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Idioms And Phrases SSC CGL Previous Year
Idioms and phrases for SSC CGL and other exams are extremely significant. If candidates are familiar with important idioms and phrases as well as their meanings, they can easily get a good score in the English section where at least 4-5 questions related to idioms and phrases are typically asked in the SSC CGL exam. To assist candidates in their preparation, we have compiled a list of 100+ idioms and phrases that are relevant for the SSC CGL exam and other SSC exams.
Idioms and Phrases PDF Questions (Overview)
| Useful For | Bank| Insurance| SSC| Railway Exams |
| Format Type | |
| Total No of Questions | 1000+ |
| Language | English |
Idioms Definition
An idiom is a statement or phrase that has a meaning that differs from its exact meaning. Thus it might be said, “Idioms mean something different than the individual words.” Students, however, often misread proverbs with idioms.
Idioms Examples
We have understood idioms and now move forward to the next step, which is examples of Idioms. Here are some examples of idioms to help you understand them:
- I consider losing that job to have been a blessing in disguise because it motivated me to launch my own company.
- Those souvenir keychains are a dime a dozen at the visitor stores.
- Go ahead, I am all ears. Please share with me your thoughts.
- We are all in the same boat as everyone else on staff who received a wage decrease.
- You’re barking up the wrong tree if you believe I stole your novel. It’s not anything I’ve seen.
- Stop beating around the bush and tell me why you didn’t show up to my twenty-first birthday party.
- I could hurt him, but I have to bite the bullet and tell him the truth.
- After years of silence, they decided to bury the hatchet and rekindle their friendship.
- I passed the exam by the skin of my teeth, with the minimum needed score.
- Yes, we made a mistake but crying over spilt milk is pointless. Let’s concentrate on figuring out a fix.
- Don’t cut corners on this job, it needs to be good to impress the new customer.
What are Phrases.?
A phrase is a group of words that make up a unit of meaning in a sentence. It does not contain a subject and a verb, and it doesn’t always express a complete idea. Phrases can act as nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and other parts of speech in a sentence. Examples of phrases include:
- Noun phrase: “The big brown dog”
- Adjective phrase: “With great enthusiasm”
- Adverb phrase: “In the morning”
- Verb phrase: “Have been studying”
- Prepositional phrase: “On the table”
- Infinitive phrase: “To swim in the ocean”
- Gerund phrase: “Swimming in the ocean”
- “Out of the blue” (adverb phrase, meaning unexpectedly)
- “On top of the world” (prepositional phrase, meaning feeling very good)
- “A piece of cake” (noun phrase, meaning something easy to do)
- “Under the weather” (prepositional phrase, meaning feeling sick)
- “In a nutshell” (prepositional phrase, meaning summarized in a few words)
- “In the long run” (prepositional phrase, meaning in the future or over a period of time)
- “Break a leg” (verb phrase, meaning good luck)
Phrases are different from idioms because idioms have a figurative meaning that is not easily deduced from the individual words in it, whereas phrases can be understood by analyzing the individual words that make it up.
Some Examples of the phrases are
- The telephone was on the table
- Children were snickering and giggling when the teacher left the room
- The Nice neighbor offered him a glass of water.
Idioms & Phrases Asked in SSC Exam
| S.No. | Idioms & Phrases | Meaning |
| 1. | Rank and File | Ordinary People |
| 2. | By fits and starts | In short periods, not regularly |
| 3. | A wee bit | A little |
| 4. | Out of the wood | Free from difficulties and dangers |
| 5. | Under his thumb | Under his control |
| 6. | At one’s wit’s end | In a state where one does not know what to do |
| 7. | Between the devil and the deep sea | Between two dangers |
| 8. | Burn the midnight oil | Work or study hard |
| 9. | Call a spade a spade | Speak frankly and directly |
| 10. | Come off with flying colors | Be highly successful |
| 11. | Hoping against hope | Without hope |
| 12. | Hit the nail on the head | Do or say the exact thing |
| 13. | An axe to grind | A personal interest in the matter |
| 14. | To get rid of | Dispose of |
| 15. | At daggers drawn | Bitterly hostile |
| 16. | To play ducks and drakes | To act foolishly or inconsistently |
| 17. | To take the bull by the horns | To tackle a problem in a bold and direct fashion |
| 18. | Rain cats and dogs | Rain heavily |
| 19. | To move heaven and earth | To make a supreme effort |
| 20. | No avail | Without any result |
| 21. | Bark up the wrong tree | Accuse or denounce the wrong person |
| 22. | Keep one at bay | Keep one at a distance |
| 23. | Make a clean breast of it | Confess – especially when a person has done a wrong thing |
| 24. | Have a card up one’s sleeve | Have a secret plan in reserve |
| 25. | Like a cat on hot bricks | Very nervous |
| 26. | Cat and dog life | Life full of quarrels |
| 27. | Cock and bull story | Made up story that one should not believe |
| 28. | Cry for the moon | Ask for the impossible |
| 29. | The pros and cons | The various aspects of a matter in detail |
| 30. | Be in a tight corner | In a very difficult situation |
| 31. | Cross one’s t’s and dot | Be precise, careful and one’s i’s exact |
| 32. | At arm’s length | To keep at a distance |
| 33. | Out of the question | Impossible |
| 34. | Out of the way | Strange |
| 35. | Show a clean pair of heals | Run away |
| 36. | Keep one’s fingers crossed | The anxiety in which you hope that nothing will upset your plans |
| 37. | In the nick of time | Just at the last moment |
| 38. | Sitting on the fence | Hesitate between two decisions |
| 39. | Spread like wild fire | Spread quickly |
