Learning English can be fun when we use idioms. Idioms are special phrases that have meanings different from the words they use. They help us speak in a way that sounds more natural. When we use idioms, we can show our feelings or ideas in a simple and colorful way. That’s why using idioms in IELTS speaking can make a big difference.
If you’re preparing for the IELTS test, knowing idioms can help you speak more clearly and sound more fluent. You don’t need to learn big words. Just learning a few common idioms can help you say more with less. In this article, you’ll learn 45 idioms that are useful for IELTS speaking, what they mean, and how to use them in real life.
Idioms For Ielts Speaking
1. Break the ice
Meaning: Start a conversation in a friendly way
Example Sentence:
• She told a funny joke to break the ice.
• We played a game to break the ice at the meeting.
Other ways to say: Start talking, warm up
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from ships breaking the ice in rivers to let others pass
Usage: Use when starting conversations with new people
2. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: Say something exactly right
Example Sentence:
• You hit the nail on the head with your answer.
• Her guess about the problem hit the nail on the head.
Other ways to say: Get it right, be exact
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from hitting a nail perfectly in wood
Usage: Use when someone gives the best answer or idea
3. A piece of cake
Meaning: Something very easy
Example Sentence:
• That math test was a piece of cake.
• Cooking spaghetti is a piece of cake.
Other ways to say: Easy, simple
Fun Fact/Origin: Cakes are sweet and easy to eat, like easy tasks
Usage: Use when something is not hard to do
4. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling sick
Example Sentence:
• I didn’t go to school because I was under the weather.
• She looked under the weather all day.
Other ways to say: Not feeling well, a bit sick
Fun Fact/Origin: Old sailors used this phrase when feeling ill during storms
Usage: Use when you feel slightly sick
5. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: Share a secret by mistake
Example Sentence:
• He let the cat out of the bag about her surprise party.
• I didn’t mean to let the cat out of the bag.
Other ways to say: Spill the beans, reveal a secret
Fun Fact/Origin: May come from markets where people were tricked with cats instead of pigs
Usage: Use when someone shares something private by accident
6. On cloud nine
Meaning: Very happy
Example Sentence:
• She was on cloud nine after winning the contest.
• I felt on cloud nine when I saw my favorite singer.
Other ways to say: Very happy, overjoyed
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from a list of cloud types, with number nine being the highest
Usage: Use to show someone is feeling great joy
7. In hot water
Meaning: In trouble
Example Sentence:
• He was in hot water for forgetting his homework.
• She got in hot water for coming home late.
Other ways to say: In trouble, in a mess
Fun Fact/Origin: Being in hot water means discomfort or danger
Usage: Use when someone is facing trouble
8. The ball is in your court
Meaning: It’s your turn to act
Example Sentence:
• I gave my opinion. Now the ball is in your court.
• They offered you the job. The ball is in your court now.
Other ways to say: Your move, your choice
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from sports like tennis where the ball must be returned
Usage: Use when someone needs to make the next decision
9. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: Stay up late working
Example Sentence:
• She burned the midnight oil to finish her essay.
• We burned the midnight oil before the final exam.
Other ways to say: Stay up late, work late
Fun Fact/Origin: Oil lamps were used at night for studying before electric lights
Usage: Use when someone works very late at night
10. Bite the bullet
Meaning: Do something hard or painful
Example Sentence:
• He bit the bullet and went to the dentist.
• She bit the bullet and told the truth.
Other ways to say: Face it, deal with it
Fun Fact/Origin: Soldiers used to bite bullets during surgery without painkillers
Usage: Use when facing something tough with courage
11. Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Very rarely
Example Sentence:
• We go to the beach once in a blue moon.
• She eats candy once in a blue moon.
Other ways to say: Rarely, hardly ever
Fun Fact/Origin: A “blue moon” is the second full moon in one month
Usage: Use when talking about things that don’t happen often
12. Miss the boat
Meaning: Miss a chance
Example Sentence:
• He missed the boat on the school trip.
• Don’t miss the boat—apply now!
