Great IELTS idioms

1. Jump for joy – expressing joy by jumping in the air. Example: She jumped for joy when she heard the good news. 

2. On cloud nine – feeling ecstatic and joyful. Example: After hearing the good news, he was on cloud nine.

3. On top of the world – feeling exceptionally happy. Example: She was on top of the world when she won the race.

4. Full of the joys of spring – feeling very cheerful. Example: He was full of the joys of spring when he saw his old friend.

5. Grin from ear to ear – have a big, wide smile. Example: He was grinning from ear to ear when he saw his presents.

6. Bursting with joy – feeling so happy you could burst. Example: She was bursting with joy when she got accepted into the college.

7. Beaming with delight – feeling ecstatic and smiling brightly. Example: She was beaming with delight when she saw her new puppy.

8. Over the moon – feeling extremely joyful. Example: He was over the moon when he found out he won the competition.

9. In seventh heaven – feeling extremely happy. Example: She was in seventh heaven when she finally finished her project.

10. Tickled pink – feeling extremely pleased. Example: She was tickled pink when she got the job.

1. See red – feeling angry and frustrated. Example: He saw red when his computer crashed.

2. Hit the roof – becoming extremely angry. Example: She hit the roof when she found out she failed the test.

3. Have a fit – having an outburst of anger. Example: He had a fit when he saw the mess.

4. Go ballistic – becoming extremely angry. Example: She went ballistic when she found out she was lied to.

5. Lose one’s cool – becoming very angry. Example: He lost his cool when his car broke down.

6. Fly off the handle – becoming very angry suddenly. Example: She flew off the handle when she heard the news.

7. Boiling point – feeling so angry that you could explode. Example: He reached boiling point when his team lost.

1. Pull one’s hair out – feeling extremely frustrated. Example: She was pulling her hair out trying to find the missing file.
2. Reach boiling point – feeling so frustrated that you could explode. Example: He reached boiling point when the printer wouldn’t work.

3. See red – feeling angry and frustrated. Example: He saw red when his computer crashed.

4. Hit the roof – becoming extremely angry. Example: She hit the roof when she found out she failed the test.

5. At one’s wit’s end – feeling frustrated and exhausted. Example: She was at her wit’s end trying to find a solution.

6. Throw in the towel – feeling so frustrated you give up. Example: He threw in the towel and quit when his boss was too demanding.

7. Grinding one’s teeth – feeling so frustrated you could grind your teeth. Example: She was grinding her teeth when she couldn’t find the answer.

1. Have the blues: Feeling unhappy or down. Example: I’m having the blues today, nothing seems to make me happy.

2. Have a heavy heart: Feeling a deep sadness. Example: I have a heavy heart since my best friend moved away.

3. Throw in the towel: To give up, feeling defeated. Example: I’ve had enough, I’m throwing in the towel.

4. Down in the dumps: Feeling down and unmotivated. Example: I’ve been feeling down in the dumps lately. 

5. Have a dark cloud over you: Feeling like bad luck follows you. Example: I feel like I’ve had a dark cloud over me lately. 

6. Have a broken heart: Feeling devastated by a loss. Example: I’ve had a broken heart ever since my grandma passed away.

7. Have a lump in your throat: Feeling overwhelmed with emotion. Example: When I heard the news, I had a lump in my throat.

8. Bleeding heart: Feeling very sympathetic towards someone’s suffering. Example: I have a bleeding heart for the homeless population in my city.

9. Carry the weight of the world: Feeling overwhelmed with responsibility. Example: I feel like I’m carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.

10. Down in the mouth: Feeling very discouraged. Example: I’m feeling down in the mouth about not getting the job.

1. Dead on one’s feet – feeling completely exhausted. Example: She was dead on her feet after working all night.

2. Drag one’s feet – feeling very tired and moving slowly. Example: He was dragging his feet after working all day.

3. Have one foot in the grave – feeling extremely tired. Example: He had one foot in the grave after running the marathon.