| 40. | The gift of the gab | Talent for speaking |
| 41. | By hook or by crook | By fair or foul means |
| 42. | Feather one’s own nest | Make money unfairly |
| 43. | Throw out of gear | Disturb the work |
| 44. | Take to one’s heels | Run away |
| 45. | Tooth and nail | With all one’s power |
| 46. | Die in harness | Die while in service |
| 47. | Take a leaf out of one’s book | Imitate one |
| 48. | Leave no stone unturned | Use all available means |
| 49. | A man of straw | A man of no substance |
| 50. | Read between the lines | Understand the hidden meaning |
| 51. | In cold blood | Deliberately and without emotion |
| 52. | A thorn in the flesh | A constant source of annoyance |
| 53. | Smell a rat | Suspect something foul |
| 54. | Harp on the same string | Dwell on the same subject |
| 55. | Bury the hatchet | End the quarrel and make peace |
| 56. | Leave one in the lurch | Desert one in difficulties; leave one in a helpless condition |
| 57. | Like a fish out of water | In a strange situation |
| 58. | At one’s beck and call | Under his control |
| 59. | To make both ends meet | To live within one’s income |
| 60. | In hot water | In trouble |
| 61. | Nip in the bud | Destroy in the early stage |
| 62. | Stick to one’s guns | Remain faithful to the cause |
| 63. | To eat humble pie | To apologize humbly and to yield under humiliating circumstances |
| 64. | In high spirits | Very happy |
| 65. | Put the cart before the horse | Put or do things in the wrong order |
| 66. | To all names | To abuse |
| 67. | On tenterhooks | In a state of suspense and anxiety |
| 68. | Wash one’s dirty linen | Discuss unpleasant in public-private matters before strangers |
| 69. | To bell the cat | To face the risk |
| 70. | A hard nut to crack | A difficult problem |
| 71. | Let the cat out of the bag | Reveal a secret |
| 72. | A big gun | An important person |
| 73. | Kill two birds with one stone | To achieve two results with one effort |
| 74. | Take one to task | Rebuke |
| 75. | Gain ground | Become Popular |
| 76. | To blow one’s own | To praise one’s own trumpet achievement |
| 77. | A bosom friend | A very close friend |
| 78. | A brown study | Dreaming |
| 79. | Turn a deaf ear | Disregard / ignore what one says |
| 80. | A close shave | Narrow escape |
| 81. | Turn over a new leaf | Change for the better |
| 82. | Make up one’s mind | Decide |
| 83. | In the long run | Eventually; ultimately |
| 84. | Bring to light | Disclose |
| 85. | Pay off old scores | Take revenge |
| 86. | Hard and fast rules | Strict rules |
| 87. | At the eleventh hour | At the last moment |
| 88. | A close shave | Narrow escape |
| 89. | To cut a sorry figure | To make a poor show |
| 90. | With a high hand | Oppressively |
| 91. | Burn one’s fingers | Get into trouble by interfering in other’s affairs |
| 92. | Laugh one’s head off | Laugh heartily |
| 93. | Chew the cud | Ponder over something |
| 94. | Play second fiddle | Take an unimportant part |
| 95. | Above board | Honest and open |
| 96. | Through thick and thin | Under all conditions |
| 97. | Put a spoke in one’s wheel | To upset one’s plans |
| 98. | At sixes and sevens | In a disordered/disorganized manner, chaotic |
| 99. | At home | Comfortable |
| 100. | Alpha and omega | The beginning and the end |
| 101. | At sea | Confused and lost |
| 102. | A bosom friend | A very close friend |
| 103. | At one’s beck and call | At one’s service |
| 104. | By leaps and bounds | Rapidly |
| 105. | To burn one’s boats | Go back on a decision |
| 106. | To beat about the bush | Talk irrelevantly |
| 107. | To burn candle at both ends | To waste lavishly |
| 108. | Take one to task | Rebuke |
| 109. | A bone of contention | A source of quarrel |
| 110. | Add fuel to the fire | To aggravate the situation |
| 111. | An acid test | A critical test |
| 112. | At a snail’s pace | Very slowly |
| 113. | A bolt from the blue | Something unexpected |
| 114. | To build castles in the air | Make imaginary schemes |
| 115. | Once in a blue moon | Something that happens very rarely |
| 116. | Beating around the bush | Avoiding the main topic |
| 117. | Cry over spilled milk | Complaining about a loss or failure from the past |
| 118. | Chip on your shoulder | When someone is upset about something that happened a while ago |
| 119. | Piece of cake | Something that is easy to understand or do |
| 120. | Golden handshake | A big sum of money given to a person when he/she leaves a company or retires |
| 121. | Spill the beans | To disclose a secret |
| 122. | Blessing in disguise | Something good and useful that did not initially seem that way |
| 123. | Mean business | Being Serious or Dedicated |
| 124. | Come hell or high water | Possible obstacles in your path |
| 125. | Apple of one’s eye | Being cherished |
| 126. | Bite off more than you can chew | Not able to complete a task due to lack of ability |
| 127. | The best of both worlds | The benefits of widely differing situations enjoyed at the same time |
| 128. | Feeling a bit under the weather | Feeling slightly ill |
| 129. | The icing on the cake | Something that turns good into great |
| 130. | Cost an arm and a leg | Be very expensive |
| 131. | Jump the bandwagon | To join a popular activity or trend |
| 132. | The ball is in your court | When it is up to you to make the next decision or step |
| 133. | To be in the doldrums | To be in low spirits |
| 134. | To sit on the fence | To remain neutral |
| 135. | Break the ice | To initiate a social conversation or interaction |
| 136. | Hear it on grapevine | To hear rumors about something or someone |
| 137. | Can’t judge a book by its cover | Cannot judge something primarily on appearance |
| 138. | It takes two to tango | Actions or communications need more than one person |
| 139. | Let the cat out of the bag | To reveal the secret carelessly or by mistake |
| 140. | Black and blue | Full of Bruises |
