idiom vocabulary

Idioms about Life

Use idioms selectively and in the right register. Meaning, context, and tone matter more than quantity.

Featured word or expression

a new lease on life

Definition: a chance to live with renewed energy or purpose

Example: “The treatment gave him a new lease on life.”

Word forms and grammar

fixed noun phrase

Synonyms and close meanings

fresh start, renewed vitality

Related vocabulary

Learn these words as a connected set, then write one original sentence with each item.

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Complete learning list

42 words and expressions

Definitions, examples, and audio pronunciation

01 · idiom

a new lease on life

Definition: a chance to live with renewed energy or purpose

Example: “The treatment gave him a new lease on life.”

Forms: fixed noun phrase

Synonyms: fresh start, renewed vitality

02 · idiom · Home & Family

Bring home the bacon

Definition: To earn money to support your family.

Example: “My father works two jobs to bring home the bacon.”

03 · idiom · Home & Family

Like father, like son

Definition: A son tends to be similar to his father.

Example: “He's a doctor just like his dad. Like father, like son.”

04 · idiom · Home & Family

Blood is thicker than water

Definition: Family relationships are stronger than other relationships.

Example: “Even though we argue, we always support each other. Blood is thicker than water.”

05 · idiom · Home & Family

Home sweet home

Definition: A feeling of comfort and happiness when you arrive home.

Example: “After a long trip, it's great to be back. Home sweet home!”

06 · idiom · Home & Family

Keep it in the family

Definition: To keep something private within the family.

Example: “Let's keep this issue in the family and not discuss it with outsiders.”

07 · idiom · Home & Family

A chip off the old block

Definition: Someone who is very similar to their parent.

Example: “She's a great artist, just like her mother. A chip off the old block.”

08 · idiom · Home & Family

Close to home

Definition: Affecting you personally or emotionally.

Example: “That criticism hit close to home.”

09 · idiom · Home & Family

Make yourself at home

Definition: To make yourself comfortable in someone else's house.

Example: “Please sit down and make yourself at home.”

10 · idiom · Home & Family

A home away from home

Definition: A place where you feel comfortable and welcome.

Example: “This coffee shop has become my home away from home.”

11 · idiom · Home & Family

Wear the pants

Definition: To be the person in charge in a relationship or family.

Example: “In their household, she wears the pants.”

12 · idiom · Home & Family

Born with a silver spoon in one's mouth

Definition: Born into a wealthy family.

Example: “He never had to work hard; he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.”

13 · idiom · Success & Failure

Strike gold

Definition: To have a great success or find something valuable.

Example: “The company struck gold with their new app; it became an instant hit.”

14 · idiom · Success & Failure

Make it big

Definition: To become very successful.

Example: “She moved to Hollywood hoping to make it big as an actress.”

15 · idiom · Success & Failure

Shoot for the stars

Definition: To set high or ambitious goals.

Example: “Don't be afraid to shoot for the stars; you can achieve anything you set your mind to.”

16 · idiom · Success & Failure

Go down like a lead balloon

Definition: To be unsuccessful or badly received.

Example: “My suggestion to work on weekends went down like a lead balloon.”

17 · idiom · Success & Failure

Dead in the water

Definition: Something that has failed and has no chance of success.

Example: “Without funding, the project is dead in the water.”

18 · idiom · Success & Failure

Fall flat

Definition: To fail completely; to not have the intended effect.

Example: “His joke fell flat; nobody laughed.”

19 · idiom · Success & Failure

Come up trumps

Definition: To succeed unexpectedly or to be very helpful.

Example: “I was worried about finding accommodation, but my friend came up trumps and offered me a place to stay.”

20 · idiom · Success & Failure

Make the grade

Definition: To reach a required or expected standard.

Example: “He worked hard, but he didn't make the grade for the national team.”

21 · idiom · Success & Failure

Fly high

Definition: To be very successful.

Example: “After winning the award, his career is really flying high.”

22 · idiom · Success & Failure

Crash and burn

Definition: To fail spectacularly and completely.

