Idioms, Phrases & Proverbs

Frequently tested English idioms, phrases, and proverbs for CMAT Verbal Ability with meanings and example sentences.

• Rome was not built in a day — Great achievements take time — Proverb
• A blessing in disguise — Something that seems bad but turns out to be good — Idiom
• Hit the nail on the head — To describe exactly what is causing a situation — Idiom
• Bite the bullet — To endure a painful situation bravely — Idiom
• Jump on the bandwagon — To follow a trend; do what others are doing — Idiom
• The best of both worlds — Enjoy two advantages simultaneously — Idiom
• Hit the sack — To go to bed / to sleep — Idiom
• Piece of cake — Something very easy to do — Idiom
• Up in the air — Uncertain; not yet decided — Idiom
• Let the cat out of the bag — To accidentally reveal a secret — Idiom
• Once in a blue moon — Very rarely — Idiom
• On the ball — Alert, competent, and quick to understand — Idiom
• Beat around the bush — Avoid getting to the main point; talk indirectly — Idiom
• All that glitters is not gold — Not everything that looks attractive is valuable — Proverb
• Every cloud has a silver lining — Every difficult situation has a positive aspect — Proverb
• Actions speak louder than words — What a person does matters more than what they say — Proverb
• Keep a low profile — To avoid drawing attention to oneself — Phrase
• Take with a grain of salt — To be sceptical; not believe something completely — Phrase
• Play it by ear — To deal with a situation as it develops rather than planning in advance — Phrase
• Burn bridges — To permanently damage a relationship or opportunity — Phrase
• The ball is in your court — It is your turn to take action or make a decision — Idiom
• Cost an arm and a leg — To be very expensive — Idiom
• The early bird catches the worm — Those who start early have an advantage — Proverb
• Get the upper hand — To gain advantage or control over something — Phrase
• Kill two birds with one stone — To accomplish two tasks with one action — Idiom
• Under the weather — Feeling slightly ill or unwell — Idiom
• In the same boat — In the same difficult situation as others — Idiom
• Spill the beans — To reveal secret information — Idiom
• Pull someone's leg — To tease or joke with someone — Idiom
• Sit on the fence — To avoid taking sides in a dispute; remain neutral — Idiom
• Better late than never — It is better to do something late than not at all — Proverb
• Burn the midnight oil — To work late into the night — Idiom
• Break the ice — To initiate conversation in an awkward situation; relieve tension — Idiom
• Cut corners — To do something in the easiest or cheapest way, often at the cost of quality — Idiom
• Don't count your chickens before they hatch — Don't assume success before it is certain — Proverb