Dictionary of English Idioms: Vocabulary Building

Manik Joshi

Oct 2014 · English Word Power Book 18 · Manik Joshi

About this ebook

Useful English Idioms and their meanings in simple words | Alphabetical list of English Idioms

 

Sample this:

 

Useful English Idioms -- A

 

Aback

be taken aback -- to be shocked

 

Abeyance

in abeyance -- postponed

 

Above

above all -- most of all

 

Abreast

keep abreast of -- to know the latest update

 

Abstract

in the abstract -- generally

 

Abundance

in abundance -- in great amounts or quantities

 

Accident

by accident -- unintentionally

 

Accompaniment

to the accompaniment of -- in the addition of something else

 

Accord

in accord -- in agreement

of your own accord -- willingly

with one accord -- in unison

 

Accordance

in accordance with -- according to a rule or system

 

Account

by all accounts -- as said by other people

by your own account -- as said by you

of no account -- of no significance

on somebody’s account -- because of another person

on account of -- because of

on no account -- without any reason

on your own account -- by or for yourself

on this account -- because of this

turn something to good account -- to make the best use of something

take account of -- to consider something during the decision-making process

 

Ace

hold all the aces -- to be in the most favorable situation

place your ace -- to use your best argument, etc. to make the situation in your favor

 

Acquaintance

make the acquaintance of somebody -- to be familiar with somebody for the first time

of your acquaintances -- that you know

on first acquaintance -- on first meeting

 

Acquire

an acquired taste -- something that you like gradually

 

Act

act of God -- a natural event

do a vanishing act -- to be absent when you are required to be present

get your act together -- to make your best efforts achieve to your goal

a hard act to follow -- to be the perfect example of something and thus almost impossible to be emulated

in the act of doing something -- while somebody is doing something

in action -- doing the usual activity

into action -- to be implemented

out of action -- not working

 

Add

add insult to injury -- to aggravate the relationship with somebody

 

Addition

in addition -- besides

 

Ado

without further ado -- immediately

 

Advanced

of advanced age -- very old

 

Advantage

work to your advantage -- to try to get an advantage from a particular circumstance

to best advantage -- in a best possible way

turn something to your advantage -- to get an advantage from an unfavorable situation

 

Advisement

Take something under advisement -- to consider something during the decision-making process

 

Aegis

under the aegis of -- with the support of

 

Afoul

run afoul of -- to do something illegal

 

Afar

from afar -- from a long distance away

 

Afield

far afield -- from a long distance away

 

Afoul

run afoul of -- to do something illegal

 

After

after all -- in spite of everything

 

Age

act your age -- to behave maturely and sensibly

come of age -- to be legally mature

under age -- to be legally immature

 

Aggregate

in aggregate -- as a total

 

Agree

agree to differ -- (of two people) to not discuss their different views about something

 

Aim

take aim at -- to criticize severely

 

Air

walk on air -- to be delighted

in the air -- felt by many people

on air -- broadcasting on TV, etc.

off air -- not broadcasting on TV, etc.

up in the air -- undecided

 

Aisle

walk down the aisle -- to get married

 

Alarm

alarm bells ring -- to be worried and apprehensive in a sudden way

 

Alive

alive and kicking -- healthy and lively

bring something alive -- to make something exciting

come alive -- to be exciting

 

And

and all that -- and other things of the same kind

not all that -- not particularly

 

Allow

allow me -- used to offer help in a polite manner

 

Allowance

make allowance for something -- to consider something during the decision-making process

make allowance for somebody -- to accept somebody’s improper, rude, etc. way of behaving because of special reason

 

Alone

go it alone -- to do something on your own

leave alone -- to stop annoying somebody

stand alone -- to be independent or unrelated to somebody/something

Ratings and reviews

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About the author

Manik Joshi was born on January 26, 1979, at Ranikhet, a picturesque town in the Kumaon region of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. He is a permanent resident of the Sheeshmahal area of Kathgodam located in the city of Haldwani in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand in India. He completed his schooling in four different schools. He is a science graduate in the ZBC – zoology, botany, and chemistry – subjects. He is also an MBA with a specialization in marketing. Additionally, he holds diplomas in “computer applications”, “multimedia and web-designing”, and “computer hardware and networking”. During his schooldays, he wanted to enter the field of medical science; however, after graduation, he shifted his focus to the field of management. After obtaining his MBA, he enrolled in a computer education center; he became so fascinated with working on the computer that he decided to develop his career in this field. Over the following years, he worked at some computer-related full-time jobs. Following that, he became interested in Internet Marketing, particularly in domaining (business of buying and selling domain names), web design (creating websites), and various other online jobs. However, later he shifted his focus solely to self-publishing. Manik is a nature-lover. He has always been fascinated by overcast skies. He is passionate about traveling and enjoys solo travel most of the time rather than traveling in groups. He is actually quite a loner who prefers to do his own thing. He likes to listen to music, particularly when he is working on the computer. Reading and writing are definitely his favorite pastimes, but he has no interest in sports. Manik has always dreamt of a prosperous life and prefers to live a life of luxury. He has a keen interest in politics because he believes it is politics that decides everything else. He feels a sense of gratification sharing his experiences and knowledge with the outside world. However, he is an introvert by nature and thus gives prominence to only a few people in his personal life. He is not a spiritual man, yet he actively seeks knowledge about the metaphysical world; he is particularly interested in learning about life beyond death. In addition to writing academic/informational text and fictional content, he also maintains a personal diary. He has always had a desire to stand out from the crowd. He does not believe in treading the beaten path and avoids copying someone else’s path to success. Two things he always refrains from are smoking and drinking; he is a teetotaler and very health-conscious. He usually wakes up before the sun rises. He starts his morning with meditation and exercise. Fitness is an integral and indispensable part of his life. He gets energized by solving complex problems. He loves himself the way he is and he loves the way he looks. He doesn’t believe in following fashion trends. He dresses according to what suits him and what he is comfortable in. He believes in taking calculated risks. His philosophy is to expect the best but prepare for the worst. According to him, you can’t succeed if you are unwilling to fail. For Manik, life is about learning from mistakes and figuring out how to move forward.