So you’re looking for idiom examples, or you want to see some idiomatic expressions. Whether you want to learn the basics about them—like what they are—or you simply want to see some examples of them in sentences, all of that information can be found below. At the bottom of this page, there’s a list of 10 common idioms and the meaning of each is included underneath.
Anyways, let’s get started, shall we?
Note: All idioms in the examples and sentences that follow will appear in blue.
What Are Idiomatic Expressions?
Put simply, idiomatic expressions are idioms. Okay, well then what’s an idiom? It’s a group of words where the meaning cannot be inferred simply by looking at each of the words. For example, take a look at the following sentence:
“That job was a piece of a cake.”
In the sentence above, the idiom is in blue. In this context, a piece of cake means something that’s easy to do. What happens, though, if someone has never heard of this expression before? When looking at the sentence, they might think the person is talking about a real cake; it might be hard for them to deduce the idiom’s figurative meaning just by looking at the words.
This is why sites such as this one are helpful, because if you don’t know what a particular expression means, you don’t have to sit there and guess. You can instead look it up and see what it’s all about. Now let’s look at some more examples.
Idiom Examples With Sentences
Below you’ll see some idiom examples with sentences. Idioms are used for all kinds of situations in life. For example, they can describe how a person feels. They can express how a person likes or dislikes something. They can even be used to describe things like the weather. For instance, have you ever heard someone say that it’s raining cats and dogs outside? That means it is pouring rain!
Anyway, let’s take a look at some more idiom examples and see how they might be used depending on the circumstances. I will use them in sentences and then briefly explain what they mean. Here are some about:
Our Feelings
- I was tickled pink when I heard the news. (In other words, he was very happy.)
- She was on cloud nine after receiving a hefty raise. (Another expression for feeling happy.)
- I’m going to stay in bed because I’m feeling under the weather. (A person who is feeling either sad or sick.)
How Easy Or Difficult Something Is
- Fixing a bike is not exactly rocket science. (Fixing a bike is simple, to put it another way)
- I’m trying to find the remote, but it’s a needle in a haystack. (In other words, he’s having a hard time finding it.)
- It’s hot outside, so staying inside today was a no-brainer for me. (It means the choice was very easy to make.)
So those are just a few examples of how idiomatic expressions might be used. Obviously, there are tons more, but you get the idea. However, if you want to see more idioms, check out the list below.
10 Common Idiom Examples
Here are 10 examples of idioms with their meaning underneath. Interestingly, these might also be called figures of speech:
1. Quitting cold turkey
To quit cold turkey is to stop a bad habit immediately.
2. Spill the beans
If someone spills the beans, they revealed a secret.
3. In a pickle
To be in a pickle is to be in a tough spot.
4. Hit the nail on the head
Hitting the nail on the head is doing or saying something that is precisely correct.
5. Cost an arm and a leg
If something costs an arm and a leg, then it is very expensive. (e.g., This car is going to cost me an arm and a leg.)
6. Going out on a limb
Taking a guess. (e.g., I’m gonna go out on a limb and say he doesn’t like chocolate.)
7. Jump the gun
Jumping the gun means going too soon; doing something earlier than you were supposed to.
8. Driving me nuts
To be greatly frustrated or annoyed.
9. Hold your horses
Telling someone to stop, or to wait. (e.g., Hold your horses, I’m not ready yet.)
10. A cup of joe
This is a nickname for a cup of coffee.
Well, that’s gonna have to do it. Hopefully the idioms and examples you’ve seen on here have helped you to learn more about them. But before I go, have you heard of figures of speech? They are similar to idioms in that their definition is figurative. There are several figure of speech examples here that you can look through, see if you can identify them in sentences. Or browse through a list of common phrases by using the menu at the top. Either way, thanks for reading!