What are Idioms for IELTS Speaking?
Idioms for IELTS Speaking are expressions that don't mean what they say. They're used in everyday conversation to add flavour and interest to what you're saying. Think of them like spices in your language - they can make your speech more engaging and fun!
For instance, if someone says they're "feeling under the weather," they don't mean they're literally under the weather. They're just saying they don't feel well.
When you're taking the IELTS Speaking test, the examiners are listening for how well you can use this kind of idiomatic language. That is why using them in IELTS can help you to achieve a higher band score.
Why Use?
Using idioms can really spice up your language and make it more engaging. They help you sound more natural and fluent in English, which is especially handy for the IELTS Speaking test.
So, why should you use idioms when speaking in IELTS?
- Using idioms correctly shows that you have a strong command of the English language. It's a great way to showcase your ability to use the language creatively and effectively.
- Idioms often carry meanings that are deeper than their literal words suggest. When you use these in your IELTS Speaking test, you can present your ideas more clearly and persuasively to the examiner. While they might be tricky at first, but with practice, you'll get the hang of even the toughest ones.
- The IELTS speaking test assesses your "lexical resource," which means your vocabulary range. Using idioms can demonstrate that you have a rich vocabulary, which can help boost your band score.
That's why it's crucial to grasp the meaning of idioms and how to use them.
How to Use Idioms: A Beginner’s Guide?
Before you use idioms in your language, It's important to ensure that they are appropriate and used in the correct context. Using them incorrectly can affect your fluency and score.
Here are some ways how you can use idioms for IELTS speaking:
- Don't overdo it: Using idioms strategically is great, but using them too much can come across as unnatural and even annoying. You don't want to give the wrong impression to your examiner!
- Get your verb tenses right: Some idioms use irregular verbs like "gotten" or "drove", so make sure you adjust them according to the tense you're using. Otherwise, it'll be out of context.
- Avoid cliches: Using super common idioms can give the impression that you didn't prepare well. Instead, try to come up with more original sentence structures.
- Context is key: Make sure the idioms you use fit the conversation. Don't force them in where they don't belong! Just be sure to use them in context and appropriately, or it might sound like you're trying too hard.
Now, let’s look at the list of common idioms for IELTS speaking.
List of 100 Best Idioms for IELTS Speaking
Idioms are an important part of the English language. They can make your speaking sound more natural. Just ensure not to overuse or use them incorrectly, as it could impact your score.
The list covers 100 of the most common and useful idioms for the IELTS speaking test.
Idiom | Meaning | Example |
| A blessing in disguise | Something good that isn't recognised at first | Losing that job was a blessing in disguise. |
| A dime a dozen | Something common and not special | Souvenirs are a dime a dozen in tourist areas. |
| Beat around the bush | Avoid saying what you mean, usually because it is uncomfortable | Stop beating around the bush, and tell me what you really think. |
| Better late than never | It's better to do something late than not do it at all | She finally turned in her assignment; better late than never. |
| Bite the bullet | To get something over with because it is inevitable | I'll just bite the bullet and get my wisdom teeth removed. |
| Break a leg | Good luck | Break a leg at your performance tonight! |
| Call it a day | Stop working on something | I'm tired; let's call it a day. |
| Cut somebody some slack | Don't be so critical | Cut him some slack; he's having a rough week. |
| Cutting corners | Doing something poorly in order to save time or money | He got into trouble at work for cutting corners on the safety checks. |
| Easy does it | Slow down | Easy does it! There's no need to rush. |
| Get out of hand | Get out of control | The party got out of hand, and the police were called. |
| Get your act together | Work better or leave | You need to get your act together if you want to stay employed. |
| Give someone the benefit of the doubt | Trust what someone says | I don't think he meant to hurt you; give him the benefit of the doubt. |
| Hang in there | Don't give up | I know it's tough, but hang in there. |
| Hit the sack | Go to sleep | I'm exhausted; I'm going to hit the sack. |
| It's not rocket science | It's not complicated | Just follow the instructions; it's not rocket science. |
