IELTS Idioms: 100+ Common Idioms for Speaking and Writing

Quick Answer: Idioms are fixed expressions with figurative meanings, not literal ones. For IELTS, idioms can enhance your lexical resource score in Speaking and Writing Task 2 essays, but they must be used naturally and relevantly. Mastering 100+ common idioms gives you flexibility, but overusing them or using them incorrectly harms your score. Focus on idioms that fit common IELTS topics like education, environment, work, and health.

Table of Contents

Why Idioms Matter in IELTS

Top 100+ Idioms by Topic

How to Use Idioms Effectively

Band Score Comparison Table

Sample Answers with Idioms

Common Mistakes with Idioms

Top Tips for Mastering Idioms

Resources

FAQ

Key Takeaways

Why Idioms Matter in IELTS

Idioms are powerful tools in IELTS because they demonstrate natural language use and cultural understanding. The IELTS Speaking and Writing band descriptors reward lexical resource (vocabulary range) and flexibility. When you use idioms correctly, you show the examiner that you can:

Express ideas concisely (e.g., "hit the nail on the head" = exactly right)

Add emotional depth (e.g., "over the moon" = very happy)

Sound more fluent (e.g., "on the same page" = agree)

Connect with native-like speech patterns

However, idioms are not mandatory for a high score. Many Band 9 candidates use few idioms but do so perfectly. The key is quality over quantity.

Top 100+ Idioms by Topic

I've organized idioms by common IELTS topics. Use these in Speaking Part 2 monologues, Part 3 discussions, and Writing Task 2 essays.

1. Education & Learning (15 idioms)

Idiom	Meaning	Example
Burn the midnight oil	Study late	"I burned the midnight oil before my final exam."
Learn the ropes	Learn basics	"New students need time to learn the ropes."
Draw a blank	Can't remember	"When asked about the theory, I drew a blank."
Hit the books	Start studying	"It's time to hit the books for the IELTS."
Pass with flying colours	Pass easily	"She passed her exam with flying colours."
Teacher's pet	Favourite student	"He's always been the teacher's pet."
Bookworm	Avid reader	"My sister is a total bookworm."
School of thought	Theory/belief	"There are two schools of thought on this."
Cut class	Skip class	"He used to cut class frequently."
Cram for	Intense study	"I had to cram for the history test."
Put on the back burner	Delay	"They put the project on the back burner."
Go back to the drawing board	Start over	"The experiment failed; we need to go back to the drawing board."
In the same boat	Same situation	"We're all in the same boat with IELTS."
Touch and go	Uncertain	"The result was touch and go."
Make the grade	Meet standard	"Her essay made the grade for Band 8."

2. Work & Career (20 idioms)

Idiom	Meaning	Example
Call it a day	Stop working	"Let's call it a day; we've done enough."
Move the goalposts	Change rules	"Management keeps moving the goalposts."
Get the ball rolling	Start process	"Let's get the ball rolling on this project."
A blessing in disguise	Bad but good later	"Losing that job was a blessing in disguise."
Jump through hoops	Do difficult tasks	"I had to jump through hoops to get the visa."
Go the extra mile	Do extra	"She always goes the extra mile for clients."
Pull your weight	Do fair share	"New employees must pull their weight."
The ball is in your court	Your turn to act	"The ball is in your court now."
Cut corners	Do cheaply	"Never cut corners on quality."
Face the music	Accept consequences	"He had to face the music after the mistake."
Get your foot in the door	Get first chance	"Internship helped me get my foot in the door."
Think outside the box	Creative thinking	"We need to think outside the box."
It's not rocket science	Not difficult	"Using idioms isn't rocket science."
Learn the ropes	Learn job basics	"New hires learn the ropes in training."
Step up your game	Improve	"You need to step up your game for this role."
The bottom line	Main point	"The bottom line is profit."
Paint a picture	Describe clearly	"Let me paint a picture of the situation."
Burn bridges	Ruin relationships	"Don't burn bridges with colleagues."
Keep an eye on	Monitor	"Keep an eye on deadlines."
Back to the drawing board	Start over	"The plan failed; back to the drawing board."