4. Sleep like a log – sleeping soundly and deeply. Example: She slept like a log after a long day.

5. Too tired to move – feeling so tired you can’t move. Example: He was too tired to move after working a double shift.

6. Sleepyhead – feeling sleepy and drowsy. Example: She was a sleepyhead after staying up late.

7. Hit the wall – feeling completely exhausted. Example: He hit the wall after running the marathon.

1. Have butterflies in one’s stomach – feeling anxious and worried. Example: She had butterflies in her stomach before her interview.

2. Sweating bullets – feeling extremely anxious. Example: He was sweating bullets before his presentation.

3. Bite one’s fingernails – feeling anxious and nervous. Example: She was biting her fingernails waiting for the results.

4. Pull one’s hair out – feeling extremely anxious. Example: He was pulling his hair out waiting for the test results.

5. Feel like a fish out of water – feeling out of place and anxious. Example: She felt like a fish out of water at the party.
6. Have a knot in one’s stomach – feeling extremely anxious. Example: He had a knot in his stomach before his meeting.

7. Have ants in one’s pants – feeling nervous and anxious. Example: She had ants in her pants before the big game.

1. Bored out of one’s mind – feeling extremely bored. Example: He was bored out of his mind during the lecture.

2. Like watching paint dry – feeling bored and unmotivated. Example: Watching the movie was like watching paint dry.

3. Have ants in one’s pants – feeling restless and bored. Example: She had ants in her pants during the long car ride.

4. Have one foot out the door – feeling ready to leave and bored. Example: She had one foot out the door during the meeting.

5. Going stir-crazy – feeling bored and restless. Example: He was going stir-crazy during the rainy day.

6. Zoned out – feeling bored and not paying attention. Example: She zoned out during the lecture.

7. Have nothing to do – feeling bored and unoccupied. Example: She had nothing to do on her day off.

8. Treading water – feeling bored and stuck in a situation. Example: He was treading water in his job.

1. At a loss: to have no idea what to do, Example: I am completely at a loss when it comes to solving this problem.

2. In a fog: to be confused, Example: After the long lecture, my mind was in a fog.

3. Up in the air: uncertain, Example: His future plans are still up in the air.

4. Over one’s head: too difficult to understand, Example: The math lesson was over my head.

5. Out of the loop: not included in the information, Example: I feel out of the loop when it comes to the new project.

6. Out of one’s depth: not having the necessary knowledge or resources to do something, Example: I am out of my depth in this situation.

7. Scratching one’s head: to be puzzled, Example: I’m scratching my head trying to figure out how to solve this problem.

8. Drawing a blank: not being able to think of an answer, Example: When asked the question, I drew a blank.

9. In a muddle: confused, Example: I am in a muddle trying to understand this concept.

1. “On top of the world” – feeling extremely confident and happy; Example: After winning the World Cup, she was on top of the world.

2. “Feeling like a million bucks” – feeling very confident; Example: After getting a promotion, she was feeling like a million bucks.

3. “Bring it on” – feeling confident and ready to take on a challenge; Example: When she was asked to lead the project, she said “bring it on!”

4. “Bringing it home” – feeling confident and capable of achieving something; Example: She was confident she could bring it home and win the race.

5. “In the zone” – feeling focused and confident; Example: She was in the zone and won the spelling bee.

6. “Ready for anything” – feeling confident and prepared; Example: She was ready for anything and aced her job interview.

7. “On a roll” – feeling confident and successful; Example: After winning the last three races, she was on a roll.

8. “Feeling invincibe” – feeling confident and strong; Example: After finishing her training, she was feeling invincible.

1. “Full of beans” – to have a lot of energy, Example: After drinking a cup of coffee, I’m full of beans and ready to start the day.

2. “On Cloud Nine” – to be very happy and energetic, Example: When I won the race, I was on cloud nine.

3. “Full of life” – to be energetic and enthusiastic, Example: The children were full of life as they played in the park.