Other ways to say: Miss a chance, too late
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from ships leaving without late passengers
Usage: Use when someone is too late to do something
13. Spill the beans
Meaning: Share a secret
Example Sentence:
• She spilled the beans about the gift.
• Don’t spill the beans before the party!
Other ways to say: Let it slip, reveal a secret
Fun Fact/Origin: Might come from voting with beans in ancient Greece
Usage: Use when someone reveals hidden information
14. Cut corners
Meaning: Do something the easy or cheap way
Example Sentence:
• He cut corners and forgot safety rules.
• Don’t cut corners on your school project.
Other ways to say: Take shortcuts, skip steps
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from drivers turning sharply to save time
Usage: Use when someone skips parts to finish faster
15. Cost an arm and a leg
Meaning: Very expensive
Example Sentence:
• That phone cost an arm and a leg.
• Their vacation cost an arm and a leg.
Other ways to say: Very pricey, too costly
Fun Fact/Origin: May come from paintings where full-body portraits cost more
Usage: Use when something is very expensive
16. Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: Blaming the wrong person or idea
Example Sentence:
• You’re barking up the wrong tree—I didn’t do it.
• He was barking up the wrong tree about the reason.
Other ways to say: Wrong guess, mistaken
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from hunting dogs barking at empty trees
Usage: Use when someone is making a wrong guess
17. Hit the books
Meaning: Start studying
Example Sentence:
• I have to hit the books this weekend.
• She hit the books right after dinner.
Other ways to say: Study hard, prepare
Fun Fact/Origin: A fun way to say opening your books to study
Usage: Use when someone needs to start studying
18. Keep your chin up
Meaning: Stay strong and positive
Example Sentence:
• Keep your chin up. Things will get better.
• He kept his chin up after losing the game.
Other ways to say: Stay brave, stay hopeful
Fun Fact/Origin: Lifting the chin is a body sign of pride or strength
Usage: Use when encouraging someone
19. Put all your eggs in one basket
Meaning: Risk everything on one thing
Example Sentence:
• Don’t put all your eggs in one basket with that job.
• She put all her eggs in one basket and lost.
Other ways to say: Risk everything, depend too much
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea that dropping one basket breaks all the eggs
Usage: Use when warning someone not to rely on just one thing
20. Jump the gun
Meaning: Act too soon
Example Sentence:
• He jumped the gun and answered too early.
• Don’t jump the gun—wait for instructions.
Other ways to say: Start too early, rush
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from runners starting before the race gun fires
Usage: Use when someone does something before they should
21. Face the music
Meaning: Accept the results of actions
Example Sentence:
• He had to face the music after lying.
• She faced the music and apologized.
Other ways to say: Take responsibility, deal with it
Fun Fact/Origin: May come from soldiers walking to music before punishment
Usage: Use when someone must accept consequences
22. Under your belt
Meaning: Gained experience
Example Sentence:
• After many speeches, she has that under her belt.
• He has three science fairs under his belt.
Other ways to say: Gained, completed
Fun Fact/Origin: Belts held items you earned, like medals
Usage: Use when talking about skills or achievements
23. Back to the drawing board
Meaning: Start again from the beginning
Example Sentence:
• The plan failed, so it’s back to the drawing board.
• We went back to the drawing board after the test.
Other ways to say: Start over, try again
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from designers redoing sketches
Usage: Use when you need to restart something
24. Twist someone’s arm
Meaning: Convince someone strongly
Example Sentence:
• He twisted my arm to go to the party.
• She twisted his arm to join the team.
Other ways to say: Persuade, convince
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of pressure causing agreement
Usage: Use when someone is pushed to do something
25. Pull someone’s leg
Meaning: Joke or tease someone
Example Sentence:
• Don’t worry, I’m just pulling your leg.
• He pulled her leg about the surprise.
Other ways to say: Joke, kid around
Fun Fact/Origin: May come from old tricks to trip people
Usage: Use when joking with someone
26. In the same boat
Meaning: In the same situation
Example Sentence:
• We’re in the same boat with this test.
• They’re all in the same boat at work.
Other ways to say: Same position, same trouble
Fun Fact/Origin: If a boat sinks, everyone is affected
Usage: Use when sharing a situation with others
27. Give someone a hand
Meaning: Help someone
Example Sentence:
• Can you give me a hand with this bag?