3. Environment & Nature (12 idioms)

Idiom	Meaning	Example
A drop in the ocean	Very small	"Individual effort is a drop in the ocean."
The tip of the iceberg	Small part of problem	"Pollution is just the tip of the iceberg."
Chip off the old block	Similar to parent	"He's a chip off the old block - loves hiking."
When pigs fly	Never	"They'll stop pollution when pigs fly."
Once in a blue moon	Rarely	"Eco-friendly policies are once in a blue moon."
Full of beans	Energetic	"The team is full of beans about the project."
Wild goose chase	Useless search	"That research was a wild goose chase."
Green around the gills	Look sick	"He looked green around the gills after the boat trip."
Up in the air	Uncertain	"The future of the forest is up in the air."
Clear as mud	Not clear	"The government's policy is clear as mud."
Changing of the guard	Change in power	"There's a changing of the guard in climate politics."
A breath of fresh air	New and refreshing	"The new approach is a breath of fresh air."

4. Health & Lifestyle (15 idioms)

Idiom	Meaning	Example
Under the weather	Ill	"I'm feeling under the weather today."
Fit as a fiddle	Very healthy	"My grandfather is fit as a fiddle at 80."
A pain in the neck	Annoying	"Traffic is a pain in the neck."
On the mend	Recovering	"She's on the mend after surgery."
Bite the bullet	Do something unpleasant	"I need to bite the bullet and start exercising."
A wake-up call	Alert	"The diagnosis was a wake-up call."
Kick the bucket	Die (informal)	"He's too young to kick the bucket."
An apple a day	Healthy habit	"An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
Back on your feet	Recover	"He's back on his feet after the accident."
As right as rain	Perfectly fine	"After rest, I'm as right as rain."
Take it easy	Relax	"The doctor said to take it easy."
Out of sorts	Not feeling well	"I'm a bit out of sorts today."
Clean bill of health	Healthy	"The test gave me a clean bill of health."
A bitter pill to swallow	Unpleasant truth	"The diagnosis was a bitter pill to swallow."
Pull through	Survive	"He pulled through against all odds."

5. Travel & Culture (10 idioms)

Idiom	Meaning	Example
Hit the road	Start journey	"Let's hit the road early tomorrow."
Off the beaten track	Unusual place	"We explored off the beaten track."
Break the ice	Start conversation	"A joke can break the ice."
When in Rome	Follow local customs	"When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
Get lost in translation	Misunderstood	"Cultural nuances can get lost in translation."
A home away from home	Comfortable place	"This hotel is a home away from home."
Pack your bags	Prepare to leave	"Time to pack your bags for the trip."
The world is your oyster	Unlimited opportunities	"After IELTS, the world is your oyster."
Live out of a suitcase	Travel constantly	"I've been living out of a suitcase."
Travel light	Pack minimally	"I prefer to travel light."

6. General & Transitional Idioms (20 idioms)

Idiom	Meaning	Example
In a nutshell	Briefly	"In a nutshell, the idea failed."
The bottom line	Main point	"The bottom line is we need change."
Be on the same page	Agree	"We're on the same page about this."
Go with the flow	Adapt	"I just go with the flow."
Let the cat out of the bag	Reveal secret	"She let the cat out of the bag."
No pain, no gain	Effort needed	"No pain, no gain in IELTS practice."
On the ball	Alert	"The speaker is on the ball."
Pull yourself together	Calm down	"Pull yourself together before the exam."
See eye to eye	Agree with	"They don't see eye to eye on politics."
The ball is in your court	Your responsibility	"The ball is in your court."
Up in the air	Uncertain	"Our plans are up in the air."
All ears	Listening carefully	"I'm all ears for your advice."
Beat around the bush	Avoid topic	"Stop beating around the bush."
Cut to the chase	Get to point	"Let's cut to the chase."
Drop the ball	Make mistake	"I dropped the ball on that task."
Get a second wind	Renewed energy	"I got a second wind after coffee."
Hit the nail on the head	Exactly right	"You hit the nail on the head."
Keep your chin up	Stay optimistic	"Keep your chin up during revision."
Miss the boat	Miss opportunity	"I missed the boat on that scholarship."
Ring a bell	Sound familiar	"Does that name ring a bell?"

