100 Essential IELTS Idioms
Using idioms naturally in your IELTS Speaking test can boost your Lexical Resource score. Here are 100 commonly used idioms organized by topic, with meanings, example sentences, and guidance on when to use them.
Important Tips for Using Idioms in IELTS
Do:
- Use idioms naturally in Speaking, especially Parts 1 and 3
- Limit yourself to 2–3 idioms per speaking test
- Use idioms you fully understand and have practised
- Place idioms where they fit the context
Do not:
- Overuse idioms — it sounds unnatural and rehearsed
- Use idioms in formal Writing Task 2 essays (use them sparingly in informal Writing Task 1 General only)
- Force idioms into your answers where they do not fit
- Use idioms you are not sure about — an incorrect idiom is worse than none
Jump to Topic:
Time (10 Idioms)
| # | Idiom | Meaning | Example in IELTS Context | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Better late than never | It is better to do something late than not do it at all | I finally started exercising at 35. Well, better late than never! | Speaking |
| 2 | In the nick of time | Just in time; at the last possible moment | I submitted my application in the nick of time — just minutes before the deadline. | Speaking |
| 3 | Time flies | Time passes very quickly | I cannot believe I have been living here for five years. Time really flies. | Speaking |
| 4 | Kill time | To do something while waiting, to pass time | I was killing time at the airport by reading a novel. | Speaking |
| 5 | Around the clock | 24 hours a day; continuously | Hospital staff work around the clock to care for patients. | Both |
| 6 | A race against time | A situation where you must finish before a deadline | Preparing for IELTS in two weeks was a real race against time. | Speaking |
| 7 | Once in a blue moon | Very rarely | I only eat fast food once in a blue moon because I prefer home-cooked meals. | Speaking |
| 8 | At the eleventh hour | At the very last moment | The agreement was reached at the eleventh hour, just before the negotiations collapsed. | Both |
| 9 | Stand the test of time | To remain popular or effective over a long period | Shakespeare's works have truly stood the test of time. | Both |
| 10 | Behind the times | Old-fashioned; not up to date | Some people argue that traditional teaching methods are behind the times. | Both |
Money (10 Idioms)
| # | Idiom | Meaning | Example in IELTS Context | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Break the bank | To cost too much money | You do not have to break the bank to eat healthily. | Speaking |
| 2 | Cost an arm and a leg | To be very expensive | University tuition in some countries costs an arm and a leg. | Speaking |
| 3 | Money does not grow on trees | Money is limited and must be earned | My parents always told me that money does not grow on trees. | Speaking |
| 4 | Save for a rainy day | To save money for future emergencies | It is wise to save for a rainy day rather than spend everything you earn. | Both |
| 5 | Make ends meet | To earn just enough to cover basic expenses | Many families struggle to make ends meet due to rising living costs. | Both |
| 6 | Penny-wise, pound-foolish | Careful with small amounts but wasteful with large ones | Buying cheap equipment that breaks quickly is penny-wise, pound-foolish. | Both |
| 7 | Worth its weight in gold | Extremely valuable or useful | A good IELTS preparation course is worth its weight in gold. | Speaking |
| 8 | Tighten your belt | To spend less money; to economise | During a recession, everyone has to tighten their belts. | Both |
| 9 | Foot the bill | To pay for something | The government should foot the bill for public healthcare. | Speaking |
| 10 | A quick buck | Money earned quickly and easily | Some companies are just trying to make a quick buck without caring about quality. | Speaking |
Work & Effort (10 Idioms)
| # | Idiom | Meaning | Example in IELTS Context | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burn the midnight oil | To work or study very late at night | I had to burn the midnight oil to finish my assignment before the deadline. | Speaking |
| 2 | Go the extra mile | To make more effort than expected | Good teachers always go the extra mile to help struggling students. | Both |
| 3 | Learn the ropes | To learn how to do a new job or activity | It took me a few weeks to learn the ropes at my new workplace. | Speaking |
| 4 | Pull your weight | To do your fair share of work | In group projects, everyone needs to pull their weight. | Speaking |
| 5 | A piece of cake | Something very easy | The listening test was a piece of cake compared to the reading. | Speaking |
| 6 | Hit the ground running | To start something and immediately work hard | She hit the ground running on her first day at the new job. | Speaking |
| 7 | Back to the drawing board | To start again from the beginning | The plan failed, so it was back to the drawing board. | Both |
| 8 | Cut corners | To do something in the cheapest or easiest way | Companies should not cut corners when it comes to safety. | Both |
| 9 | Burning the candle at both ends | Working too hard with little rest | Students who work part-time often end up burning the candle at both ends. | Speaking |
| 10 | Get the ball rolling | To start something; to begin a process | Let me get the ball rolling by introducing the first topic. | Speaking |
Education & Learning (10 Idioms)
