English Idioms: Meanings, Examples and Equivalents
Learn English idioms with meanings, examples, origins and multilingual equivalents.
Akcento is a growing collection of English idioms paired with their natural equivalents in Russian, Spanish and French — not word-for-word translations, but expressions real speakers would actually use. Every entry includes the meaning, origin story and example sentences in all four languages.
Popular Idioms
Have your work cut out for you
🇷🇺 Работы непочатый край · 🇪🇸 Tener mucho trabajo por delante · 🇫🇷 Avoir du pain sur la plancheTo face a difficult or substantial amount of work that will require considerable effort, skill or time. It does not mean the work is already done.
Touch wood / Knock on wood
🇷🇺 Постучать по дереву · 🇪🇸 Tocar madera · 🇫🇷 Toucher du boisSaid to avoid bad luck after making a confident statement.
Look before you leap
🇷🇺 Семь раз отмерь, один раз отрежь · 🇪🇸 Piensa antes de actuar · 🇫🇷 Réfléchir avant d'agirThink carefully about potential risks before taking action.
Be a fish out of water
🇷🇺 Быть не в своей тарелке · 🇪🇸 Estar como pez fuera del agua · 🇫🇷 Être comme un poisson hors de l’eauTo feel uncomfortable, awkward or out of place in an unfamiliar environment or social situation.
Call it a day
🇷🇺 Закругляться на сегодня · 🇪🇸 Dejarlo por hoy · 🇫🇷 En rester là pour aujourd'huiTo stop working on something for the rest of the day.
Hear through the grapevine
🇷🇺 Узнать по сарафанному радио · 🇪🇸 Enterarse por Radio Patio · 🇫🇷 De bouche à oreilleTo hear news through rumors or informal communication.
Browse by Category
Action & Decision
🇷🇺 Действия и решения · 🇪🇸 Acciones y decisiones · 🇫🇷 Actions et décisionsEnglish idioms and expressions about actions, decisions, choices, and taking action. Explore their meanings, examples, translations, and equivalents…
Communication
🇷🇺 Общение · 🇪🇸 Comunicación · 🇫🇷 CommunicationCommon English communication idioms with meanings, examples, and translations. Explore expressions about speaking, conversation, and social interaction.
Daily Expressions
🇷🇺 Повседневные выражения · 🇪🇸 Expresiones cotidianas · 🇫🇷 Expressions du quotidienEnglish idioms and expressions used in everyday communication. Explore their meanings, examples, translations, and equivalents in other languages.
Effort & Success
🇷🇺 Усилия и успех · 🇪🇸 Esfuerzo y éxito · 🇫🇷 Effort et réussiteEnglish idioms and expressions about effort, achievement, progress, and success. Explore their meanings, examples, translations, and equivalents in…
General Phrases
🇷🇺 Общие выражения · 🇪🇸 Expresiones generales · 🇫🇷 Expressions généralesCommon English idioms and expressions that cover a wide range of everyday situations. Explore their meanings, examples, translations,…
Luck & Chance
🇷🇺 Удача и случай · 🇪🇸 Suerte y azar · 🇫🇷 Chance et hasardEnglish idioms and expressions about luck, chance, fortune, and unexpected events. Explore their meanings, examples, translations, and equivalents…
Mind & Emotions
🇷🇺 Разум и эмоции · 🇪🇸 Mente y emociones · 🇫🇷 Esprit et émotionsEnglish idioms and expressions about thoughts, attitudes, emotions, and states of mind. Explore their meanings, examples, translations, and…
Money & Cost
🇷🇺 Деньги и расходы · 🇪🇸 Dinero y costes · 🇫🇷 Argent et coûtsEnglish idioms and expressions about money, prices, costs, wealth, and spending. Explore their meanings, examples, translations, and equivalents…
Nature & World
🇷🇺 Природа и мир · 🇪🇸 Naturaleza y mundo · 🇫🇷 Nature et mondeEnglish idioms and expressions inspired by nature, the world, animals, and the environment. Explore their meanings, examples, translations,…
Secrecy & Secrets
🇷🇺 Тайны и секреты · 🇪🇸 Secretos y confidencialidad · 🇫🇷 Secrets et confidentialitéEnglish idioms and expressions about secrets, secrecy, hidden information, and keeping things private. Explore their meanings, examples, translations,…
Social Interactions
🇷🇺 Социальные взаимодействия · 🇪🇸 Interacciones sociales · 🇫🇷 Interactions socialesEnglish idioms and expressions about relationships, communication, social situations, and interactions with others. Explore their meanings, examples, translations,…
Time & Action
🇷🇺 Время и действия · 🇪🇸 Tiempo y acción · 🇫🇷 Temps et actionEnglish idioms and expressions about time, timing, actions, and getting things done. Explore their meanings, examples, translations, and…
Time & Change
🇷🇺 Время и перемены · 🇪🇸 Tiempo y cambio · 🇫🇷 Temps et changementEnglish idioms and expressions about time, change, transformation, and the passage of time. Explore their meanings, examples, translations,…
Weather & Nature
🇷🇺 Погода и природа · 🇪🇸 Tiempo y naturaleza · 🇫🇷 Météo et natureEnglish idioms and expressions related to weather, nature, seasons, and natural phenomena. Explore their meanings, examples, translations, and…
Work & Business
🇷🇺 Работа и бизнес · 🇪🇸 Trabajo y negocios · 🇫🇷 Travail et affairesEnglish idioms and expressions about work, business, careers, professional relationships, and workplace situations. Explore their meanings, examples, translations,…
Latest Idioms
Have your hands tied
🇷🇺 Быть связанным по рукам и ногам · 🇪🇸 Tener las manos atadas · 🇫🇷 Avoir les mains liéesTo be unable to act freely because rules, obligations or circumstances restrict your options.