How to Use Idioms Effectively

DO:

Use idioms naturally in context

Choose idioms that match your topic

Use 1-2 idioms per Speaking Part 2 answer

Use 1 idiom per Writing Task 2 paragraph

Practice saying idioms fluently

DON'T:

Force idioms where they don't fit

Use idioms you don't understand fully

Overload your answer with idioms

Use too informal idioms in Writing (e.g., "kick the bucket")

Use idioms incorrectly (wrong meaning)

Band Score Comparison Table

Band	What Examiner Wants
6	Uses basic idioms but may be repetitive or slightly inaccurate. Limited range.
7	Uses some less common idioms naturally. Occasional errors but meaning clear.
8	Uses idioms flexibly and precisely. Rare or no errors. Good variety.
9	Uses idioms effortlessly and exactly right. Broad range including specialist idioms. Perfect fit.

Sample Answers with Idioms

Band 7: "In my opinion, learning idioms in a nutshell is about practice. When I first started IELTS, I always beat around the bush in my answers. Now I try to use idioms that fit as a fiddle with the topic. It's no rocket science." Band 8: "To hit the nail on the head, mastering idioms requires contextual understanding. Many candidates cut corners by memorising lists, but that backfires badly. Instead, I recommend choosing idioms that ring a bell from your regular reading. In Speaking, I use 1-2 idioms per answer to paint a picture without overwhelming the examiner." Band 9: "The strategic use of idioms is a game-changer in IELTS. Rather than beating around the bush, acknowledge that idioms must be second nature to you. When I discuss environmental issues, I use phrases like 'a drop in the ocean' to illustrate insignificant efforts, or 'the tip of the iceberg' for deeper problems. This demonstrates both lexical range and contextual precision. My golden rule? When in Rome, do as the Romans do - use idioms that native speakers naturally use in those contexts."

Common Mistakes with Idioms

❌Overloading: Using 5 idioms in one sentence. It sounds unnatural and forced.

❌Wrong context: "My exam was a piece of cake" (too casual for Writing Task 2).

❌Literal translation: "I made a long nose" (incorrect; English uses "pull a long face").

❌Mixed idioms: "We're all in the same boat, so let's hit the ground running" (confusing).

❌Clichés: Using "it's raining cats and dogs" in formal writing (too informal).

❌Mispronunciation: Saying "the ball is in your court" incorrectly.

Top Tips for Mastering Idioms

💡 Group idioms by topic (education, environment, work) and practice them in relevant mock tests.

💡 Use idiomatic phrases that are modern and natural. Avoid old-fashioned idioms like "the early bird catches the worm."

💡 Record yourself using idioms in speaking answers. Check for natural rhythm and correct pronunciation.

💡 Start with 20 idioms you'll use frequently. Master those before adding more.

Context check: Before using any idiom, ask: "Would a native speaker say this here?"

Resources

Check out IELTS Active for practice tests and study materials. The official IELTS website also has sample band descriptors showing idiom usage.

FAQ

Q: How many idioms do I need for Band 7+? A: Focus on 10-15 well-used idioms rather than 50 poorly-used ones. Quality over quantity. Q: Can I use idioms in Writing Task 1? A: Yes, but only in the summary or conclusion and only 1-2. Task 1 is factual. Q: Are idioms necessary for a high score? A: No. Many Band 9 candidates use very few idioms but use them perfectly. Lexical range includes high-level vocabulary too. Q: What's the best way to memorize idioms? A: Topic-based grouping with example sentences. Also, contextual learning (reading/listening to natural English). Q: Is it okay to use an idiom I just learned during the test? A: Only if you're 100% confident in meaning and context. Guessing is risky.

Key Takeaways

✅Idioms enhance lexical resource but must be natural and relevant.

✅Focus on 15-20 high-frequency idioms for common IELTS topics.

✅In Writing, use 1-2 idioms per essay. In Speaking, 2-3 per Part 2 answer.

✅Avoid overloading, wrong contexts, and mixed metaphors.

✅Practice idioms in realistic test scenarios to sound fluent.

Related Posts:

IELTS Vocabulary: 100+ Topic-Specific Words for Band 7+

IELTS Speaking Tips: From Band 6 to 9

IELTS Writing Task 2: High-Score Essay Structures