| # | Idiom | Meaning | Example in IELTS Context | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hit the books | To study hard | With exams approaching, it is time to hit the books. | Speaking |
| 2 | Learn something by heart | To memorise something completely | I learned all the vocabulary by heart before my speaking test. | Speaking |
| 3 | A steep learning curve | A situation where you must learn a lot quickly | Starting university was a steep learning curve for me. | Both |
| 4 | Pass with flying colours | To succeed easily and impressively | She passed her IELTS exam with flying colours, scoring 8.5 overall. | Speaking |
| 5 | The school of hard knocks | Learning through difficult life experiences | He did not go to university, but he graduated from the school of hard knocks. | Speaking |
| 6 | An old hand at something | Very experienced at something | My tutor is an old hand at preparing students for IELTS. | Speaking |
| 7 | Pick someone's brain | To ask someone for advice or information | I picked my teacher's brain about the best way to approach Task 2. | Speaking |
| 8 | Food for thought | Something that makes you think carefully | The documentary about climate change gave me real food for thought. | Both |
| 9 | Knowledge is power | Having information gives you an advantage | In the digital age, the saying knowledge is power is truer than ever. | Both |
| 10 | Back to basics | To return to fundamental principles | When my score did not improve, I went back to basics and focused on grammar. | Both |
Health & Wellbeing (10 Idioms)
| # | Idiom | Meaning | Example in IELTS Context | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fit as a fiddle | In excellent health | My grandmother is 80 but she is fit as a fiddle. | Speaking |
| 2 | Under the weather | Feeling slightly ill | I was feeling a bit under the weather, so I stayed home. | Speaking |
| 3 | An apple a day keeps the doctor away | Eating healthily helps prevent illness | As the old saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. | Speaking |
| 4 | Burn out | To become exhausted from overwork | Many professionals burn out because of excessive workloads. | Both |
| 5 | A clean bill of health | Confirmation that someone is healthy | The doctor gave me a clean bill of health after my check-up. | Speaking |
| 6 | Prevention is better than cure | It is better to stop problems before they start | When it comes to public health, prevention is better than cure. | Both |
| 7 | Recharge your batteries | To rest and recover energy | I took a week off work to recharge my batteries. | Speaking |
| 8 | On the mend | Getting better after illness | She was very ill last week, but she is on the mend now. | Speaking |
| 9 | A bitter pill to swallow | Something unpleasant that must be accepted | Losing the competition was a bitter pill to swallow, but I learned from it. | Both |
| 10 | Alive and kicking | Active and healthy | Traditional markets are still alive and kicking despite online shopping. | Speaking |
Relationships (10 Idioms)
| # | Idiom | Meaning | Example in IELTS Context | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Get on like a house on fire | To have an excellent relationship from the start | My flatmate and I got on like a house on fire from day one. | Speaking |
| 2 | See eye to eye | To agree with someone | My parents and I do not always see eye to eye on career choices. | Both |
| 3 | A shoulder to cry on | Someone who listens to your problems sympathetically | A good friend is always a shoulder to cry on. | Speaking |
| 4 | Break the ice | To make people feel more comfortable in a social situation | The teacher used a fun game to break the ice on the first day. | Speaking |
| 5 | Speak the same language | To share similar opinions or ideas | My business partner and I speak the same language when it comes to strategy. | Speaking |
| 6 | Blood is thicker than water | Family relationships are stronger than others | Despite our disagreements, blood is thicker than water. | Speaking |
| 7 | Birds of a feather flock together | People with similar interests spend time together | All the musicians in my school were friends — birds of a feather flock together. | Speaking |
| 8 | Keep someone at arm's length | To avoid becoming too close to someone | I keep negative people at arm's length for my own wellbeing. | Speaking |
| 9 | Bury the hatchet | To make peace; to stop arguing | After months of disagreement, they finally buried the hatchet. | Speaking |
| 10 | Bend over backwards | To try very hard to help or please someone | My teacher bent over backwards to help me prepare for the exam. | Speaking |
Success & Failure (10 Idioms)
| # | Idiom | Meaning | Example in IELTS Context | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Against all odds | Despite very low chances of success | Against all odds, she achieved band 8 after just three months of preparation. | Both |
| 2 | Back to square one | Having to start again from the beginning | My visa was rejected, so I was back to square one. | Speaking |
| 3 | The sky is the limit | There is no limit to what you can achieve | With the right qualifications, the sky is the limit for your career. | Speaking |
| 4 | Every cloud has a silver lining | There is something positive in every bad situation | I lost my job, but every cloud has a silver lining — I found a much better one. | Speaking |
| 5 | Rome was not built in a day | Important things take time to achieve | Do not expect fluency overnight. Rome was not built in a day. | Speaking |