| 141. | Be on cloud nine | Be very happy |
| 142. | Last straw | The final problem in a series of problems |
| 143. | A bird’s eye view | A view from a very high place that allows you to see a very large area |
| 144. | A litmus Test | A method that helps to know if something is correct |
| 145. | At the drop of a hat | Willingness to do something instantly |
| 146. | Afraid of one’s own shadow | To become easily frightened |
| 147. | A house of cards | A poor plan |
| 148. | Fool’s paradise | False sense of happiness |
| 149. | Get a raw deal | To not be treated as well as other people |
| 150. | Give cold shoulder | To ignore |
| 151. | Hand to mouth | Live on only basic necessities |
| 152. | Make a face | To show dislike or disappointment through facial expressions |
| 153. | It’s Greek to me | Something that is not understandable |
| 154. | To pour oil on troubled waters | To make peace |
| 155. | Don’t put all your eggs in one basket | Do not put all your resources in one basket (in one place or thing) |
| 156. | To put in a nutshell | To say in a few words or to make something concise |
| 157. | Back out | To withdraw from a promise or contract |
| 158. | Blow up | To explode |
| 159. | Back-Up | To support and sustain |
| 160. | Back Upon | To be relevant |
| 161. | Break Down | Failure in something |
| 162. | Break off | To end or discontinue |
| 163. | Break Up | To disperse/dissolve |
| 164. | Bring up | To rear |
| 165. | Call forth | To provoke |
| 166. | Call out | To shout |
| 167. | Call upon | To order |
| 168. | Carry on | To continue |
| 169. | Castaway | To throw aside |
| 170. | Catch up with | To overtake |
| 171. | Come off | To take place |
| 172. | Cry Down | To make little of |
| 173. | Catch up with | To overtake |
| 174. | Cry out against | To complain loudly against |
| 175. | Cut out | Designed for |
| 176. | Drop-in | To Visit Casually |
| 177. | Drop out | To fall |
| 178. | Fall back | To Recede; To Retreat |
| 179. | Fall down | From a higher position to a lower one |
| 180. | Fall off | To Withdraw; To Drop Off |
| 181. | Fall under | To come under |
| 182. | Get along | To Prosper; To Progress; To Proceed |
| 183. | Get on with | To Live Pleasantly Together; To Progress |
| 184. | Get into | To be involved in |
| 185. | Give in | To Surrender; To Yield |
| 186. | Give over | Not to do any longer |
| 187. | Go after | To Follow; To Pursue |
| 188. | Go Down | To be accepted |
| 189. | Go without | To remain without |
| 190. | Go by | To follow |
| 191. | Hang about | To Loiter near a place |
| 192. | Hang upon | To depend upon |
| 193. | Hold out | To Endure; To Refuse to yield; To continue; To offer |
| 194. | Hold to | Abide By |
| 195. | Keep off | To ward off |
| 196. | Keep up with | To keep pace with |
| 197. | Knock out | To win by hitting another one |
| 198. | It takes two to tango | Both people involved in a bad situation are responsible for it |
| 199. | Last straw | The final problem in a series of problems |
| 200. | Keep something at bay | Keep something away |
| 201. | Kill two birds with one stone | To solve two problems at a time with just one action |
| 202. | Let sleeping dogs lie | Leave something alone if it might cause trouble |
| 203. | Open the floodgates | Release something that was previously under control |
| 204. | Out of the blue | Happen unexpectedly |
| 205. | Out on a limb | Do something risky |
| 206. | Over the Top | Totally excessive and not suitable for the occasion |
| 207. | The pen is mightier than the sword | Words and communication have a greater effect than war |
| 208. | Push one’s luck | Trying to obtain more than what one has |
| 209. | Reap the harvest | Benefit or suffer as a direct result of past actions |
| 210. | Roll-up sleeves | To get yourself prepared |
| 211. | See eye to eye | To be in agreement with |
| 212. | Shot in the dark | A complete guess |
| 213. | Sink your teeth into | Do something with a lot of energy and enthusiasm |
| 214. | Take with a grain/pinch of salt | To doubt the accuracy of information |
| 215. | Skating on thin ice | Do or say something risky |
| 216. | Tight spot | A difficult situation |
| 217. | Strike while the iron is hot | To act at the right time |
| 218. | Take the plunge | Venture into something of one’s interest despite the risks involved |
| 219. | Take a nosedive | Rapid drop or decrease in value |
| 220. | Think the world of | Admire someone very much |
| 221. | Stand in a good stead | To be useful or be of good service to someone |
| 222. | Take a back seat | Choose to be less important in a role |
| 223. | Wave a dead chicken | Do something useless |
| 224. | Whale of a time | Enjoy a lot |
| 225. | Wrap one’s brain around | Concentrate on something to understand |
| 226. | Zero in on something | Focus all attention on one thing |
| 227. | Above all | Chiefly, Mainly |
| 228. | On Account of | Due to |
| 229. | On no account | Not for Any Reason |
| 230. | A Fidus Achates | A faithful friend or a devoted follower |
| 231. | The Heel of Achilles | A Weak Point |
| 232. | An Adonis | A very handsome man |
| 233. | To assume airs | To affect superiority |
| 234. | To stand aloof | To keep to oneself and not mix with others |
| 235. | To lead to the altar | To marry |
| 236. | An Ananias | A Liar |
| 237. | An Apollo | A Man with Perfect Physique |
| 238. | To Upset the Apple Cart | To disturb the peace |
| 239. | Apple Pie Order | In perfect order |
| 240. | Arcadian Life | A blissful, happy, rural and simple life |
| 241. | To take up arms | To fight or go to the war |
| 242. | To Grind | To have some selfish objective in view |
| 243. | To break the back of anything | To perform the most difficult part |
| 244. | To backbite a person | To speak disguise about someone |
| 245. | He has no backbone | He has no will of his own |
| 246. | To cause bad blood | To Cause Enmity |
| 247. | Bag and Baggage | With all one’s belongings |