4. “Bouncing off the walls” – to have too much energy, Example: The kids have been bouncing off the walls since they got their Christmas presents.

5. “A bundle of energy” – to be very active and energetic, Example: Even after a long day at school, my daughter is still a bundle of energy.

6. “Raring to go” – to be eager and excited to start something, Example: I’m raring to go on our next adventure.

7. “Energetic as ever” – to be full of energy and enthusiasm, Example: Even after a long day of work, my friend was energetic as ever.

8. “Brimming with energy” – to something with a lot of energy and enthusiasm, Example: After a few days of rest, I’m brimming with energy and ready to get back to work.

9. “High on energy” – to have a lot of energy, Example: After a good night’s sleep, I’m high on energy and ready to take on the day.

10. “Charged up” – to be full of energy and enthusiasm, Example: After hearing the news, I was charged up and ready to celebrate.

1. Dragging one’s feet: to make slow progress, usually due to lack of motivation. Example: “John was dragging his feet on the project, so the deadline was missed.”

2. Bite off more than you can chew: to take on too much work or responsibility. Example: “John tried to bite off more than he could chew and couldn’t finish the project.”

3. Stuck in a rut: to be in a monotonous routine that lacks motivation. Example: “John was stuck in a rut, so he couldn’t find the motivation to finish the project.”

4. Hit a brick wall: to reach a point where progress is impossible due to lack of motivation. Example: “John hit a brick wall and couldn’t find the motivation to keep working on the project.”

5. Go through the motions: to do something without enthusiasm or motivation. Example: “John was just going through the motions and wasn’t making any real progress on the project.”

6. Spin your wheels: to make little or no progress due to lack of motivation. Example: “John was spinning his wheels on the project, so the deadline was missed.”

7. Lose steam: to gradually lose enthusiasm or energy. Example: “John started out strong, but he soon lost steam and couldn’t finish the project.”

8. Sleepwalking: to do something without enthusiasm or motivation. Example: “John was sleepwalking through the project, so the deadline was missed.”

9. Run out of gas: to lose enthusiasm or energy. Example: “John ran out of gas and couldn’t finish the project.”

10. Can’t get out of first gear: to make little or no progress due to lack of motivation. Example: “John couldn’t get out of first gear, so the deadline was missed.”

1. “Caught red-handed”: To be discovered in the act of doing something wrong. Example: “I was caught red-handed trying to sneak out of the house!” 

2. “Foot-in-mouth”: To say something embarrassing or foolish. Example: “I put my foot in my mouth and told her I didn’t like her dress.”

3. “Face like a beetroot”: To be so embarrassed that one’s face turns a deep red color. Example: “I was so embarrassed that my face was like a beetroot!”

4. “Blushing bride”: To be so embarrassed that one’s face turns a deep red color. Example: “The blushing bride was so embarrassed she could barely get through the wedding vows.”

5. “Turning on the waterworks”: To start crying out of embarrassment. Example: “When she found out she had failed the test, she started turning on the waterworks.”

6. “Squirm in one’s seat”: To feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. Example: “When the teacher called on him, he started to squirm in his seat.”

7. “Duck for cover”: To hide away out of embarrassment. Example “When the teacher called on him, he ducked for cover under his desk.”

8. “Slip of the tongue”: To accidentally say something embarrassing. Example: “I had a slip of the tongue and told her I didn’t like her outfit.”

9. “Cringe-worthy”: Something or someone that causes embarrassment. Example: “That was a cringe-worthy performance!”

10. “Blush with embarrassment”: To turn red with embarrassment. Example: “She blushed with embarrassment when she tripped on the stage.”

1. Taken aback: feeling surprised and confused; Example: I was taken aback by his sudden outburst of anger.

2. Blow your mind: something that surprises you greatly; Example: The news that she had won the lottery really blew my mind.

3. Knocked for a loop: feeling shocked and confused; Example: I was knocked for a loop when I heard the news of the accident.