| 6 | Hit the nail on the head | To be exactly right about something | You hit the nail on the head when you said the exam needs more practice. | Speaking |
| 7 | A blessing in disguise | Something that seems bad at first but turns out well | Failing my first IELTS attempt was a blessing in disguise because I prepared much better the second time. | Speaking |
| 8 | Throw in the towel | To give up | Many students throw in the towel after their first failed attempt, but persistence is key. | Speaking |
| 9 | Turn over a new leaf | To make a fresh start; to change behaviour | After failing my exam, I turned over a new leaf and created a proper study plan. | Speaking |
| 10 | Practice makes perfect | Regular practice leads to improvement | I do speaking exercises every day because practice makes perfect. | Speaking |
Feelings & Emotions (10 Idioms)
| # | Idiom | Meaning | Example in IELTS Context | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Over the moon | Extremely happy | I was over the moon when I received my IELTS results. | Speaking |
| 2 | On cloud nine | Very happy; euphoric | She was on cloud nine after getting accepted into her dream university. | Speaking |
| 3 | Butterflies in my stomach | Feeling nervous | I had butterflies in my stomach before my speaking test. | Speaking |
| 4 | Keep your chin up | Stay positive in a difficult situation | Even though I did not get the score I wanted, my teacher told me to keep my chin up. | Speaking |
| 5 | Blow off steam | To release stress or anger | After a stressful week, I go to the gym to blow off steam. | Speaking |
| 6 | Get cold feet | To become nervous and hesitant | I got cold feet before my presentation, but once I started, I was fine. | Speaking |
| 7 | Wear your heart on your sleeve | To show your emotions openly | She wears her heart on her sleeve, which makes her very approachable. | Speaking |
| 8 | A weight off my shoulders | A great relief | Finishing my IELTS exam was a weight off my shoulders. | Speaking |
| 9 | Down in the dumps | Feeling sad or depressed | He was down in the dumps after receiving his results. | Speaking |
| 10 | Jump for joy | To be extremely happy | When I saw my band 8, I literally jumped for joy. | Speaking |
Communication (10 Idioms)
| # | Idiom | Meaning | Example in IELTS Context | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beat around the bush | To avoid saying what you mean directly | Do not beat around the bush — just tell me your opinion. | Speaking |
| 2 | Get straight to the point | To say something directly without delay | In IELTS Writing, it is best to get straight to the point in your introduction. | Both |
| 3 | Actions speak louder than words | What you do is more important than what you say | Politicians make promises, but actions speak louder than words. | Both |
| 4 | Read between the lines | To understand a hidden meaning | The IELTS Reading test sometimes requires you to read between the lines. | Speaking |
| 5 | On the same page | To have the same understanding | Before starting the project, we need to make sure everyone is on the same page. | Both |
| 6 | A picture is worth a thousand words | Images communicate more effectively than text | In advertising, a picture is worth a thousand words. | Speaking |
| 7 | Put it in a nutshell | To summarise briefly | To put it in a nutshell, the main benefit of technology is efficiency. | Speaking |
| 8 | Speak volumes | To express a lot without words | The rise in obesity rates speaks volumes about modern diets. | Both |
| 9 | Lost for words | Unable to think of what to say | When I heard the good news, I was completely lost for words. | Speaking |
| 10 | The elephant in the room | An obvious problem that nobody wants to discuss | Climate change is the elephant in the room that world leaders must address. | Both |
General / Miscellaneous (10 Idioms)
| # | Idiom | Meaning | Example in IELTS Context | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A double-edged sword | Something with both advantages and disadvantages | Social media is a double-edged sword — it connects people but can also cause harm. | Both |
| 2 | The tip of the iceberg | A small, visible part of a much larger problem | The reported cases of cybercrime are just the tip of the iceberg. | Both |
| 3 | Think outside the box | To think creatively; to find unconventional solutions | To solve complex problems, we need to think outside the box. | Both |
| 4 | At the end of the day | Ultimately; when everything is considered | At the end of the day, health is more important than wealth. | Speaking |
| 5 | Take it with a pinch of salt | Do not believe something completely | Statistics can be misleading, so take them with a pinch of salt. | Speaking |
| 6 | A catch-22 situation | A situation with no good solution; a dilemma | You need experience to get a job but need a job to get experience — it is a catch-22. | Both |
| 7 | In the same boat | In the same difficult situation as someone else | Many IELTS candidates are in the same boat, feeling nervous before the test. | Speaking |
| 8 | Leave no stone unturned | To try everything possible | I left no stone unturned in my preparation for the exam. | Both |
| 9 | The best of both worlds | A situation where you can enjoy two different advantages | Working from home gives you the best of both worlds — flexibility and productivity. | Both |
| 10 | A level playing field | Fair and equal conditions for everyone | Free education creates a more level playing field for children from all backgrounds. | Both |