All Idioms
Back to square one
Returning to the initial starting point after failure.
Back to the drawing board
To start planning something again because the previous plan failed.
Ball is in your court
It is your turn to make a decision or take action.
Barking up the wrong tree
Pursuing a mistaken line of thought or course of action.
Beat a dead horse
To waste effort on something that cannot be changed or resolved.
Beat around the bush
To avoid talking about what is important.
Beat the clock
To finish something before a time limit expires.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Perception of beauty is subjective.
Behind closed doors
Taking place privately without the public knowing.
Behind someone's back
Without someone's knowledge or consent.
Behind the scenes
Doing work out of public view.
Behind the times
Old-fashioned or not up to date.
Best of both worlds
All the advantages of two different situations at once.
Better late than never
It is better to do something late than not at all.
Better safe than sorry
It is wise to be cautious to avoid future regrets.
Birds of a feather flock together
People with similar characters or interests gather together.
Bite off more than you can chew
To take on a task that is way too big.
Bite the bullet
To face a difficult situation with courage.
Bite the dust
To fail, die, or be defeated.
Bite your tongue
To avoid saying something that might offend or cause trouble.
Blessing in disguise
Something that seems bad at first, but turns out to be good.
Blow off steam
To release built-up emotional tension.
Blow your mind
To amaze or shock someone greatly.
Born with a silver spoon in one's mouth
Born into a wealthy and privileged family.
English Idioms: Meaning, Usage and Equivalents
English idioms are expressions whose meaning cannot always be understood from the individual words they contain. Their meaning often depends on context, usage, and the situation in which they appear. Learning an idiom therefore means learning not only what it means, but also how and when it is used.
Understanding English Idioms
Meaning depends on context
An idiom can have a clear meaning in one situation but sound unnatural or inappropriate in another. Context helps determine whether an expression is suitable, how formal or informal it is, and what exactly the speaker intends to convey.
For this reason, idioms are best learned together with examples rather than as isolated definitions.
Literal meaning vs. figurative meaning
The literal meaning of an idiom’s words is often different from its actual meaning. Spill the beans, for example, is not about spilling beans; it means to reveal a secret. Understanding this distinction is essential when learning idiomatic English.
English Idioms and Their Equivalents in Other Languages
Why idioms are rarely translated word for word
Idioms are closely connected to the way each language expresses ideas. A literal translation may preserve the individual words while losing the meaning or producing an expression that native speakers would never use.
A natural equivalent can use completely different imagery while expressing essentially the same idea. This is why translating an idiom often requires finding an expression with the same function and meaning rather than translating its words.
Equivalent does not always mean identical
Some idioms have close equivalents in another language: they may use similar imagery or have a comparable structure. Others share only the underlying meaning.
Akcento distinguishes between these cases rather than treating every equivalent as an exact match. The difference can be useful for understanding how languages express the same ideas in different ways.
How to Learn English Idioms Effectively
Idioms are easier to remember when learned in context. Pay attention to example sentences, the situations in which an expression is normally used, and whether it is formal, informal, humorous, old-fashioned, or specific to a particular context.
It is also useful to compare an English idiom with a natural equivalent in another language. The comparison can reveal both similarities and differences in the way languages express the same idea.
Explore the Idiom Collection
Browse the complete collection of English idioms by category or initial letter. Each entry includes the meaning, origin, example sentences, and natural equivalents in Russian, Spanish, and French.