Idioms & Phrases
Every idiom with a simple meaning, an Indian example sentence and the Hindi sense — browse it, flip it as a flashcard, print it or test yourself with four kinds of exam questions.
An idiom is a group of words whose meaning is different from the meaning of its single words, so you cannot work it out word by word. “Spill the beans” means to reveal a secret (राज़ खोल देना), not to drop any beans: “Riya spilled the beans about the surprise party.”
Keyboard: Space flip · ← → move · K I know it · L still learning
Idiom quiz
Four exam-style question types. The quiz uses the idioms left by your filters above.
Idioms & Phrases
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Learn idioms the way exams ask them
An idiom is a group of words whose meaning is different from the meaning of the single words in it. You cannot work it out word by word — you have to learn it as one unit.
Pick a topic or letter
Filter by topic, class level or first letter, or search in English or Hindi.
Read the example
The sentence shows you exactly where and how the idiom is used.
Flip the flashcards
Say the meaning aloud before flipping, then mark it known or still learning.
Take the quiz
Four question types copy the way idioms appear in CBSE and state board papers.
Idiom, phrase or proverb?
Idiom – a fixed group of words with a hidden meaning: spill the beans = reveal a secret.
Phrase – any small group of words that works as one unit: in the nick of time.
Proverb – a complete sentence that teaches a lesson: A stitch in time saves nine. Boards use all three under the heading “Idioms and Phrases”.
Three mistakes to avoid
1. Never translate word by word. Rain cats and dogs has nothing to do with animals; it means heavy rain.
2. Do not change the words. It is a piece of cake, not “a slice of cake”; at the eleventh hour, not “at the eleven hour”.
3. Keep the tense on the verb. burn the midnight oil → “He burnt the midnight oil.”
How to answer in the exam
In a fill-in-the-blank, first read the whole sentence and decide whether the feeling is happy, sad, angry, easy or difficult — that alone removes two options.
If you must use the idiom in a sentence of your own, write a short sentence with a clear situation. “Riya was over the moon when she topped her class” earns full marks; “Riya was over the moon” does not show the meaning.
Learn in families
Idioms are easier in groups. Body parts: lend an ear, keep an eye on, rack your brains. Animals: a dark horse, let the cat out of the bag, kill two birds with one stone. Weather: under the weather, a bolt from the blue, every cloud has a silver lining.
Use the Topic filter above to revise one family at a time — ten idioms a day is a realistic target.
Idioms & Phrases — your questions
What is an idiom with example?
An idiom is a fixed group of words whose meaning cannot be worked out from the individual words. “A piece of cake” means something very easy, not an actual slice of cake: “The maths paper was a piece of cake.” Other common ones are burn the midnight oil (study late) and let the cat out of the bag (reveal a secret).
What is the difference between an idiom, a phrase and a proverb?
An idiom is a fixed group of words with a hidden meaning — spill the beans. A phrase is any small group of words working as one unit — in the nick of time. A proverb is a complete sentence that teaches a lesson — “A stitch in time saves nine.” Boards group all three under the heading “Idioms and Phrases”.
How do I learn idioms fast for an exam?
Learn them in families rather than alphabetically. Body parts: lend an ear, keep an eye on, rack your brains. Animals: a dark horse, kill two birds with one stone. Weather: under the weather, a bolt from the blue. Ten a day from one family, revised the next morning, is a realistic target that actually sticks.
How should I use an idiom in a sentence in the exam?
Write a short sentence that makes the meaning obvious from the situation. “Riya was over the moon when she topped her class” earns full marks because the situation shows the delight. “Riya was over the moon” alone does not show that you know what it means, so examiners often cut the mark.
What mistakes do students make with idioms?
Three. Translating word by word — rain cats and dogs has nothing to do with animals. Changing the words — it is a piece of cake, not a slice of cake; at the eleventh hour, not at the eleven hour. And dropping the tense from the verb: “He burnt the midnight oil before the exam”, not “burn”.
How many idioms are on this page and are the Hindi meanings included?
There are 338 idioms, each with a simple English meaning, an Indian example sentence and the Hindi sense in Devanagari — for example “add fuel to the fire” is आग में घी डालना. You can search in either language, filter by topic, class band or first letter, and print the sheet with or without the Hindi column.
Which idioms come most often in school exams?
The page tags 186 of the 338 as exam favourites — the ones that repeat in school papers and competitive tests, such as a piece of cake, burn the midnight oil, once in a blue moon, spill the beans and turn a blind eye. Switch on “Exam favourites only” to print that shorter revision sheet.