| Let someone off the hook | To not hold someone responsible for something | She let him off the hook for breaking the vase. |
| Make a long story short | Tell something briefly | To make a long story short, we missed the flight. |
| Miss the boat | It's too late | I forgot to apply for the job, and now I've missed the boat. |
| No pain, no gain | You have to work for what you want | No pain, no gain if you want to build muscle. |
| On the ball | Doing a good job | She's really on the ball with her project. |
| Pull someone's leg | To joke with someone | Relax, I'm just pulling your leg. |
| Pull yourself together | Calm down | Pull yourself together and tell me what happened. |
| So far so good | Things are going well so far | The project isn't finished yet, but so far so good. |
| Speak of the devil | The person we were just talking about showed up | Speak of the devil; there he is now. |
| The best of both worlds | An ideal situation | She has the best of both worlds: a great career and a happy family. |
| Time flies when you're having fun | Time seems to pass quickly during enjoyable activities | I can't believe it's already midnight. Time flies when you're having fun. |
| To get bent out of shape | To get upset | Don't get bent out of shape about the new rules. |
| To make matters worse | Make a problem worse | I was late and to make matters worse, I forgot my keys. |
| Under the weather | Not feeling well | I'm feeling a bit under the weather today. |
| We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. | Deal with a problem if and when it becomes necessary | We don't need to decide now; we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. |
| Wrap your head around something | Understand something complicated | It's hard to wrap my head around these new regulations. |
| You can say that again | That's true; I agree | This weather is awful! You can say that again. |
| Your guess is as good as mine | I have no idea | When will we get the results? Your guess is as good as mine. |
| A perfect storm | The worst possible situation | It was a perfect storm of bad luck and poor planning. |
| Break the ice | Make people feel more comfortable | The joke helped to break the ice at the meeting. |
| Costs an arm and a leg | Very expensive | The new car costs an arm and a leg. |
| Hit the nail on the head | Do or say something exactly right | You hit the nail on the head with your analysis. |
| Let the cat out of the bag | Reveal a secret | She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party. |
| On thin ice | In a risky situation | You're on thin ice with your boss after being late again. |
| Once in a blue moon | Very rarely | We only see each other once in a blue moon. |
| The ball is in your court | It's your decision or responsibility to do something | I've done my part; now the ball is in your court. |
| The last straw | The final problem in a series of problems | Her rude comment was the last straw. |
| Through thick and thin | Through good times and bad times | They've stayed together through thick and thin. |
| To add insult to injury | To make a bad situation worse | He was late, and then, to add insult to injury, he forgot his keys. |
| A penny for your thoughts | Asking someone what they are thinking | You seem quiet. A penny for your thoughts? |
| Actions speak louder than words | What you do is more important than what you say | Actions speak louder than words, so show me you care. |
| Barking up the wrong tree | Looking in the wrong place, accusing the wrong person | If you think I took it, you're barking up the wrong tree. |
| Burn the midnight oil | Work late into the night | She burned the midnight oil to finish her report. |
| Hit the road | To leave | It's time to hit the road before traffic gets bad. |
| A piece of cake | Very easy | The test was a piece of cake. |
| Back to square one | Start over | We failed, so it's back to square one. |
| Bite off more than you can chew | Take on more than you can handle | He bit off more than he could chew by accepting two jobs. |
| Break the bank | Spend all your money | The vacation will break the bank if we stay in a luxury hotel. |
| Bring home the bacon | To earn a living | He works hard to bring home the bacon. |
| Burn bridges | Destroy relationships | Don't burn bridges by being rude. |
| Call it a night | Stop working for the evening | Let's call it a night and finish tomorrow. |
| Cross that bridge when you come to it | Deal with a problem when it arises | We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. |
| Cry over spilled milk | Complain about a loss from the past | There's no use crying over spilled milk. |
| Curiosity killed the cat | Being inquisitive can lead to trouble | Be careful with your questions; curiosity killed the cat. |
