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Idiomatic & Special Collocations – English vocabulary

81 words · English vocabulary · Created by Openquiz Team

81 English words with meanings: go the extra mile, break the ice, a piece of cake, once in a blue moon, hit the books… Study them with flashcards, quizzes…

Part of the learning path: IELTS Collocation Mastery

Word list

  1. go the extra mile /ɡoʊ ði 'ɛkstrə maɪl/ (idiom) — try harder than needed
    Example: She always goes the extra mile to help her team.
    Synonyms: work harder, put in effort, push yourself
  2. break the ice /breɪk ði aɪs/ (idiom) — make things less awkward
    Example: Telling a joke helped break the ice during the meeting.
    Synonyms: start conversation, ease tension, open up
  3. a piece of cake /ə pis əv keɪk/ (idiom) — very easy
    Example: The exam was a piece of cake for her.
    Synonyms: easy task, simple job, no problem
  4. once in a blue moon /wʌns ɪn ə blu: mu:n/ (idiom) — not common
    Example: He only visits his hometown once in a blue moon.
    Synonyms: rarely, hardly ever, seldom
  5. hit the books /hɪt ðə bʊks/ (idiom) — start studying hard
    Example: I have to hit the books before the final exam.
    Synonyms: study hard, read, prepare
  6. under the weather /'ʌndər ðə 'wɛðər/ (idiom) — feel sick
    Example: She felt under the weather, so she didn’t go to work.
    Synonyms: ill, unwell, sick
  7. cost an arm and a leg /kɒst ən ɑ:rm ænd ə lɛɡ/ (idiom) — very expensive
    Example: That new phone costs an arm and a leg.
    Synonyms: expensive, costly, pricey
  8. spill the beans /spɪl ðə binz/ (idiom) — tell a secret
    Example: Don’t spill the beans about the surprise party.
    Synonyms: reveal, disclose, tell
  9. barking up the wrong tree /'bɑ:rkɪŋ ʌp ðə rɒŋ tri:/ (idiom) — be wrong about who or what is responsible
    Example: If you think I took your book, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
    Synonyms: misjudge, mistaken, wrong idea
  10. burn the midnight oil /bɜrn ðə 'mɪdnaɪt ɔɪl/ (idiom) — stay up late to work or study
    Example: He burned the midnight oil to finish his report.
    Synonyms: work late, study late, be up late
  11. hit the nail on the head /hɪt ðə neɪl ɒn ðə hed/ (idiom) — say exactly the right thing
    Example: You hit the nail on the head with that comment.
    Synonyms: be exact, be correct, spot on
  12. in the same boat /ɪn ðə seɪm boʊt/ (idiom) — in the same situation
    Example: We’re all in the same boat after the company’s decision.
    Synonyms: same situation, shared fate
  13. call it a day /kɔ:l ɪt ə deɪ/ (idiom) — stop work for the day
    Example: Let’s call it a day and go home.
    Synonyms: stop work, finish up, end
  14. cut corners /kʌt 'kɔ:rnərz/ (idiom) — do a poor job
    Example: Don’t cut corners when building the house.
    Synonyms: cheat, shorten, save effort
  15. get cold feet /ɡɛt koʊld fit/ (idiom) — suddenly lose courage
    Example: He got cold feet before the wedding.
    Synonyms: hesitate, lose nerve, be scared
  16. the ball is in your court /ðə bɔ:l ɪz ɪn jʊr kɔ:rt/ (idiom) — now it’s your turn
    Example: I’ve made my offer; now the ball is in your court.
    Synonyms: your turn, your move
  17. put all your eggs in one basket /pʊt ɔ:l jɔ:r ɛɡz ɪn wʌn 'bæskɪt/ (idiom) — risk everything on one choice
    Example: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket when investing.
    Synonyms: risk everything, be dependent, focus one
  18. on cloud nine /ɒn klaʊd naɪn/ (idiom) — very happy
    Example: She was on cloud nine after getting the job offer.
    Synonyms: very happy, overjoyed, ecstatic
  19. face the music /feɪs ðə 'mju:zɪk/ (idiom) — take responsibility
    Example: He had to face the music after breaking the rule.
    Synonyms: accept blame, take responsibility, endure
  20. keep an eye on /kip æn aɪ ɒn/ (idiom) — watch or look after
    Example: Please keep an eye on my bag while I’m away.
    Synonyms: watch, monitor, observe
  21. bite the bullet /baɪt ðə 'bʊlɪt/ (idiom) — accept a hard task
    Example: He decided to bite the bullet and take the exam.
    Synonyms: accept challenge, be brave, endure
  22. a blessing in disguise /ə 'blɛsɪŋ ɪn dɪs'ɡaɪz/ (idiom) — bad luck that turns good
    Example: Losing that job was a blessing in disguise.
    Synonyms: hidden benefit, unexpected good
  23. hit the sack /hɪt ðə sæk/ (idiom) — go to sleep
    Example: I’m tired, I’ll hit the sack early today.
    Synonyms: sleep, go to bed, retire
  24. pull someone's leg /pʊl 'sʌmwʌnz lɛɡ/ (idiom) — tease someone
    Example: He wasn’t serious; he was just pulling your leg.
    Synonyms: tease, joke, kid
  25. on the same page /ɒn ðə seɪm peɪdʒ/ (idiom) — agree with each other
    Example: Let’s make sure we’re on the same page before starting.
    Synonyms: agree, understand, be aligned
  26. cut to the chase /kʌt tu ðə tʃeɪs/ (idiom) — talk about the main point
    Example: Let’s cut to the chase and discuss the budget.
    Synonyms: get to point, be direct
  27. hit the road /hɪt ðə roʊd/ (idiom) — leave and go
    Example: We’d better hit the road before it’s dark.
    Synonyms: leave, depart, start journey
  28. keep your fingers crossed /kip jɔ:r 'fɪŋɡərz krɒst/ (idiom) — hope for luck
    Example: Keep your fingers crossed for good results.
    Synonyms: hope, wish luck
  29. beat around the bush /bit ə'raʊnd ðə bʊʃ/ (idiom) — avoid the main point
    Example: Stop beating around the bush and answer directly.
    Synonyms: avoid topic, evade, delay
  30. better late than never /'bɛtər leɪt ðən 'nɛvər/ (idiom) — late is better than not at all
    Example: She finally arrived—better late than never!
    Synonyms: finally, eventually

…and 51 more words in this set.

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