| 248. | To keep the ball rolling | To keep things going |
| 249. | Barmecide feast | Imaginary Benefits |
| 250. | Bee-line | The shortest distance between two places |
| 251. | Behind one’s back | Without one’s Knowledge |
| 252. | Behind the scenes | In Private |
| 253. | To hit below the belt | To act unfairly in a contest |
| 254. | To bite the dust | To be Defeated in Battle |
| 255. | A Wet Blanket | A person who discourages enjoyment or enthusiasm |
| 256. | In Cold Blood | Deliberately |
| 257. | A blue Stocking | A learned/educated or intellectual woman |
| 258. | At First Blush | At first sight |
| 259. | A Bolt from the Blue | Something completely unexpected that surprises you |
| 260. | One’s bread and butter | One’s means of livelihood |
| 261. | To breadth one’s last | To Die |
| 262. | To make bricks without straw | To attempt to do something without proper materials |
| 263. | To kick the bucket | To die |
| 264. | Good wine needs no bush | There is no need to advertise something good |
| 265. | To burn the candle at both ends | To expend energy in two directions at the same time |
| 266. | If the cap fits, wear it | If you think the remarks refer to you, then accept the criticism |
| 267. | Care killed the cat | Don’t fret and worry yourself to death |
| 268. | To catch one’s eye | To attract attention |
| 269. | To take the chair | To preside a meeting |
| 270. | She is no chicken | She is older than she says |
| 271. | To pick and choose | To make a careful selection |
| 272. | To square the circle | To attempt something impossible |
| 273. | Every cloud has a silver lining | Adverse conditions do not last forever |
| 274. | Close fisted | Mean |
| 275. | Cut your cloth according to your cloth | Live within your income |
| 276. | A cock and bull story | A foolishly incredible story |
| 277. | To be cocksure | To be perfectly sure or certain |
| 278. | To throw cold water upon anything | To discourage efforts |
| 279. | Off-color | Not in the usual form |
| 280. | To commit to memory | To learn by heart |
| 281. | Too many cooks spoil the broth | Where there are more workers than necessary |
| 282. | Crocodile tears | Hypocritical Tears |
| 283. | By hook or by crook | By fair or foul means |
| 284. | Cut and dried | Readymade |
| 285. | Up to date | Recent |
| 286. | Evil days | A period of misfortune |
| 287. | Halcyon Days | A time when there are peace and happiness in the land |
| 288. | To step into dead man’s shoes | To come into an inheritance |
| 289. | Go to the devil | Be off |
| 290. | Devil’s bones | Dice |
| 291. | Devil’s Playthings | Playing Cards |
| 292. | Give a dog a bad name and hang him | Once a person loses his reputation |
| 293. | Every dog has his day | Sooner or later, everyone has his share of good fortune |
| 294. | To throw dust in one’s eyes | To try to deceive someone or mislead someone |
| 295. | A white elephant | A useless possession which is extremely expensive to keep |
| 296. | To set the Thames on fire | To do something sensational or remarkable |
| 297. | A burnt child dreads the fire | One who has had previous unpleasant experience is always scared of situations where such experiences are likely to be repeated |
| 298. | A fish out of water | Anyone in an awkward |
| 299. | Foul play | Cheating |
| 300. | To jump from a frying pan into fire | To come out of one trouble and get into a worse |
| 301. | All that glitters are not gold | Things are not always as attractive as they appear |
| 302. | To die in harness | To continue at one’s occupation until death |
| 303. | Make hay while the sun shines | Take advantage of all opportunities |
| 304. | Lock, stock and barrel | The whole of everything |
| 305. | A miss is as good as a mile | Comes nowhere near it. If someone narrowly misses the target it still is treated as a missed one or failure. |
| 306. | To move heaven and earth | To exert all efforts |
| 307. | One swallow does not make a summer | It is unreliable to base one’s conclusions on only a single test or incident |
| 308. | If wishes were horses, beggars might ride | If wishing could make things happen, then even the most destitute people would have everything they wanted |
| 309. | A nine days’ wonder | An event which relates a sensation for a time but is soon forgotten |
| 310. | Yellow press | Newspapers publish sensational and unscrupulous stories and exaggerate the news to attract readers. |
| 311. | A ballpark figure | A general financial figure |
| 312. | To balance the books | To make certain that the amount of money spent is not more than the amount of money received. |
| 313. | A cash cow | A product or service that makes a lot of money for a company |
| 314. | Devil’s Advocate | To present a counter-argument |
| 315. | Don’t give up the day job | You are not very good at something. You could not do it professionally. |
| 316. | To cook the books | To modify financial statements |
| 317. | To get the sack | To be dismissed from your job |
| 318. | To be snowed under | To be very busy |
| 319. | To work your fingers to the bone or to sweat blood | To work really hard |
| 320. | Hear it on the grapevine | To hear rumors |
| 321. | In the heat of the moment | Overwhelmed by what is happening at the moment |
| 322. | Not a spark of decency | No Manners |
| 323. | Speak of the devil! | This expression is used when the person you have just been talking about arrives |
| 324. | Whole nine yards | Everything. All of it |
| 325. | Your guess is as good as mine | To have no idea about anything |
Idioms and Phrases In English
Here is a collection of such idioms and phrases in English, along with their definitions in the table that follows.
| Idioms and Phrases In English | |||
| Idiom | Meaning in English | Meaning in Hindi | |
| Burn the midnight oil | Work or study hard | खूब मेहनत करो या पढ़ाई करो | |
| Call a spade a spade | Speak frankly and directly | खुलकर और सीधे बोलें | |