| Devil's advocate | Argue for the sake of it | I'll play devil's advocate and question your assumptions. |
| Down in the dumps | Feeling sad or depressed | He's been down in the dumps since he lost his job. |
| Draw the line | Set a limit | We need to draw the line at disruptive behaviour. |
| Elephant in the room | An obvious problem that's being ignored | We need to address the elephant in the room. |
| Every cloud has a silver lining | There's something good in every bad situation | After losing his job, he found a better one. Every cloud has a silver lining. |
| Feeling under the weather | Feeling ill | I'm feeling a bit under the weather today. |
| Go the extra mile | Make an extra effort | She's always willing to go the extra mile for her friends. |
| Hit the books | Study hard | I need to hit the books if I want to pass my exams. |
| In the same boat | In the same situation | We're all in the same boat regarding the budget cuts. |
| It takes two to tango | Both parties involved in a situation are responsible | Don't blame him entirely; it takes two to tango. |
| Jump on the bandwagon | Join a popular activity or trend | She jumped on the bandwagon and started yoga. |
| Keep your chin up | Stay positive | Keep your chin up, and things will get better. |
| Leave no stone unturned | Search thoroughly | We'll leave no stone unturned to find a solution. |
| Let sleeping dogs lie | Don't disturb a situation as it is | Let's not discuss that issue again; let sleeping dogs lie. |
| Make a mountain out of a molehill | Exaggerate a small problem | She's making a mountain out of a molehill with this issue. |
| On cloud nine | Extremely happy | She was on cloud nine after getting the job. |
| Out of the blue | Unexpectedly | She called me out of the blue. |
| Play it by ear | Decide as you go | Let's play it by ear and see what happens. |
| Rain on someone's parade | Ruin someone's plans | Don't rain on my parade with your negativity. |
| Rome wasn't built in a day | Great things take time | Be patient; Rome wasn't built in a day. |
| See eye to eye | Agree | We don't always see eye to eye on everything. |
| Sit on the fence | Remain neutral | He's sitting on the fence and won't take sides. |
| Sleep on it | Think about something before making a decision | Let me sleep on it, and I'll give you an answer tomorrow. |
| Spill the beans | Reveal a secret | She spilled the beans about the surprise party. |
| Steal someone's thunder | Take credit for someone else's achievements | He stole my thunder by announcing the news first. |
| Stick to your guns | Maintain your position | Despite the criticism, he stuck to his guns. |
| Straight from the horse's mouth | From a reliable source | I heard it straight from the horse's mouth. |
| Take it with a grain of salt | Don't take it too seriously | Take his advice with a grain of salt. |
| The early bird catches the worm | Success comes to those who prepare well | She always gets up early; the early bird catches the worm. |
| The whole nine yards | Everything, all the way | She went the whole nine yards for her wedding. |
| Throw in the towel | Give up | He threw in the towel after a tough match. |
| Turn a blind eye | Ignore something | The manager turned a blind eye to the minor infraction. |
| Under the radar | Not getting attention | The new policy change went under the radar. |
| Up in the air | Uncertain | The decision is still up in the air. |
| Water under the bridge | Something in the past that is no longer important | Let's forget about our disagreement; it's water under the bridge. |
| When pigs fly | Never | He'll clean his room when pigs fly. |
| You can't judge a book by its cover | Don't judge by appearances | She may seem quiet, but you can't judge a book by its cover. |
| Your call | Your decision | It's your call whether we stay or leave. |
How to use Idioms for IELTS Speaking?
Using idioms in the IELTS Speaking test can make your responses sound more natural and fluent. Choose idioms that fit the context and are commonly used. Practice using them correctly in sentences to ensure they enhance your answer, but avoid overusing or forcing them into your speech.
Mentioned below are some of the sample answers where idioms are used in IELTS Speaking:
Cue card topic: Describe a time when you helped someone
Sample Answer
Introduction:
- I helped a friend prepare for an important exam a few months ago.
Describing Your Experience:
- She was struggling with her notes, and I decided to assist her because I’ve always believed in the saying, “a friend in need is a friend indeed.” We studied together for a week, and I explained the concepts she found difficult.
Key Highlights:
- It was a bit challenging at first, but I felt it was “worth its weight in gold” when she finally understood the material. She later told me she passed the exam, which made me incredibly happy.
