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.

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Action & Decision

🇷🇺 Действия и решения · 🇪🇸 Acciones y decisiones · 🇫🇷 Actions et décisions

English idioms and expressions about actions, decisions, choices, and taking action. Explore their meanings, examples, translations, and equivalents…

Art & Theater

Behavior & Habits

Communication

🇷🇺 Общение · 🇪🇸 Comunicación · 🇫🇷 Communication

Common English communication idioms with meanings, examples, and translations. Explore expressions about speaking, conversation, and social interaction.

Courage & Fear

Daily Expressions

🇷🇺 Повседневные выражения · 🇪🇸 Expresiones cotidianas · 🇫🇷 Expressions du quotidien

English 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 réussite

English idioms and expressions about effort, achievement, progress, and success. Explore their meanings, examples, translations, and equivalents in…

Emotion & Feelings

Failure & Success

Family & Life

Feelings & Surprise

General Phrases

🇷🇺 Общие выражения · 🇪🇸 Expresiones generales · 🇫🇷 Expressions générales

Common English idioms and expressions that cover a wide range of everyday situations. Explore their meanings, examples, translations,…

Health & Wellbeing

Ideas & Mind

Life & Actions

Life & Death

Life & Luck

Life & News

Luck & Chance

🇷🇺 Удача и случай · 🇪🇸 Suerte y azar · 🇫🇷 Chance et hasard

English idioms and expressions about luck, chance, fortune, and unexpected events. Explore their meanings, examples, translations, and equivalents…

Luck & Wish

Mind & Emotions

🇷🇺 Разум и эмоции · 🇪🇸 Mente y emociones · 🇫🇷 Esprit et émotions

English 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 coûts

English 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 monde

English idioms and expressions inspired by nature, the world, animals, and the environment. Explore their meanings, examples, translations,…

Relationships & Emotions

Relationships & People

Secrecy & Secrets

🇷🇺 Тайны и секреты · 🇪🇸 Secretos y confidencialidad · 🇫🇷 Secrets et confidentialité

English idioms and expressions about secrets, secrecy, hidden information, and keeping things private. Explore their meanings, examples, translations,…

Self-Control & Feelings

Shopping & Cost

Size & Quantity

Social Interactions

🇷🇺 Социальные взаимодействия · 🇪🇸 Interacciones sociales · 🇫🇷 Interactions sociales

English 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 action

English 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 changement

English idioms and expressions about time, change, transformation, and the passage of time. Explore their meanings, examples, translations,…

Wealth & Money

Weather & Nature

🇷🇺 Погода и природа · 🇪🇸 Tiempo y naturaleza · 🇫🇷 Météo et nature

English 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 affaires

English idioms and expressions about work, business, careers, professional relationships, and workplace situations. Explore their meanings, examples, translations,…

Latest Idioms

Leave someone in the lurch

🇷🇺 Бросить на произвол судьбы · 🇪🇸 Dejar a alguien en la estacada · 🇫🇷 Laisser quelqu’un en plan

Abandon someone when they are in trouble or depending on your help, leaving them to face a difficult situation alone.

Throw your weight around

🇷🇺 Качать права · 🇪🇸 Abusar de su autoridad · 🇫🇷 Jouer les gros bras

Use your authority, status, influence or physical presence aggressively to get your way, especially when you have no right to intimidate others.

Sweep something under the rug

🇷🇺 Замалчивать проблему · 🇪🇸 Esconder la basura debajo de la alfombra · 🇫🇷 Mettre quelque chose sous le tapis

Conceal or deliberately ignore a problem, mistake or wrongdoing instead of addressing it openly. The hidden issue remains unresolved.

Get a second wind

🇷🇺 Обрести второе дыхание · 🇪🇸 Cobrar nuevos bríos · 🇫🇷 Retrouver un second souffle

Regain energy, strength or motivation after becoming tired, especially while continuing a demanding activity.

Get your ducks in a row

🇷🇺 Привести дела в порядок · 🇪🇸 Poner todo en orden · 🇫🇷 Mettre de l’ordre dans ses affaires

Organize your plans, resources or responsibilities so everything is ready and properly coordinated before acting.

Put your money where your mouth is

🇷🇺 Подкрепить слова делом · 🇪🇸 Pasar de las palabras a los hechos · 🇫🇷 Joindre le geste à la parole

Back up what you say with concrete action, commitment or resources, especially when words alone are easy. The expression can involve actual money but often refers more broadly to taking responsibility.

Go through the motions

🇷🇺 Делать для галочки · 🇪🇸 Hacer algo por cumplir · 🇫🇷 Faire les choses machinalement

Perform the expected actions mechanically or without genuine interest, commitment or engagement. The outward routine continues even though the person’s heart is not in it.

Keep someone at arm’s length

🇷🇺 Держать на расстоянии · 🇪🇸 Mantener a alguien a distancia · 🇫🇷 Tenir quelqu’un à distance

Maintain emotional or social distance from someone, avoiding excessive closeness, familiarity or trust. The distance is usually deliberate rather than accidental.

Get a taste of your own medicine

🇷🇺 Получить той же монетой · 🇪🇸 Probar de su propia medicina · 🇫🇷 Être payé de sa propre monnaie

To experience the same unpleasant treatment that you have previously given to others. The expression stresses reversal and poetic justice rather than simply learning from personal experience.

Turn a blind eye

🇷🇺 Закрывать глаза на что-то · 🇪🇸 Hacer la vista gorda · 🇫🇷 Fermer les yeux sur quelque chose

To deliberately ignore something wrong, unpleasant or inconvenient despite being aware of it. Often implies a conscious decision not to intervene.

Take the wind out of someone’s sails

🇷🇺 Выбить почву из-под ног · 🇪🇸 Dejar a alguien sin argumentos · 🇫🇷 Couper l’herbe sous le pied de quelqu’un

To weaken someone’s confidence, enthusiasm or advantage, often by saying or doing something unexpected that undermines their momentum.

Be a fish out of water

🇷🇺 Быть не в своей тарелке · 🇪🇸 Estar como pez fuera del agua · 🇫🇷 Être comme un poisson hors de l’eau

To feel uncomfortable, awkward or out of place in an unfamiliar environment or social situation.

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.