat (ing) about the bush,
- Beat (ing) the air,
- Bite (Biting) the dust,
- Brow beat (ing),
- Bury (ing) the hatchet,
- Clip(ping) one’s (their) wings,
- Come (ing) to blows,
- To fall (ing) a prey,
- To fall (ing) back upon,
- Fan (ning) the flames,
- In cold blood,
- Neck to neck,
- Sweat(ing) of one’s (their) brow,
- At zero point,
- Cut(ting) in,
- Cast(ing) about,
- Run(ing) up against,
- Fall (ing) out.
“India and Pakistan are ………. In Kashmir.”
8): – Set-8
- To hold one’s (their) own,
- Hod water,
- To hit the nail on the head,
- Stem the tide,
- To hold one’s peace,
- To call the shots,
- To hold up one’s head,
- To smell a rat,
- To hope against hope,
- To keep a stiff upper lip,
- To move heaven and earth,
- To pay back in one’s (that) own coin,
- To pay off old scores,
- Back away with,
- Beat back,
- To pay through the nose,
- To pocket an insult,
- To take heart,
- To take the bull by the horns,
- Stick to the point,
- Hush up.
“The old soldiers have power ……… In war.”
9): – Set-9
- A red letter day,
- D-day,
- Gala day.
“23 March is …….. In the history of Pakistan.’’
10): – Set-10
- Penny wise pound foolish,
- Fall (ing) foul of.
“India and Pakistan are doing ……… In Kashmir.”
11): – Set-11
- Foul play,
- Fair play,
- Foul and fair,
- By hook or by crook.
“Many students want to pass ……….. . .”
12): – A hard nut to crack”
“Overpopulation is a hard nut to crack for China.”
13): – Boast off
“Do not boast off your wealth so much.”
14): – A far cry from
“Democracy is a far cry from dictatorship.”
15): – Set-12
- A cold-blooded murder,
- A square deal,
- A bed of thorns,
- A cat and dog life,
- A rainy day,
- A storm in the teacup,
- An acid test,
- A tempest in the teacup,
- Bad blood, Broken heart,
- Wheels within wheels.
“………. of this poor leader must be checked”.
16): – Set-13
- Turn a deaf ear,
- Put out of countenance,
- Give a deaf ear,
- Fall(Fell) out,
- Hold off,
- Throw cold water upon/to,
- Throw water upon/to.
“Elizabeth ……. to my proposal and married to my enemy.”
17): – Set-14
- Blow one’s(his) trumpet,
- Split hair,
- To add(s) fuel to fire,
- Build (s) castle in the air,
- Put(s) the cart before the horse,
- Lay a blame at a man’s (his) door,
- Take(s) in,
- To live(s) in fool’s paradise,
- Play fast and loose,
- To draw the long bow,
- To eat a humble pie,
- To fall between two stools,
- To lose(s) heart,
- To poke one’s (his) nose,
- To show(s) a clean pair of heels,
- To turn(s) tail,
- To turn(s) the tables,
- To show(s) the white feather,
- Cry (cries) down.
“We dislike him because he always …… .”
Best English Idioms & Phrasal Verbs in English
18): – All and sundry
“All and sundry come to see the fair.”
19): – At arm’s lenght
“You must keep the bad boys at arm’s length .”
20): – A wild goose chase
“Your attempt to win her loves is a wild goose chase .”
21): – Caution against
“Your cough is a caution against other diseases .”
22): – A square meal /A hearty meal
“Most of the labourers do not get a square meal.”
23): – At home in
“Shakespeare is at home in classical music .”
24): – Be the laughing stock
“James Joyce has become a laughing stock of the class for his foolish acts.”
25): – Break the ice
“They were sitting silent .At last I broke the ice .”
26): – Break the news
“Oscar wilde broke the news of his mother ‘ s death .”
27): – To breaking news
“I was watching a cricket match .There came breaking news about the crash of the president’ s plane.”
28): – Bell the act
“I need real courage to bell the act .”
29): – Face the music
“The servant broke the jug and had to face the music .”
30): – Let the sleeping dog lie
“Why are you recalling the past matters ? Let the sleeping dog lie .Try to solve the problem .”
31): – A blue stocking
“You can add Miss woolf in your company because she is a blue stocking.”
32): – Take to something
Due to failure in love , yeats took drinking .
33): – To cry over spilt milk
“It is useless to cry over spilt milk.”
34): – Few and far between
“I go to Lahore few and far between .”
35): – A stumbling block
“My lack of qualification is a stumbling block in my promotion .”
36): – A thankless task/ A labour of love
“Cooking for the family is a thankless task for me .”
37): – Back- stair influence /Back -stair driver
“Maya is not fit for this job , but she got it through back- stair influence .”
38): – A hole and corner policy
“Nobody likes your hole and corner policy in this matter.”
