Idioms And Phrases

S.N.

Idioms And Phrases

Meaning

Examples

1]

To call in

send for

Call in your master immediately.

2]

To call for

demand

Our teacher called for an explanation.

3]

To cut down

to reduce

I will take this pen only if you cut down its price.

4]

To clear up

to explain

He has cleared up the matter.

5]

To look after

to take care

I have to look after my younger brother.

6]

To pull down

to destroy

It is easier to pull down that to build up.

7]

To look up

to rise

Nowadays the prices of things are looking up.

8]

To long for

to desire

I long for going to picnic.

9]

To get on with

to agree with

It’s very difficult to get on with a suspicious man.

10]

To bring out

to show

He tells me a story to bring out the meaning

11]

To knock out

to destroy

Our soldiers knocked out the Pakistani tank.

12]

To bring up

to rear

My parents bring me up with a great care.

13]

To put out

to extinguish

Do not put out your cigar there.

14]

To break with

to quarrel

I broke with my friend yesterday.

15]

To break into

enter by force

The police broke into the house and caught him.

16]

To break down

to fail

Our S.T. bus broke down on the way.

17

To set upon

to attack

The thieves set upon the bus passengers.

18]

Back up

to support.

My friend backed up my statement.

19]

To turn up

to arrive

He turned up last night.

20]

To put up with

to bear

I had to put up with many difficulties long back.

21]

To strike in

to interrupt

Why do you strike in my planning?

22]

To carry off

to kill

Many persons were carried off in Godavari flood.

23]

To cut off

to die

He was cut off in the bus accident.

24]

To take in

to understand

I took in what you wanted to say.

25]

To take after

resemblance

He takes after his mother.

26]

To give up

leave

You should give up this bad habit.

27]

To look on

to regard

I look on him as my brother.

28]

To pull up

to scold

I was pulled up by my authority.

29]

To look upon

to consider

He looked upon his mother as goddess.

30]

To stand by

to support

I cannot stand by his arguments.

31]

To put off

to postpone

I don’t like to put off any work.

32]

To bring to light

exhibit

Bring to light the fact.

33]

To turn a deaf ear to

neglect

College students turn a deaf ear to their parents.

34]

For good

permanently

I will leave India for good.

35]

By hook or by crook

by any means

I will get It by hook or by crook.

36]

A bone of contention

cause of quarrel

This boundary is the bone of contention between us.

37]

To receive with open heart

to welcome happy

We received Our guests with open hearts.

38]

To be amazed at

surprised

I was amazed to see his performance.

39]

Bad blood-

enmity

There is bad blood between two countries.

40]

A black sheep

bad character

He is a black sheep in our company.

41]

Without reserve.

without hesitation

You should tell the fact without reserve.

42]

To throw cold water

spoil

My friend threw cold water on my scheme.

43]

To spread like wild fire

to spread fast

The news of his death spread like wild fire.

44]

To break the ice.

To break the silence

We were silent at last, Sayli broke the ice.

45]

To be at sixes and sevens

to great noise

When I went There, I saw everyone at sixes and sevens.

46]

Out of date

useless

This book is out of date.

47]

To beware of

to be alert from

Beware of pickpockets.

48]

Tooth and nail

with all efforts

He fought against his enemies tooth and nail.

49]

To be grateful to

To be thankful to

I am grateful to you.

50]

To give a piece of mind

to give advice

I gave him a piece of mind.

51]

In black and white

in writing

I want the proof in black and white.

52]

A man of word

a truthful person

He was man of word.

53]

To poison ones ears

to convey bad comments

She has poisoned her husband ears against me.

54]

A burning question

important questions

Population is the burning question for us.

55]

By leaps and bounds

very fast

Japan is developing by leaps and bounds.

56]

To be annoyed with

to be nervous

He was greatly annoyed with me for that mistake.

57]

The apple of ones eye

very favorite

He is the apple of his mother’s eye.

58]

Cock sure

very certain

I was cock sure that he would be the Rail Minister.

59]

To burn with fury

to be jealous

Some people burn with fury at someone’s success.

60]

The darling or ones heart

very favorite

He is the darling of his mother’s heart.

61]

To keep down

to keep under control

We should keep down the College students.

62]

Look after

to take care of

A mother looks after her children.

63]

Look about

to be on the watch

They looked about for a good house to live in.

64]

To keep back

to conceal

I will keep back nothing from you.

65]

A bosom friend

a close friend

Mahesh is my bosom friend.

66]

To come across

to meet by chance

You will come across many fools in this world.

67]

Look forward to

to wait eagerly

I am looking forward to the visit of my friend.

68]

To cry down

to depreciate

Some people cry down the successful people.

69]

To turn up

to come

A few friends turned up yesterday evening.

70]

A man of letters

a scholars

He is a man of letters.

71]

Look down upon

to treat with contempt

Rich people look down upon the poor.

72]

Take down

to write down

Take down the notes.

73]

Look for

to search

I am looking of my pen.

74]

Put off

to postpone

Do not put off this matter.

75]

Make up

to fulfill

I will make up the loss of my studies.

76]

Look into

to examine closely

Please look into this matter seriously.

77]

Take after

to resemble

He takes after his father.

78]

Take off

to remove

Take off your shoes.

79]

A dark horse

a person whose qualities are unknown.

He is a dark horse in Our group.

80]

To turn up

to come

A few friends turned up yesterday evening.