Effort & Success
Jump through hoops
To 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.
Get a second wind
Regain energy, strength or motivation after becoming tired, especially while continuing a demanding activity.
Put your money where your mouth is
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.
Have your work cut out for you
To 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.
Be in over your head
To be involved in a task or situation that is too difficult, demanding or complicated for your abilities or experience; to be overwhelmed.
A tough nut to crack
A difficult problem to solve or a person who is hard to understand, persuade or defeat. The expression suggests that the challenge resists ordinary efforts and may require persistence or ingenuity.
Hit the spot
To satisfy a strong need or desire.
Beat the clock
To finish something before a time limit expires.
Out of the woods
Out of danger or difficulty.
Down to the wire
Until the very last moment.
At the eleventh hour
At the last possible moment.
Feather in one's cap
An achievement that one can be proud of.
Raise the bar
To raise standards or expectations.
Learn the ropes
To learn how to perform a job or task correctly.
Go above and beyond
To do more than what is expected or required.
Keep your nose to the grindstone
To work hard continuously.
Lose your touch
To no longer have the skill you used to have.
Keep it up
To continue doing something well.
No pain, no gain
You have to work hard to achieve something.
Back to square one
Returning to the initial starting point after failure.
On the ball
Alert, quick to understand and react.
You hit the nail on the head
You identified a problem or situation exactly right.
Worth one's weight in gold
Extremely valuable or useful.
Weather the storm
To survive a dangerous or difficult situation.
English Idioms for Effort and Success
English has many idioms for talking about hard work, persistence, achievement, and the results of sustained effort. Some describe putting in a great deal of work, while others express determination, progress, success, or finally achieving a desired result.
The Effort & Success category brings together expressions used when people work toward a goal, overcome difficulties, make progress, or succeed after putting in the necessary effort.
Idioms About Hard Work and Effort
English idioms can describe working hard, putting energy into something, making an effort, or continuing to work despite difficulties.
These expressions often convey more than the simple idea of effort. They can suggest persistence, determination, dedication, or the willingness to keep going when something is difficult.
Idioms About Achievement and Success
Other idioms focus on what happens after effort has been made: reaching a goal, achieving something important, getting a good result, or finally succeeding.
Some expressions emphasize the outcome, while others highlight the process that leads to it. Context helps determine which expression sounds most natural in a particular situation.
How Effort and Success Idioms Are Used
Idioms in this category can describe both successful and unsuccessful attempts. They may refer to persistence in the face of obstacles, gradual progress, a breakthrough, or the rewards of hard work.
Their tone can also vary. Some expressions are neutral, while others are informal, encouraging, humorous, or strongly positive. Example sentences show how these differences work in real usage.
Effort and Success Idioms in Other Languages
An English idiom about hard work or success may have a natural equivalent in Russian, Spanish, or French, but the equivalent may use a very different image.
Akcento compares idioms by meaning and usage rather than translating them word for word. This makes it possible to see how different languages describe effort, perseverance, achievement, and success in their own ways.
Explore Effort & Success Idioms
Browse the idioms in this category to discover English expressions related to hard work, persistence, progress, achievement, and success.
Frequently asked questions
What are effort and success idioms in English?
They are idiomatic expressions used to talk about hard work, persistence, progress, achievement, and reaching a desired result.
Which English idioms describe hard work?
English has idioms for working hard, making an effort, staying determined, and continuing despite difficulties. The appropriate expression depends on the context and the tone you want to convey.
Which English idioms describe success?
Success idioms can describe reaching a goal, achieving a result, overcoming difficulties, or benefiting from previous effort. Some focus on the achievement itself, while others emphasize the process behind it.
Do English idioms about effort and success have equivalents in other languages?
Often they do, but the natural equivalent may use completely different imagery. Akcento compares English idioms with natural equivalents in Russian, Spanish, and French rather than relying on literal translations.