| Come off with flying colors | Be highly successful | अत्यधिक सफल हो | |
| Hoping against hope | Without hope | बिना उम्मीद के | |
| Like two peas in a pod | Be together always | हमेशा साथ रहो | |
| Know which way the wind blows | To understand what is happening | यह समझने के लिए कि क्या हो रहा है | |
| Hit the nail on the head | To do something the exact way in which it should be done / Also refers to giving a direct answer | किसी काम को ठीक उसी तरीके से करना जिस तरीके से किया जाना चाहिए / इसका तात्पर्य सीधा उत्तर देने से भी है | |
| Catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar | Getting what you want by being nice | अच्छा बनकर आप जो चाहते हैं उसे प्राप्त करें | |
| Let someone off the hook | Releasing someone or letting someone go | किसी को रिहा करना या किसी को जाने देना | |
| Like riding a bicycle | A skill that you learn and will never forget | एक कौशल जिसे आप सीखेंगे और कभी नहीं भूलेंगे | |
| Blame one’s tools | Blaming something on someone else | किसी बात का दोष किसी और पर मढ़ना | |
| It’s not rocket science | Not that difficult to comprehend | समझना इतना भी मुश्किल नहीं है | |
| Spill the beans | Reveal a secret | एक रहस्य उजागर करें | |
| Get the show on the road | Start something or begin an enterprise | कुछ भी शुरू करें या कोई उद्यम शुरू करें | |
| Pull the last straw | The final point in a series of unfortunate events when you feel you cannot take it anymore | दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण घटनाओं की श्रृंखला में अंतिम बिंदु जब आपको लगता है कि आप इसे और नहीं सह सकते | |
| That ship has sailed | It is too late to do something | कुछ करने के लिए बहुत देर हो चुकी है | |
| It is always the darkest before dawn | Something good is coming / Things will get better | कुछ अच्छा होने वाला है / हालात बेहतर हो जायेंगे | |
| Have one’s head in the clouds | To have no concentration at all | बिल्कुल भी एकाग्रता न होना | |
| On thin ice | Used to refer to a sensitive scenario or a person who is in trouble | इसका उपयोग किसी संवेदनशील परिदृश्य या ऐसे व्यक्ति को संदर्भित करने के लिए किया जाता है जो संकट में है | |
| Give a cold shoulder | Act rudely to someone | किसी के साथ अभद्र व्यवहार करना | |
| Cannot make an omelette without breaking some eggs | Everything has a cost to pay | हर चीज़ की एक कीमत चुकानी पड़ती है | |
| Once bitten, twice shy | Being extremely cautious as you have been hurt already | अत्यधिक सतर्क रहें क्योंकि आपको पहले ही चोट लग चुकी है | |
| Bolt from the blue | Something that happens unexpectedly or without a warning | कुछ ऐसा जो अप्रत्याशित रूप से या बिना किसी चेतावनी के घटित होता है | |
| When it rains, it pours | When everything goes wrong at once | जब सब कुछ एक ही बार में गलत हो जाए | |
| Miss the boat | To act too slowly and miss an opportunity | बहुत धीरे-धीरे कार्य करना और अवसर गँवाना | |
| Pull someone’s leg | To make fun of someone | किसी का मज़ाक उड़ाना | |
| No pain no gain | Suffering or making efforts is required to achieve something | कुछ हासिल करने के लिए कष्ट सहना या प्रयास करना जरूरी है | |
| See eye to eye | Have the same opinion or have the same point of view | एक ही राय रखें या एक ही दृष्टिकोण रखें | |
| Wear your heart on your sleeve | To be extremely open about what you feel and think | आप जो महसूस करते हैं और सोचते हैं उसके बारे में बेहद खुला होना | |
| Takes two to tango | Two persons are equally responsible for what is happening or has happened | जो कुछ हो रहा है या हो चुका है उसके लिए दो व्यक्ति समान रूप से जिम्मेदार हैं | |
| Come rain or shine | No matter what happens | चाहे जो हो जाये | |
| So far so good | Means that everything has turned out well until that point | इसका मतलब है कि उस बिंदु तक सब कुछ ठीक हो गया है | |
| Comparing apples to oranges | To compare two things that are completely different and cannot be compared | दो चीजों की तुलना करना जो बिल्कुल अलग हैं और जिनकी तुलना नहीं की जा सकती | |
| When pigs fly | When something uncanny or impossible happens | जब कुछ अलौकिक या असंभव घटित होता है | |
| Curiosity killed the cat | Asking too many questions or involving too much in other people’s affairs will get you into trouble | बहुत अधिक प्रश्न पूछना या दूसरे लोगों के मामलों में बहुत अधिक शामिल होना आपको परेशानी में डाल देगा | |
| The best of both worlds | Good in every way | हर तरह से अच्छा | |
| Burn bridges | Do something to spoil relationships | रिश्ते खराब करने के लिए कुछ ऐसा करें | |
| The whole nine yards | Refer to everything that is there | वहां जो कुछ भी है उसका संदर्भ लें | |
| Grass is greener on the other side | Never being satisfied with what one gets | जो मिलता है उससे कभी संतुष्ट नहीं होना | |
| Every dog has its day | Everyone gets a chance | हर किसी को मौका मिलता है | |
| Counting your chickens before they hatch | Expecting good results before something is done | किसी काम को करने से पहले अच्छे परिणाम की उम्मीद करना | |
| Go down in flames | To fail terribly | बुरी तरह असफल होना | |
| Adding fuel to the fire | Aggravating the problem | समस्या बढ़ रही है | |
| Wrap your head around something | Try to make sense about what is going on | जो चल रहा है उसे समझने का प्रयास करें | |
| Cut the mustard | Do a perfectly good job | बिल्कुल अच्छा काम करो | |
| Jump from the frying pan into the fire | Refers to a situation becoming worse | बदतर होती जा रही स्थिति को संदर्भित करता है | |
| Cry over spilt milk | Worrying or complaining about something that cannot be fixed/rectified | किसी ऐसी चीज़ के बारे में चिंता करना या शिकायत करना जिसे ठीक/ठीक नहीं किया जा सकता | |
| Have a method to one’s madness | Seeming to be crazy but in fact, clever | देखने में तो पागल लगते हैं, पर वास्तव में चतुर हैं | |
| Do something at the drop of a hat | Do something unplanned | कुछ अनियोजित करो | |
| Get wind of something | To have information about something secret | किसी गुप्त बात की जानकारी होना | |
| Hear it from the horse’s mouth | To know something from the person involved | संबंधित व्यक्ति से कुछ जानना | |
| Fit as a fiddle | To be in good health | अच्छे स्वास्थ्य के लिए | |