Conclusion:
- Helping her not only strengthened our friendship but also gave me a sense of fulfilment.
Here are the meanings of the idioms used in the sample answer:
- A friend in need is a friend indeed: This means a true friend is someone who helps and supports you when you are in trouble or need assistance.
- Worth its weight in gold: This means something is extremely valuable or rewarding, either literally or figuratively. In the sample, it implies that the effort put into helping the friend was highly rewarding when she understood the concepts and succeeded.
Top 20 Phrasal Verbs to Help You for the IELTS Speaking Exam
Phrasal verbs are tricky combinations of verbs followed by prepositions or adverbs that native speakers use frequently. They make your speech sound more natural and less formal, which can really help boost your score on the IELTS speaking test. So, it’s definitely worth practising and using them correctly in relevant parts during the test.
Check out this list of 20 phrasal verbs to help you prepare for the IELTS Speaking Exam.
Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
| Break down | Stop functioning (usually machinery) | My car broke down on the way to work. |
| Bring up | Mention a topic | She brought up the issue during the meeting. |
| Call off | Cancel | They called off the wedding due to unforeseen circumstances. |
| Carry on | Continue doing something | Despite the interruption, he carried on with his presentation. |
| Come across | Find unexpectedly | I came across an old friend at the mall yesterday. |
| Find out | Discover | I need to find out what time the movie starts. |
| Get along | Have a good relationship | They get along well with each other. |
| Give up | Stop trying | He gave up smoking last year. |
| Go on | Continue | Please go on with your story. |
| Look after | Take care of | She looks after her younger brother. |
| Look forward to | Anticipate with pleasure | I look forward to meeting you. |
| Make up | Invent, lie about something | She made up a story to cover her absence. |
| Pick up | Collect or lift | I need to pick up my dry cleaning. |
| Put off | Postpone | We had to put off the meeting until next week. |
| Run into | Meet unexpectedly | I ran into my teacher at the supermarket. |
| Set up | Arrange, organise | They set up a new company last year. |
| Take after | Resemble a family member | He takes after his mother in looks. |
| Take off | Remove (clothing) | Please take off your shoes before entering. |
| Turn down | Reject | She turned down the job offer. |
| Turn up | Appear or arrive | He turned up late to the party. |
To know more such vocabulary words, click here.
Difference between IELTS Idioms and Phrases
Both idioms and phrases are important for the IELTS Speaking test.
Idioms can add creative and engaging aspects to your language, making your speech more engaging and interesting. On the other hand, phrases are essential for clear and effective communication.
Let’s understand the difference between the IELTS Idioms and Phrases.
Tips to Practice Idioms for IELTS Speaking Effectively
Idioms can be tricky to use correctly. You need to understand what they mean, how to use them in context, and how to pronounce them correctly.
1. Accuracy matters: Idioms are expressions that can totally change what you're trying to say—if you use them in a right way. But if you get them wrong, it can be confusing.
Make sure you understand the meaning of each idiom before using it in your IELTS Speaking test. Don't just memorise - learn how to use them in context!
2. Use Suitable idioms: Using idioms is all about appropriateness. You don't want to use a formal idiom in a casual conversation or vice versa. Ensure you're using the right idioms for the right situation, and don't force them in where they don't belong.
It's all about sounding natural and fluent! Practice using idioms in various contexts to ensure you can use them effectively during the IELTS speaking test.
3. Pronounce correctly: This is where a lot of people trip up - they know the idiom, but they're not sure how to pronounce it. Some of these idioms can sound a bit tricky if you're not used to them.
It's worth practising saying them out loud; maybe record yourself and play it back.
Practise your pronunciation so that you can use idioms confidently and clearly.
4. Read and listen to idioms regularly: To get more familiar with idioms, you can watch TV shows or read scripts, articles, or books that people use frequently. Also, listen to English podcasts to hear how native speakers use idioms in everyday conversation.
5. Practice: Remember, practice makes perfect! The more you practise using idioms, the more natural they'll sound in your speaking test.
Also Read: IELTS Speaking Practice Test
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