• She gave him a hand with his homework.
Other ways to say: Help, assist
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from offering your hand for support
Usage: Use when helping or asking for help
28. Break a leg
Meaning: Good luck
Example Sentence:
• Break a leg on your performance tonight!
• We told her to break a leg before the play.
Other ways to say: Good luck, do well
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from theater superstition
Usage: Use to wish someone success
29. Go the extra mile
Meaning: Do more than expected
Example Sentence:
• She goes the extra mile to help her friends.
• He went the extra mile on the project.
Other ways to say: Try harder, give more effort
Fun Fact/Origin: From Bible times where people walked further than asked
Usage: Use when someone puts in extra effort
30. Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: Don’t talk about past problems
Example Sentence:
• Let’s let sleeping dogs lie and not bring it up.
• He let sleeping dogs lie to keep the peace.
Other ways to say: Leave it alone, don’t bring it up
Fun Fact/Origin: Stirring a resting dog might cause trouble
Usage: Use when avoiding old arguments
31. Take it with a grain of salt
Meaning: Don’t believe it completely
Example Sentence:
• Take what he says with a grain of salt.
• I heard the news, but I took it with a grain of salt.
Other ways to say: Be careful, be doubtful
Fun Fact/Origin: Salt was once used to protect from poison
Usage: Use when not fully trusting something
32. Put your foot in your mouth
Meaning: Say something wrong or embarrassing
Example Sentence:
• He put his foot in his mouth during dinner.
• I put my foot in my mouth by asking the wrong question.
Other ways to say: Say the wrong thing, embarrass yourself
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the awkward idea of actually doing this
Usage: Use when someone says something silly or rude by accident
33. Get cold feet
Meaning: Feel scared to do something
Example Sentence:
• She got cold feet before the show.
• He got cold feet and didn’t give his speech.
Other ways to say: Feel nervous, back out
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from soldiers refusing to fight due to fear
Usage: Use when someone is scared at the last minute
34. Think outside the box
Meaning: Have creative ideas
Example Sentence:
• Try to think outside the box for this essay.
• She thought outside the box and won the contest.
Other ways to say: Be creative, try new ideas
Fun Fact/Origin: Boxes show normal limits—thinking beyond them means creativity
Usage: Use when asking for new or fresh ideas
35. Easier said than done
Meaning: Hard to do even if it sounds simple
Example Sentence:
• Waking up early is easier said than done.
• Saving money is easier said than done.
Other ways to say: Hard to do, not simple
Fun Fact/Origin: People often say things are simple before they try them
Usage: Use when something is harder in action than in words
36. Throw in the towel
Meaning: Give up
Example Sentence:
• He threw in the towel after trying three times.
• She didn’t throw in the towel even when it got hard.
Other ways to say: Quit, give up
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from boxing when a coach throws in a towel to stop the fight
Usage: Use when someone quits or gives up
37. By the book
Meaning: Follow rules exactly
Example Sentence:
• The teacher does everything by the book.
• We followed the plan by the book.
Other ways to say: Follow rules, do it right
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to laws or manuals (books of rules)
Usage: Use when following rules exactly
38. On thin ice
Meaning: In a risky or dangerous situation
Example Sentence:
• He’s on thin ice with his grades.
• Don’t be late again—you’re on thin ice.
Other ways to say: In danger, close to trouble
Fun Fact/Origin: Walking on thin ice may break and fall in
Usage: Use when someone is close to getting in trouble
39. Call it a day
Meaning: Stop working for now
Example Sentence:
• We finished the report—let’s call it a day.
• She called it a day after three hours of homework.
Other ways to say: Stop, finish up
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from deciding to end work at a set time
Usage: Use when stopping work or activity
40. Get the hang of it
Meaning: Learn how to do something
Example Sentence:
• He got the hang of the new game quickly.
• She’s getting the hang of driving.
Other ways to say: Learn, figure it out
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from handling tools or equipment correctly
Usage: Use when someone is learning a skill
41. Keep an eye on
Meaning: Watch carefully
Example Sentence:
• Can you keep an eye on my bag?