| Take everything with a pinch of salt | Refers to being sceptic and not believing blindly | संशयवादी होने और आँख मूँद कर विश्वास न करने को संदर्भित करता है | |
| A pain in the neck | Refers to a person who is annoying | एक ऐसे व्यक्ति को संदर्भित करता है जो परेशान करने वाला है | |
| The best thing since sliced bread | A good and useful invention | एक अच्छा और उपयोगी आविष्कार | |
| Walk in the other’s shoes | To understand what the other is going through | यह समझने के लिए कि दूसरा क्या झेल रहा है | |
| Break the ice | To make people feel comfortable with those who are unfamiliar to them | लोगों को उन लोगों के साथ सहज महसूस कराना जो उनके लिए अपरिचित हैं | |
| Having a monkey on your back | To have a problem that you cannot solve or get rid off easily | ऐसी समस्या होना जिसे आप आसानी से हल नहीं कर सकते या छुटकारा नहीं पा सकते | |
| Go on a wild goose chase | Doing something pointless | कुछ करना व्यर्थ है | |
| Rain cats and dogs | Raining heavily | भारी बारिश हो रही है | |
| Once in a blue moon | Very rarely | बहुत मुश्किल से ही | |
| Bark up the wrong tree | Following a misguided or mistaken thought or action | किसी गुमराह या गलत विचार या कार्य का अनुसरण करना | |
| Have the ball in one’s court | One can make a call / decide on their own | कोई स्वयं कॉल/निर्णय ले सकता है | |
| Devil quoting the Bible | Good things being twisted for selfish and evil purposes | अच्छी चीज़ों को स्वार्थी और बुरे उद्देश्यों के लिए तोड़-मरोड़ कर पेश किया जा रहा है | |
| The devil is in the details | Refers to something that seems to be good only from a distance | किसी ऐसी चीज़ को संदर्भित करता है जो केवल दूर से ही अच्छी लगती है | |
| Other fish in the sea | More opportunities | ज़्यादा अवसर | |
| Spread like a wildfire | Spread quickly | तेजी से फैलो | |
| Out of gear | Disturb the work | काम में खलल डालना | |
| Something ain’t over until the fat lady sings | It is not over yet / there is more to the situation | यह अभी ख़त्म नहीं हुआ है/स्थिति में और भी बहुत कुछ है | |
| Bounce off the walls | To be extremely excited and energetic | अत्यधिक उत्साहित और ऊर्जावान होना | |
| As right as rain | Something is perfect | कुछ तो उत्तम है | |
| To get bent out of shape | To be upset, to take offence, to be angry | परेशान होना, नाराज़ होना, क्रोधित होना | |
| Every cloud has a silver lining | There is always some good in every thing that happens / Something good will happen after something bad | हर चीज़ में कुछ न कुछ अच्छा जरूर होता है / कुछ बुरा होने के बाद कुछ अच्छा भी होता है | |
| Play the devil’s advocate | To argue or fight over something just for the sake of it | किसी बात के लिए सिर्फ बहस या झगड़ा करना | |
| Cross that bridge when we get to it | Deal with the problem when it happens | समस्या घटित होने पर उससे निपटें | |
| Throw caution to the wind | To take a risk | जोखिम उठाना | |
| The best thing since sliced bread | A good and useful invention | एक अच्छा और उपयोगी आविष्कार | |
| Walk in the other’s shoes | To understand what the other is going through | यह समझने के लिए कि दूसरा क्या झेल रहा है | |
| Break the ice | To make people feel comfortable with those who are unfamiliar to them | लोगों को उन लोगों के साथ सहज महसूस कराना जो उनके लिए अपरिचित हैं | |
| Having a monkey on your back | To have a problem that you cannot solve or get rid off easily | ऐसी समस्या होना जिसे आप आसानी से हल नहीं कर सकते या छुटकारा नहीं पा सकते | |
| Go on a wild goose chase | Doing something pointless | कुछ करना व्यर्थ है | |
| Rain cats and dogs | Raining heavily | भारी बारिश हो रही है | |
| Once in a blue moon | Very rarely | बहुत मुश्किल से ही | |
| Bark up the wrong tree | Following a misguided or mistaken thought or action | किसी गुमराह या गलत विचार या कार्य का अनुसरण करना | |
| Have the ball in one’s court | One can make a call / decide on their own | कोई स्वयं कॉल/निर्णय ले सकता है | |
| Devil quoting the Bible | Good things being twisted for selfish and evil purposes | अच्छी चीज़ों को स्वार्थी और बुरे उद्देश्यों के लिए तोड़-मरोड़ कर पेश किया जा रहा है | |
| The devil is in the details | Refers to something that seems to be good only from a distance | किसी ऐसी चीज़ को संदर्भित करता है जो केवल दूर से ही अच्छी लगती है | |
| Other fish in the sea | More opportunities | ज़्यादा अवसर | |
| A snowball’s chance in hell | No chance at all at surviving | जीवित रहने की बिल्कुल भी संभावना नहीं | |
| Something ain’t over until the fat lady sings | It is not over yet / there is more to the situation | यह अभी ख़त्म नहीं हुआ है/स्थिति में और भी बहुत कुछ है | |
| Bounce off the walls | To be extremely excited and energetic | अत्यधिक उत्साहित और ऊर्जावान होना | |
| As right as rain | Something is perfect | कुछ तो उत्तम है | |
| To get bent out of shape | To be upset, to take offence, to be angry | परेशान होना, नाराज़ होना, क्रोधित होना | |
| Every cloud has a silver lining | There is always some good in every thing that happens / Something good will happen after something bad | हर चीज़ में कुछ न कुछ अच्छा जरूर होता है / कुछ बुरा होने के बाद कुछ अच्छा भी होता है | |
| Play the devil’s advocate | To argue or fight over something just for the sake of it | किसी बात के लिए सिर्फ बहस या झगड़ा करना | |
| Cross that bridge when we get to it | Deal with the problem when it happens | समस्या घटित होने पर उससे निपटें | |
| Throw caution to the wind | To take a risk | जोखिम उठाना | |
| A penny for your thoughts | Used to ask someone what they are thinking | किसी से पूछते थे कि वे क्या सोच रहे हैं | |
| Bite off more than you can chew | To do more than you can | अपनी क्षमता से अधिक करना | |
| Judging a book by its cover | Judge or form an opinion on someone based on appearances | दिखावे के आधार पर किसी का मूल्यांकन करना या उसके बारे में राय बनाना | |
| Rain on one’s parade | To spoil someone’s moment of praise / To spoil something | किसी की प्रशंसा के क्षण को ख़राब करना / किसी चीज़ को ख़राब करना | |
| By the skin of your teeth | By a very narrow margin, the slightest if chances | बहुत ही कम अंतर से, यदि संभावना नगण्य हो | |