39): – Serpent in the egg
“Even bad customs must be controlled by the serpent in the egg.”
40): – Loaves and fishing /fishes
“Many people work for loaves and fishes.”
41): – All moon shine
“His discussion is all moonshine.”
42): – Behind the screen / scenes
“There are some naughty boys behind the screen. “
43): – To bring to mind
“I feel pleasure when I bring to mind my childhood.”
44): – At the eleventh hour
“We reached the station at the eleventh hour.”
45): – In letter and spirit
“I will support you in this matter in letter and spirit.”
46): – Red tape
“There is too much red tape in Government offices.”
47): – Sour grapes
“Grapes are never sour who believes in struggle”
48): – Maiden speech
His maiden speech was successful.
49): – Crocodile tears
“The stepmother shed crocodile tears on her son’s death.”
50): – French leave
“He was kicked out of his job because of his french leave nature.”
51): – Dutch courage
“Courage produced by drinking is called dutch courage.”
52): – Smooth sail
“To pass the B.A examination is a smooth sailing for hard workers. “
53): – A going concern
“Banking is a going concern. “
54): – Sight for rose eye
“Your presence among us is a sight for the rose eye.”
55): – A jaundiced eye
“Dickinson looks at all modern ideas with a jaundiced eye.”
56): – A lame excuse
“Do not make a lame excuse to leave the class.”
57): – A mare’s nest
“His discovery proved a mare’s nest.”
58): – A moot point
“The scope and application of family planning in Pakistan is a still moot point.”
59): – Do and don’ts
“Our society now-a-day is divided into do and don’ts.”
60): – Haves and have-nots
“The haves and the have nots must pull on together.”
61): – Off and on
“Elizabeth Sewel comes here off and on.”
61): – Pros and cons
“I know your pros and cons. You cannot befool me.”
62): – Now and then/Ifs and buts
“I want my money now and then. No ifs and buts.”
63): – Hair and fire
“We are living in the world of hair and fire.”
64): – Wear and tear
“His shirt shows sings of wear and tear.”
65): – Sum and substance
“Please tell me the sum and substance of this story.”
66): – Time and again
“They meet time and again in the hotel.”
67): – Neck or nothing
“Teg Hughes will fight against his enemies, neck or nothing.”
68): – Bring to light
“Truth should be brought to light whatever the situation may be.”
69): – Rank and ruin
“War sends a nation to the rack and ruins.”
70): – Rank and file
“Soldiers have to work rank and file in war.”
71): – Turn turtle
“Very few ships turn turtles these days.”
72): – Tooth and nail
“In 1965 Pakistan army fought tooth and nail with Indian army.”
73): – Brevity is the soul of wit
“In Hamlet, Shakespeare says that brevity is the soul of wit.”
74): – An eye wash
“Elections in Pakistan are just an eye wash.”
75): – Turn over a new leaf
“I am glad that you have turned over a new leaf.”
75): – Blow hot and cold
“The politicians blow hot and cold in parliament.”
76): – Once in a blue moon
“Asad comes to my house once in a blue moon.”
77): – Speak/Look daggers
“The headmaster looked daggers at the two boys who were talking in the examination hall.”
78): – A feather in one’s cap
“The prize that he won was quiet a feather in his cap.”
79): – A cat and dog life
“The old husband and his young wife are leading a cat and dog life.”
80): – To look forward to
“I am looking forward to your meeting with me.”
81): – To make no bones about
“They make no claims about their failures.”
82): – Call God to witness
“Shakespeare called God to witness in the court and proved himself innocent.”
83): – The old Adam
“Everybody has the old Adam in him.”
84): – By and large
“By and large I am happy with my life.”
85): – Keeps one’s, finger crossed
“We are all keeping our finger crossed that Darwin will marry Bishop.”
86): – Make a beeline for
“After a school break, all the children made a bee line for their homes.”
87): – The school master is abroad
“The school master is abroad in Pakistan.”
88): – A fishy story
“The story which he has narrated seems to be a fishy story.”
89): – Leave high and dry
“ The boat was left high and dry in the ocean near the mine.”
90): – Jump at the gun
“R.S Thomas applied for the post of teacher before it was advertised. In this way he jumped at the gun.”
91): – Give a good account of
“Hughes gave a good account of himself in the match.”
92): – From pillar to post
“G.D Maupassant went from pillar to post to get the job.”
93):- Hand in glove with
“Virginia and Gloria are hand in glove with each other.”
94):- To burn the midnight oil
“He burned the midnight oil near the examination and came first.”
95):- Call in question
“I called in question the truth of his remark.”
96):- Stand on ceremony
“Sincere friends do not stand on ceremony.”
97):- To cry wolf
“Nobody came to help him as he was in the habit of wolf.”
98):- To answer back
“It is improper to answer back your elders.”
