English Idioms A–Z Dictionary

An idiom is a phrase where the meaning isn’t obvious from the words themselves. For example, “break the ice” doesn’t mean breaking ice — it means starting a conversation in a social situation.

Idioms are a big part of how native speakers actually talk. You’ll hear them in everyday conversations, at work, and in movies — so understanding them helps you sound more natural and follow real English more easily.

Yes — idioms are used all the time in everyday conversations. Native speakers use them at work, with friends, and in casual situations. Understanding them helps you sound natural, follow real conversations, and better understand movies and TV shows.

Yes — many idioms are commonly used in professional settings. You’ll hear them in meetings, emails, and workplace conversations. This dictionary helps you understand what they mean and how they’re used in both everyday and professional situations.

The best way to learn idioms is to see how they’re used in real situations. This dictionary gives you clear meanings, real examples, and shows when to actually use each idiom — so you can use them naturally in conversation.

There are thousands of idioms in English, but you don’t need to learn all of them. Most conversations use a relatively small number of common idioms. This dictionary focuses on the ones you’ll actually hear and use in real life.

An idiom is a phrase with a meaning that isn’t obvious from the words, like “break the ice.” A metaphor is a way of describing something by comparing it to something else, like “time is money.” Some idioms are metaphorical, but not all metaphors are idioms.