| Put all your eggs in one basket | Doing something risky | कुछ जोखिम भरा काम करना | |
| Put something on ice | To hold off something | किसी चीज़ को रोके रखना | |
| Cannot have a cake and eat it too | Cannot have everything for yourself | सब कुछ अपने लिए नहीं हो सकता | |
| Beat around the bush | To avoid talking about what’s important | जो महत्वपूर्ण है उसके बारे में बात करने से बचें | |
| Get your act together | Get organized and do things effectively | संगठित हो जाओ और काम प्रभावी ढंग से करो | |
| Hit the sack | Go to sleep | सो जाओ | |
| Your guess is as good as mine | I do not know | मुझे नहीं पता | |
| Good things come to those who wait | To have patience | धैर्य रखना | |
| Back against the wall | Stuck in a difficult circumstance with no escape | ऐसी कठिन परिस्थिति में फँस गया हूँ जहाँ से निकलने का कोई रास्ता नहीं है | |
| Up in arms | Being grumpy or angry about something | किसी बात पर चिड़चिड़े या क्रोधित होना | |
| Scrape the barrel | Making the most of the worst situations or things | सबसे खराब स्थितियों या चीजों का अधिकतम लाभ उठाना | |
| Burn your boats/bridges | Doing something that makes it impossible to go back to the original state. | कुछ ऐसा करना जिससे मूल स्थिति में वापस जाना असंभव हो जाए। | |
| Break fresh/new ground | Doing something that has never been done before | कुछ ऐसा करना जो पहले कभी नहीं किया गया | |
| Sell like hot cakes | Quick sellout | त्वरित बिक्री | |
| Run around in circles | Putting efforts into something that is not a worthwhile result | किसी ऐसी चीज़ में प्रयास करना जिसका कोई सार्थक परिणाम न हो | |
| On cloud nine | Being very happy | बहुत खुश हो रहे हैं | |
| Left out in the cold | Being ignored | ध्यान नही दिया जा रहा है | |
| Blow hot and cold | Alternate inconsistently between moods and actions | मनोदशाओं और कार्यों के बीच असंगत रूप से परिवर्तन करें | |
| Cut corners | Doing something in an easier and least expensive manner | किसी काम को आसान और कम खर्चीले तरीके से करना | |
| Boil the ocean | Taking up an almost impossible or overly ambitious project | लगभग असंभव या अत्यधिक महत्वाकांक्षी परियोजना को हाथ में लेना | |
| Keep an ear to the ground | Staying informed about everything | हर चीज़ के बारे में जानकारी रखना | |
| Eat like a horse | Eating too excessively | बहुत ज्यादा खाना | |
| A snowball effect | The aspect of momentum in every event and how they build upon each other | प्रत्येक घटना में गति का पहलू और वे एक-दूसरे पर कैसे प्रभाव डालते हैं | |
| Tie the knot | to marry a mate | एक साथी से शादी करने के लिए | |
| The ball is in your court | one needs to take some action to keep something going | किसी चीज़ को जारी रखने के लिए कुछ कार्रवाई करने की ज़रूरत है | |
| A piece of cake | something easily achieved | कुछ आसानी से हासिल किया जा सकता है | |
| A picture paints a thousand words | an image of a subject conveys its meaning or essence more effectively than a description does. | किसी विषय की छवि विवरण की तुलना में उसके अर्थ या सार को अधिक प्रभावी ढंग से बताती है। | |
| Bed of roses | an easy, comfortable situation. | एक आसान, आरामदायक स्थिति. | |
| To make a long story short | used to end an account of events quickly | घटनाओं का लेखा-जोखा शीघ्र समाप्त करने के लिए उपयोग किया जाता है | |
| Smell a rat | to sense that someone has caused something wrong | यह महसूस करना कि किसी ने कुछ गलत किया है | |
| Sixth sense | a supposed power to know or feel things that are not perceptible by the five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. | उन चीजों को जानने या महसूस करने की एक कथित शक्ति जो दृष्टि, श्रवण, गंध, स्वाद और स्पर्श की पांच इंद्रियों द्वारा बोधगम्य नहीं हैं। | |
| Rome was not built in a day | Important work takes time | महत्वपूर्ण कार्य में समय लगता है | |
| Turn a blind eye | pretend not to notice. | नोटिस न करने का नाटक करें। | |
| Don’t put all your eggs in one basket | a piece of advice which means that one should not concentrate all efforts and resources in one area. | एक सलाह जिसका अर्थ है कि किसी को सभी प्रयासों और संसाधनों को एक ही क्षेत्र में केंद्रित नहीं करना चाहिए। | |
| Through thick and thin | under all circumstances, no matter how difficult | हर परिस्थिति में, चाहे कितनी भी मुश्किल क्यों न हो | |
| Rise and shine | Wake up and get out of bed promptly | उठें और तुरंत बिस्तर से बाहर निकलें | |
| Wet one’s whistle | have a drink | एक जाम लें | |
| Put the best foot forward | Start impressively | प्रभावशाली शुरुआत करें | |
| Stick one’s neck out | To take a risk | जोखिम उठाना | |
| Bear the palm | Be victorious | जय हो | |
| From the horse’s mouth | From a reliable source | एक विश्वसनीय स्रोत से | |
| Fool’s errand | Useless undertaking | बेकार उपक्रम | |
| Be hand and foot | In all possible ways; by all means | हर संभव तरीके से; हर तरह से | |
| Gray matter | Intelligence | बुद्धिमत्ता | |
| Hear it on grapevine | To hear rumours about something or someone | किसी चीज़ या व्यक्ति के बारे में अफवाहें सुनना | |
| Bend over backwards | Do whatever it takes to help, willing to do anything | मदद के लिए जो भी करना पड़े वह करें, कुछ भी करने को तैयार हैं | |
| Get your walking papers | Get fired from the job | नौकरी से निकाल दो | |
| For the time being | Temporarily | अस्थायी रूप से | |
| Lock and key | In safe place | सुरक्षित स्थान पर | |
| Cast a shadow on | Spoil or let down | बिगाड़ना या नीचा दिखाना | |
| In the face of | Regardless | ध्यान दिए बगैर | |
| Whole bag of tricks | Make use of all the possibilities or techniques to achieve something. | कुछ हासिल करने के लिए सभी संभावनाओं या तकनीकों का उपयोग करें। | |
| Dog eat dog | Ruthlessly competitive | निर्दयतापूर्वक प्रतिस्पर्धी | |
| Vote with one’s feet | To show disapproval | अस्वीकृति दर्शाने के लिए | |
| Wipe the nose of | To Cheat | चूना लगाना | |
| Cork something up | To stop up one’s mouth and be quiet | अपना मुँह बंद करना और चुप रहना | |
| Cook someone’s goose | Spoil other person’s chances of success | दूसरे व्यक्ति की सफलता की संभावनाएँ ख़राब करें | |
| Sink or swim | Fail or succeed | असफल या सफल | |