4. Flabbergasted: overwhelmed with surprise; Example: I was flabbergasted when she told me she had won the lottery.

5. Gobsmacked: feeling astonished and amazed; Example: When I saw how much he had accomplished, I was gobsmacked.

6. Shocked to my core: feeling shocked and dismayed; Example: I was shocked to my core when I heard the news of the tragedy.

7. Blown away: feeling overwhelmed with surprise; Example: I was blown away when I saw her performance on stage.

8. Caught off guard: feeling surprised and unprepared; Example: I was caught off guard when he asked me for my opinion.

9. Stunned into silence: feeling so surprised that you don’t speak; Example: His incredible success stunned me into silence.

10. Speechless: feeling so surprised that you can’t think of anything to say; Example: I was speechless when he told me I had won the prize.

1. “Beaming with pride”: To show a very happy and proud emotion. Example: “My mother was beaming with pride when I graduated college.”

2. “A feather in one’s cap”: To be proud of an accomplishment or achievement. Example: “Winning first place in the competition was a feather in her cap.”

3. “Bursting with pride”: To be very proud and show it. Example: “My dad was bursting with pride when I told him I got a job offer.”

4. “Puffed up with pride”: To be extremely proud or boastful of oneself or one’s accomplishments. Example: “John was so puffed up with pride that he couldn’t stop talking about his new job.”

5. “On cloud nine”: To be extremely happy or proud. Example: “My sister was on cloud nine when she got accepted to her dream school.”

6. “Swaggering with pride”: To be confident and proud of oneself or one’s achievements. Example: “He was swaggering with pride after getting a promotion at work.”

7. “Tickled pink”: To be very pleased or proud. Example: “My parents were tickled pink when I told them I got into college.”

8. “Strutting one’s stuff”: To show off one’s accomplishments or skills. Example: “My brother was strutting his stuff at the talent show.”