Example: “His business idea crashed and burned within the first year.”

23 · idiom · Success & Failure

Come a cropper

Definition: To fail badly or have an accident.

Example: “They came a cropper when the market suddenly changed.”

24 · idiom · Success & Failure

Hit the jackpot

Definition: To have great success or luck, especially in making money.

Example: “They hit the jackpot when they invested in that startup.”

25 · idiom · Success & Failure

Go belly up

Definition: To fail or go bankrupt.

Example: “The restaurant went belly up after only six months.”

26 · idiom · Success & Failure

Climb the ladder

Definition: To advance in one's career or social position.

Example: “She's been steadily climbing the corporate ladder for ten years.”

27 · idiom · Success & Failure

Reach for the sky

Definition: To aim for great success; to be very ambitious.

Example: “With your talent and determination, you should reach for the sky.”

28 · idiom · Relationships & Friendship

Fair-weather friend

Definition: Someone who is your friend only when things are going well.

Example: “When I lost my job, I learned who my fair-weather friends were.”

29 · idiom · Relationships & Friendship

Birds of a feather flock together

Definition: People with similar interests or characteristics tend to associate with each other.

Example: “They're both artists, so naturally they became friends. Birds of a feather flock together.”

30 · idiom · Relationships & Friendship

Bury the hatchet

Definition: To make peace; to end a disagreement.

Example: “After years of fighting, they finally buried the hatchet.”

31 · idiom · Relationships & Friendship

Get along like a house on fire

Definition: To have a very good, friendly relationship.

Example: “My sister and my girlfriend got along like a house on fire from the moment they met.”

32 · idiom · Relationships & Friendship

Have a soft spot for someone

Definition: To have affection or fondness for someone.

Example: “She has a soft spot for stray animals and always tries to help them.”

33 · idiom · Relationships & Friendship

Stand by someone

Definition: To support someone during a difficult time.

Example: “She stood by him throughout his illness.”

34 · idiom · Relationships & Friendship

Hit it off

Definition: To get along very well with someone immediately.

Example: “We hit it off right away and became best friends.”

35 · idiom · Relationships & Friendship

At each other's throats

Definition: Fighting or arguing constantly.

Example: “Those two have been at each other's throats all week.”

36 · idiom · Relationships & Friendship

Rub someone the wrong way

Definition: To irritate or annoy someone.

Example: “His arrogant attitude really rubs me the wrong way.”

37 · idiom · Relationships & Friendship

Break someone's heart

Definition: To make someone very sad, especially by ending a romantic relationship.

Example: “She broke his heart when she moved to another country.”

38 · idiom · Relationships & Friendship

A shoulder to cry on

Definition: Someone who listens to your problems and comforts you.

Example: “After my breakup, my best friend was a shoulder to cry on.”

39 · idiom · Relationships & Friendship

Tie the knot

Definition: To get married.

Example: “They've been together for five years and finally decided to tie the knot.”

40 · idiom · Relationships & Friendship

Pop the question

Definition: To propose marriage.

Example: “He popped the question on their anniversary.”

41 · idiom · Relationships & Friendship

Third wheel

Definition: An extra person who feels left out when with a couple.

Example: “I felt like a third wheel when I went to dinner with them.”

42 · idiom · Relationships & Friendship

Part ways

Definition: To separate or end a relationship.

Example: “After ten years together, they decided to part ways.”

Quick vocabulary quiz

Which option is closest in meaning to a new lease on life?

How to remember and use this vocabulary

Say the featured word aloud, read its definition, and notice its role in the example sentence. Next, connect it to one synonym and one related word. Finally, write a sentence about your own experience. This sequence creates several retrieval paths and makes the vocabulary easier to use spontaneously.

Usage and accuracy

Check the word form before placing vocabulary in a sentence. Nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs occupy different grammatical positions. For phrasal verbs and idioms, learn the entire expression and its typical object pattern. Accurate, natural use is more valuable than forcing advanced vocabulary into every sentence.

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