| Hit the road running | Start something and proceed at a fast pace with enthusiasm | किसी काम की शुरुआत करें और उत्साह के साथ तेज गति से आगे बढ़ें | |
| To toe the line | To accept the authority or policies of a particular group, especially unwillingly | किसी विशेष समूह के अधिकार या नीतियों को विशेषकर अनिच्छा से स्वीकार करना | |
| Spelled Out | explain something explicitly | किसी बात को स्पष्ट रूप से समझाना | |
| Throw caution to the wind | do something without worrying about the risk or negative results | जोखिम या नकारात्मक परिणामों की चिंता किए बिना कुछ करें | |
| On thin ice | in a precarious or risky situation | किसी अनिश्चित या जोखिम भरी स्थिति में | |
| a wild goose chase | a search that is completely unsuccessful and a waste of time | एक ऐसी खोज जो पूरी तरह से असफल और समय की बर्बादी है | |
| head over heels | falling deeply in love with another person | किसी अन्य व्यक्ति के साथ गहराई से प्यार में पड़ना | |
| at eleventh hour | last moment or almost late | अंतिम क्षण या लगभग देर से | |
| On cloud nine | being extremely happy making the sentence contextually incorrect. | वाक्य को प्रासंगिक रूप से गलत बनाकर बेहद खुश होना। | |
| A sitting duck | a person or thing with no protection against an attack or other source of danger | कोई व्यक्ति या वस्तु जिसके पास किसी हमले या खतरे के अन्य स्रोत से कोई सुरक्षा नहीं है | |
| Spilling the beans | reveal secret information unintentionally or indiscreetly | अनजाने या अविवेकपूर्ण तरीके से गुप्त जानकारी प्रकट करना | |
| Scot-free | without suffering any punishment or injury | बिना कोई सज़ा या चोट झेले | |
| An arm and a leg | phrase is used to refer something that is very expensive | वाक्यांश का उपयोग किसी ऐसी चीज़ को संदर्भित करने के लिए किया जाता है जो बहुत महंगी है | |
| Bread and butter | in reference to something every day or ordinary | हर दिन या सामान्य किसी चीज़ के संदर्भ में | |
| Grow into | become as a result of natural development or gradual increase | प्राकृतिक विकास या क्रमिक वृद्धि के परिणामस्वरूप बनें | |
| Put Off | to postpone or arrange a later date | बाद की तारीख को स्थगित करना या व्यवस्थित करना | |
| Iron out | to resolve by discussion | चर्चा द्वारा समाधान करना | |
| Tear up | To destroy or severely damage something | किसी चीज़ को नष्ट करना या गंभीर रूप से क्षति पहुँचाना | |
| Clam up | To refuse to speak | बोलने से इंकार करना | |
| Think back | recall a past event or time | किसी पिछली घटना या समय को याद करना | |
| Wear off | lose effectiveness or intensity | प्रभावशीलता या तीव्रता खोना | |
| Catch up | an act of catching up or matching someone or something in a particular activity | किसी विशेष गतिविधि में किसी व्यक्ति या वस्तु को पकड़ने या उससे मेल खाने की क्रिया | |
| Easy come, easy go | said when something, especially money, is easily got and then soon spent or lost | ऐसा तब कहा जाता है जब कोई चीज़, विशेष रूप से पैसा, आसानी से मिल जाता है और फिर जल्द ही खर्च हो जाता है या खो जाता है | |
| To spin one’s wheels | waste one’s time or efforts | किसी का समय या प्रयास बर्बाद करना | |
| To be pushing up daisies | dead and buried | मृत और दफनाया गया | |
| All good things must come to an end | everything that one is fond off comes to an end, eventually | वह हर चीज़ जिसका कोई शौकीन होता है, आख़िरकार ख़त्म हो जाती है | |
| Blood is thicker than water | family relationships and loyalties are the strongest and most important ones | पारिवारिक रिश्ते और वफादारी सबसे मजबूत और सबसे महत्वपूर्ण हैं | |
| All bark and no bite | threatening, aggressive, but not willing to engage in a fight | धमकी देने वाला, आक्रामक, लेकिन लड़ाई में शामिल होने को तैयार नहीं | |
| An axe to grind | To have a complaint or dispute that one feels compelled to discuss | कोई ऐसी शिकायत या विवाद होना जिस पर चर्चा करने के लिए कोई बाध्य महसूस करता हो | |
| All in the same boat | in the same situation; having the same problem | उसी स्थिति में; एक ही समस्या है | |
| All Greek to me | expressing that something is not understandable | यह व्यक्त करना कि कुछ समझ में नहीं आ रहा है | |
| To bend over backwards | to work very hard to accomplish something for someone | किसी के लिए कुछ हासिल करने के लिए बहुत कड़ी मेहनत करना | |
| No man is an island | to require help from other every now and then because of one’s limitations | अपनी सीमाओं के कारण समय-समय पर दूसरे से सहायता की आवश्यकता होती है | |
| Tongue-in-cheek | Jocular or humorous, though seeming or appearing to be serious | मज़ाकिया या विनोदी, यद्यपि गंभीर प्रतीत होता या प्रतीत होता है | |
| Wear your heart on your sleeve | to display one’s feelings openly and habitually, rather than keep them private | अपनी भावनाओं को निजी रखने के बजाय खुले तौर पर और आदतन प्रदर्शित करना | |
| When it rains, it pours | something good or bad occurring multiple times within a short span of time. | कुछ अच्छा या बुरा बहुत कम समय में कई बार घटित होना। | |
| A slap on the wrist | means a mild reprimand or punishment. | मतलब हल्की फटकार या सज़ा। | |
| A blessing in disguise | an unfortunate event or situation that results in an unforeseen positive outcome. | एक दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण घटना या स्थिति जिसके परिणामस्वरूप अप्रत्याशित सकारात्मक परिणाम मिलता है। | |
Idioms and Phrased Asked in SSC CGL
FAQ
Q. What are phrases in Idioms and Phrases?
Ans: An idiom is a phrase where the meaning cannot be understood from the individual words that make it up. For example, the idiom “I’ll pull your leg” has nothing to do with legs! An idiom is an expression that cannot be taken literally. A phrase is a group of words that express a concept and is often used as an idiom.
Q. What is Idioms and phrases with examples?
Ans: Get your act together, it means you need to improve your behaviour/work Pull yourself together, it means calm down I’m feeling under the weather, it means I’m sick It’s a piece of cake, it means it’s easy Break a leg, it means good luck
Q. Where to not use any idiom?
Ans: Idioms should not be utilised in writing for academic or professional purposes.