1. A perfect day – a sunny, beautiful day. Example: It was a perfect day for a picnic.

2. A ray of sunshine – a sunny and bright day. Example: It was a ray of sunshine after the storm.

3. A breath of fresh air – a refreshing and beautiful day. Example: The crisp morning air was a breath of fresh air.

4. A bright and sunny day – a sunny, cheerful day. Example: It was a bright and sunny day at the beach.

5. A day in paradise – a beautiful, sunny day. Example: It was a day in paradise at the lake.

6. A day to remember – a beautiful and memorable day. Example: It was a day to remember when the sun shone brightly.

7. Picture perfect – a beautiful day with perfect weather. Example: It was picture perfect at the park.

8. A clear blue sky – a day with a clear sky and no clouds. Example: It was a clear blue sky at the beach.

9. A million dollar day – a sunny, beautiful day. Example: It was a million dollar day at the lake.

1. Raining cats and dogs – raining heavily. Example: It was raining cats and dogs outside.

2. A foggy day – a day with fog. Example: It was a foggy day at the beach.

3. A storm is brewing – a storm is coming. Example: A storm was brewing on the horizon.

4. A dark and gloomy day – a dark, depressing day. Example: It was a dark and gloomy day at the park.

5. A cold and blustery day – a windy, cold day. Example: It was a cold and blustery day at the lake.

6. Freezing cold – a very cold day. Example: It was freezing cold outside.

7. A howling gale – a strong wind. Example: There was a howling gale at the beach.

1. To die for – very delicious food. Example: The cake was to die for.

2. Finger-lickin’ good – very delicious food. Example: The fried chicken was finger-lickin’ good.

3. Delicious – very tasty food. Example: The soup was delicious.

4. Mouth-watering – very tasty food. Example: The steak was mouth-watering.

5. A feast for the eyes – food that looks very attractive. Example: The table was a feast for the eyes.

6. A taste sensation – food that tastes very good. Example: The ice cream was a taste sensation.

7. A slice of heaven – very tasty food. Example: The pizza was a slice of heaven.

8. Heaven on a plate – very delicious food. Example: The cookies were heaven on a plate.

9. A five-star dish – a very tasty and special dish. Example: The lasagna was a five-star dish.

1. Inedible – food that is not edible. Example: The soup was inedible.

2. Not fit for a dog – very bad food. Example: The soup was not fit for a dog.

3. A dog’s breakfast – a mess of food. Example: The omelet was a dog’s breakfast.

4. An acquired taste – food that takes time to get used to. Example: The curry was an acquired taste.

5. Rotten to the core – food that is spoiled. Example: The eggs were rotten to the core.

6. Tastes like cardboard – food that has no taste. Example: The sandwich tasted like cardboard.

7. Bland as dishwater – food that has no flavor. Example: The soup was as bland as dishwater.

1. A sight for sore eyes – something beautiful to look at. Example: The flowers were a sight for sore eyes.

2. A diamond in the rough – something beautiful hidden among less attractive things. Example: The old house was a diamond in the rough.

3. A thing of beauty – something that is admired for its beauty. Example: The painting was a thing of beauty.

4. A work of art – something that is beautiful and artistic. Example: The sculpture was a work of art.

5. A picture perfect – something that looks perfect. Example: The beach was picture perfect.

6. A vision in white – something that looks beautiful and pure. Example: The bride was a vision in white.

7. A wonder to behold – something that is amazing and beautiful. Example: The fireworks were a wonder to behold.

8. A sight to behold – something beautiful to look at. Example: The sunset was a sight to behold.

1. A quick thinker – someone who can think quickly and come up with a solution. Example: She was a quick thinker and solved the problem in no time.

2. A sharp mind – someone with a sharp and clever mind. Example: He had a sharp mind and could come up with creative solutions.
3. A genius – someone who is extremely intelligent. Example: He was a genius and could solve any problem.

4. A whiz kid – someone who is very intelligent and clever. Example: She was a whiz kid and always got top marks.

5. Have a brain like a steel trap – someone who has an excellent memory. 

Example: He had a brain like a steel trap and could remember anything.

6. Know one’s stuff – someone who is knowledgeable and experienced. Example: She knew her stuff and always had the right answer.

7. Bright spark – someone who is very intelligent. Example: He was a bright spark and always got the top grades.

8. A brainiac – someone who is extremely intelligent. Example: She was a brainiac and could answer any question.

1. A natural – someone who has a natural talent. Example: She was a natural at singing and always got the lead role.

2. A prodigy – someone with an incredible talent. Example: He was a prodigy and could play any instrument.

3. A born talent – someone who has a natural ability. Example: She was a born talent and could paint like a master.

4. A star in the making – someone who has great potential. Example: He was a star in the making and could dance like a professional.

5. A virtuoso – someone who is an expert in their field. Example: She was a virtuoso and could play any song on the piano.

6. A master of one’s craft – someone who is an expert in their field. Example: He was a master of his craft and could make anything.

7. A whiz – someone who is very good at something. Example: She was a whiz at math and always got top marks.

8. A gifted individual – someone with an exceptional talent. Example: He was a gifted individual and could write music like a pro.

1. Heaven on Earth – a beautiful and pleasant place. Example: She thought the beach was heaven on Earth.

2. Paradise – a beautiful, idyllic place. Example: The island was a paradise.
3. Garden of Eden – a peaceful and beautiful place. Example: The meadow was like a garden of Eden.

4. A jewel in the crown – a very special and beautiful place. Example: The city was a jewel in the crown of the country.

5. A paradise lost – a once beautiful place that has been ruined. Example: The wetlands were a paradise lost after the oil spill.

6. A gem of a place – a beautiful, special place. Example: The small town was a gem of a place.

7. A jewel in the rough – a hidden beautiful place. Example: The hidden waterfall was a jewel in the rough.

8. A beauty spot – a spot that is especially beautiful. Example: The mountain was a beauty spot in the valley.