• I kept an eye on the kids at the park.
Other ways to say: Watch, look after
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to focusing attention on something
Usage: Use when watching something or someone
42. Kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: Solve two problems with one action
Example Sentence:
• She killed two birds with one stone by shopping and exercising.
• I did homework and cleaned—two birds, one stone.
Other ways to say: Do two things at once
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from hunting, hitting two targets at once
Usage: Use when one action helps in two ways
43. Rain on someone’s parade
Meaning: Ruin someone’s fun
Example Sentence:
• Don’t rain on my parade—I’m happy today.
• He rained on her parade by laughing at her idea.
Other ways to say: Spoil fun, bring down mood
Fun Fact/Origin: From parades being ruined by rain
Usage: Use when someone makes a fun time less fun
44. Take the bull by the horns
Meaning: Face a problem bravely
Example Sentence:
• She took the bull by the horns and gave the speech.
• He took the bull by the horns and solved the issue.
Other ways to say: Be brave, take action
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to rodeo acts—grabbing a bull means courage
Usage: Use when someone takes bold action
45. Up in the air
Meaning: Not decided yet
Example Sentence:
• Our plans for the trip are still up in the air.
• The school event is up in the air.
Other ways to say: Not sure, undecided
Fun Fact/Origin: Things in the air haven’t landed—meaning unsure
Usage: Use when something is not yet planned or clear
Quiz: Idioms For IELTS Speaking
Instructions: Read each question and the answer choices carefully. Pick the letter that best matches the meaning of the phrase or expression.
Question Key
1. What does “break the ice” mean?
A) To fall on ice
B) To start a conversation in a friendly way
C) To be cold to someone
2. If something is “a piece of cake,” what does it mean?
A) It’s very hard
B) It’s very tasty
C) It’s very easy
3. What does it mean to “spill the beans”?
A) Drop food on the floor
B) Tell a secret
C) Buy something
4. When someone is “under the weather,” they are:
A) Watching the forecast
B) Feeling sick
C) Playing outside
5. What does “burn the midnight oil” mean?
A) Light a candle
B) Stay up late working
C) Sleep early
6. If someone says “the ball is in your court,” what does that mean?
A) You are playing sports
B) It’s your turn to act or decide
C) You dropped the ball
7. What does “cost an arm and a leg” mean?
A) Be painful
B) Be very expensive
C) Be free
8. When you “hit the books,” you are:
A) Reading or studying
B) Throwing books
C) Closing your books
9. If someone “puts their foot in their mouth,” what did they do?
A) Said something embarrassing
B) Ate something wrong
C) Made someone laugh
10. “Bite the bullet” means to:
A) Eat something
B) Avoid danger
C) Do something hard with courage
11. “Call it a day” means:
A) Name the day
B) Stop working for now
C) Take a vacation
12. When someone says “on thin ice,” what does it mean?
A) It’s snowing
B) You’re in a risky situation
C) You’re walking fast
13. If your idea is “up in the air,” what does that mean?
A) It’s flying
B) It’s a balloon
C) It’s not decided yet
14. What does “jump the gun” mean?
A) Run away
B) Start too soon
C) Forget something
15. When someone says “think outside the box,” they want you to:
A) Stay inside
B) Be creative
C) Use a box
Answer Key
- B) To start a conversation in a friendly way
- C) It’s very easy
- B) Tell a secret
- B) Feeling sick
- B) Stay up late working
- B) It’s your turn to act or decide
- B) Be very expensive
- A) Reading or studying
- A) Said something embarrassing
- C) Do something hard with courage
- B) Stop working for now
- B) You’re in a risky situation
- C) It’s not decided yet
- B) Start too soon
- B) Be creative
Wrapping Up
Idioms help us speak better and more naturally. They make our speech sound real and interesting. In IELTS speaking, using idioms can help you explain your ideas clearly. You don’t need to use many. Just use the right one at the right time.
This list of 45 idioms is a good place to begin. Learn a few, practice using them, and you’ll feel more ready for your IELTS speaking test. Keep it simple, keep practicing, and remember—language grows one step at a time.
