Everyday English Idioms
Learn common expressions and use them with confidence
Explore everyday English idioms with short videos for adult ESOL learners. An idiom is an expression whose meaning is different from the literal meaning of its words. Learning common idioms can help you understand conversations, stories and informal English.
Choose a video, read the meaning underneath and listen to the expression. Repeat it aloud, then write a sentence about your own life. Many idioms are informal, so choose expressions that suit the situation and the person you are speaking to.
Help people feel relaxed when they first meet.
Take on more work or responsibility than you can manage.
Be very expensive.
Say exactly the right thing or identify the real problem.
Reveal a secret, often by accident.
Happen very rarely.
Feel extremely happy.
Something that is very easy to do.
A nervous feeling, often before an important event.
Feel unwell.
A very small amount compared with what is needed.
Feeling sad.
In trouble.
Wait or slow down.
Tell someone secret information.
Start again because an earlier attempt did not succeed.
Work or study late into the night.
Go to bed.
Lose an opportunity by acting too late.
Stay loyal during both good and difficult times.
Make more effort than is expected.
A lot of worry or anger about a small problem.
Something or someone that is excellent.
A clever person.
Face a difficult or unpleasant task with courage.
Remain calm in a difficult situation.
Something that is very unlikely to happen.
Enjoy sweet foods.
Be very kind and generous.
Remain upset about something that has happened and cannot be changed.
A difficult problem to solve or a person who is hard to understand.
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