99):- Stick to
Please stick to the traditional of Islam at every cost.
100):- Weigh down
“Manolin has weighed down at the death of his sister.”
101):- To beat off
“Our army beat off the Indian attack in the Sialkot sector.”
102):- To knock about
“He knocked about two bottles of milk in ten minutes.”
103):- To keep abreast of
“We should try to keep abreast of the new happening in the world.”
104):- To have cold feet.
“After weeks of preparation, Samia had cold feet on the day of B.A Examination.”
105):- To cut a sorry figure
“Elizabeth Bishop cut a sorry figure in the BA Examination.”
106):- Flay truant
“Ezra plays truant every week, and so fails.”
107):- Get (to) at the bottom of
“The principal tried to get to the bottom of our problems”.
108):- Impress on
“Mr. Rajj impressed on us the need to study new books.”
109):- Nip in the bud
“You should try to nip the evil in the bud.”
110):- Carry weight
“:Your arguments in favour of smoking do not carry weight.”
111):- Eat one’s words
“Lawrence knew that he was at fault. So he ate his words.”
112):- Gift of the gab
“Ladies generally have the gift of the gab.”
113):- Have a bee in one’s bonnet
“That leader has a bee in his bonnet about fighting a war.”
114):- Attend on
“:Two servants attend on mother.”
115):- Out of bounds
“The military office is out of bounds.”
116):- Keep in the dark
“You should not keep your parents in the dark about your marriage plans.”
117):- Obliged to
“When the bus broke down, we are were obliged to work.”
118):- Destined to
“Santiago is destined to become a great man.”
119):- Hard and fast
“There is no hard and fast rule in politics.”
120):- Heart and soul
“He loves his son heart and soul.”
121):- Kith and kin
“Be kind with your kith and kin”.
122):- On the air
“He is on the air daily “.
123):- Bag and baggage
“He threw her out from his house with bag and baggage.”
124):- For good
“He is living in Pakistan for good.”
125):- In black and white
“Mr. Blake makes his every agreement in black and white”.
126):- Through thick and thin
“I will support you in this matter through thick and thin.”
127):- Around or round the corner
“The end of the war is around the corner.”
128):- Sit back
“You should not sit back in the days of exam.”
129):- Carry the day
“Keats carried the day in his exams”.
130):- Off hand
“He can speak off hand on any subject.”
131):- Get rid of
“He gets rid his works”.
132):- Burn one’s candle at the ends
“He burned the candle at both ends to pass the exams”.
133):- Bread and butter
“Bread and butter is necessary for life.”
134):- Catch red handed
“The thief was caught red handed.”
135):- Let the cat out the bag
“Keep your mouth shut and do not let the cat out of the bag.”
136):- Scot free
“One of the two criminals was got scot free.”
137):- In full swing
“Now a days the movement of election is in full swing.”
138):- Lion’s share
“Yeats has a lion’s share in this business.”
139):- Look back
“Looking back I find my childhood to be unhappy”.
140):- Die in the hardness
“He who dies in the harness is a martyr.”
141):- Out and out.
“Even in his childhood, he was a scholar out and out.”
142):- At a stretch
“It has been raining for hours at a stretch.”
143):- Flog a dead horse
“His thought to pass the exam without hard work is flog a dead horse.”
144):- Have no touch with
“Brilliant students have no touch with failure.”
145):- Last straw
“It is the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.”
146):- Drop a line
“Drop us a line when you arrive in Karachi.”
147):- Compare notes
“They were caught while comparing notes in hell”.
148):- Follow suit
“If I go home you follow on.”
149):- Blind in
“Is he blind in the left eye?”
150):- Be up to
“He is not up to get a scholarship.”
151):- Fall short of
“The college results fall short of the university standards.”
How To Solve Idioms and Phrases Questions by Tips & Tricks
There are 3 Multi-Sentences under List of Idioms in English & Phrasal Verbs in English;
- On account of ….. We got this mysterious. (Verb)
- Nowadays the leaders are ……. And globalization is getting airs all the same. (Noun)
- Mr. Azeem is ……… and everybody respects such people. (Adjective)
- Keep it in mind that they are ….
If you don’t want to learn idioms one by one, or you are to weak for memorizing or if you have not more spare time to learn a list of more than 100 English idioms and English phrasal verbs list So, there are just 3 sentences that are mentioned above.
How to use Multi-Sentences to Solve the Idioms & Phrasal Verbs In English?
If the idiom or a phrasal verb is a Verb so, you’ll write that idiom or phrasal verbs in the blank of the sentence which is written the word Verb before.
You will fill in the blank the second multi-sentence if your idiom or phrasal verb is a Noun.
if your idiom or phrasal verb is an Adjective you will fill in the blank of third Multi-sentence which is followed by the word Adjective.
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