Keep your head above water
🇷🇺 Держаться на плаву · 🇪🇸 Mantenerse a flote · 🇫🇷 Garder la tête hors de l’eauTo manage to survive or cope, especially financially, despite difficulties; to avoid being overwhelmed.
Throw someone a curveball
🇷🇺 Подкинуть задачку · 🇪🇸 Pillar a alguien desprevenido · 🇫🇷 Prendre quelqu’un à contre-piedTo confront someone with an unexpected challenge, question or change that disrupts their expectations or plans.
Get something off your chest
🇷🇺 Снять камень с души · 🇪🇸 Quitarse un peso de encima · 🇫🇷 Vider son sacTo express a thought, worry or confession that has been troubling you, so that you feel relieved.
Hit a nerve
🇷🇺 Задеть за живое · 🇪🇸 Tocar la fibra sensible · 🇫🇷 Toucher un point sensibleTo say or do something that provokes a strong emotional reaction because it touches a sensitive or painful subject.
Take the plunge
🇷🇺 Решиться на смелый шаг · 🇪🇸 Tirarse a la piscina · 🇫🇷 Se jeter à l’eauTo finally decide to do something important or risky after hesitation, especially when the outcome is uncertain.
Put a damper on something
🇷🇺 Омрачить что-либо · 🇪🇸 Echar un jarro de agua fría · 🇫🇷 Jeter un froidTo reduce enthusiasm, enjoyment or optimism surrounding an event, plan or situation.
Pull the rug out from under someone
🇷🇺 Выбить почву из-под ног · 🇪🇸 Dejar a alguien sin suelo bajo los pies · 🇫🇷 Couper l’herbe sous le pied de quelqu’unTo suddenly remove someone’s support, security or opportunity, leaving them shocked or unable to proceed as expected.
Get the ball rolling
🇷🇺 Дать делу ход · 🇪🇸 Poner algo en marcha · 🇫🇷 Mettre la machine en marcheTo start an activity or process, especially one that will involve other people or continue through several stages.
Jump through hoops
🇷🇺 Лезть из кожи вон · 🇪🇸 Pasar por el aro · 🇫🇷 Faire des pieds et des mainsTo perform numerous difficult, inconvenient or seemingly pointless tasks demanded by someone else in order to obtain something. The idiom often conveys frustration with excessive requirements, bureaucracy or an authority that keeps setting obstacles.
Stick to your guns
🇷🇺 Стоять на своём · 🇪🇸 Mantenerse en sus trece · 🇫🇷 Camper sur ses positionsTo refuse to change your opinion, decision or principles despite pressure or criticism.
Sweep something under the rug
🇷🇺 Замалчивать проблему · 🇪🇸 Esconder la basura debajo de la alfombra · 🇫🇷 Mettre quelque chose sous le tapisConceal or deliberately ignore a problem, mistake or wrongdoing instead of addressing it openly. The hidden issue remains unresolved.
Why Are English Idioms Important?
Idioms are an essential part of natural English. You will hear them in everyday conversations, movies, podcasts, books, news, and social media. Even when you know every word in a sentence, an idiom can still change its meaning completely.
Idioms Help You Understand Real English
Knowing individual words is not always enough to understand what someone means. Expressions like spill the beans or under the weather have meanings that cannot be guessed from the words alone. Learning common idioms helps you understand native speakers more easily and avoid confusion.
Idioms Make Your English More Natural
Idioms are also a way to make your own English sound more natural and expressive. Instead of always describing an idea literally, you can use the expressions that English speakers commonly use in real conversations and writing.
Idioms Reflect Culture and History
Many idioms come from everyday life, historical events, literature, occupations, traditions, and cultural habits. Understanding where an expression comes from can make its meaning easier to remember — and gives you a glimpse into the culture behind the language.
Learning Idioms Across Languages
An idiom becomes even more interesting when you discover how the same idea is expressed in another language. A literal translation may sound strange or unnatural, while another language may have its own expression with a similar meaning. Akcento helps you discover these natural equivalents and see how different languages express the same ideas in their own way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Akcento?
Akcento is a multilingual idiom dictionary. Each entry shows an English idiom together with its natural equivalents in Russian, Spanish and French, along with meaning, origin and example sentences.
Why aren't the translations literal?
Idioms rarely translate word for word — “it’s raining cats and dogs” has nothing to do with animals in Russian or Spanish. Instead of literal translations, we match idioms across languages by meaning.
How can I find an idiom?
Use the search bar at the top of any page, or browse all idioms by category or by first letter on the All Idioms page.
Is Akcento free?
Yes, Akcento is free to browse.