Idioms and Phrases with Meanings and Examples: 60 Most Important Idioms for SSC CGL, CHSL and MTS
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
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PDF Notes: Idioms and Phrases with Meanings and Examples: 60 Most Important Idioms for SSC CGL, CHSL and MTS
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An idiom is a group of words whose meaning is different from the literal meaning of the individual words. Every SSC exam has 3 to 5 questions on idioms and phrases, and they are scoring if you have learned the common ones. This guide on idioms and phrases for SSC gives 60 of the most important idioms with their meanings and examples, tips to learn them and practice questions.
Idioms from A to C
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A blessing in disguise | Something good that seemed bad at first | Losing that job was a blessing in disguise. |
| A piece of cake | Very easy task | The exam was a piece of cake. |
| A dark horse | A person with hidden talent who surprises others | He was a dark horse in the election. |
| A bolt from the blue | Sudden and unexpected event | The news of his death was a bolt from the blue. |
| A white elephant | A costly possession that is of little use | The old palace is a white elephant for the state. |
| A storm in a teacup | Much fuss over a small matter | The argument was a storm in a teacup. |
| Achilles’ heel | A weak point of a strong person | His temper is his Achilles’ heel. |
| Add insult to injury | Make a bad situation worse | He came late and added insult to injury by laughing. |
| At sixes and sevens | In confusion or disorder | The office was at sixes and sevens after the move. |
| At the eleventh hour | At the last moment | They finished the project at the eleventh hour. |
| Apple of one’s eye | A person very dear to someone | She is the apple of her father’s eye. |
| Beat around the bush | Avoid coming to the point | Stop beating around the bush and tell me. |
| Bite the bullet | Face a difficult situation bravely | He had to bite the bullet and take the loan. |
| Break the ice | Start a conversation in a social setting | A joke helped to break the ice. |
| Burn the midnight oil | Work or study late into the night | She burnt the midnight oil before the exam. |
| Bury the hatchet | End a quarrel and become friends | The two brothers buried the hatchet. |
| By leaps and bounds | Very fast | The company is growing by leaps and bounds. |
| Call it a day | Stop working for the day | Let us call it a day. |
| Cry over spilt milk | Regret something that cannot be undone | It is no use crying over spilt milk. |
| Cry wolf | Raise a false alarm | Do not cry wolf, or no one will believe you. |
| Cut corners | Do something in the easiest or cheapest way | The builder cut corners and used poor material. |
Idioms from D to L
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Face the music | Accept the punishment | He must face the music for his mistake. |
| Fish out of water | A person in an unfamiliar situation | She felt like a fish out of water in the new city. |
| Get cold feet | Become afraid before doing something | He got cold feet before the interview. |
| Hit the nail on the head | Say exactly the right thing | You hit the nail on the head with that remark. |
| Hold water | Be valid or logical | His story does not hold water. |
| In the soup | In trouble | He is in the soup after losing the files. |
| Kick the bucket | To die (informal) | The old man kicked the bucket last year. |
| Leave no stone unturned | Try every possible means | The police left no stone unturned to find him. |
| Let the cat out of the bag | Reveal a secret by mistake | She let the cat out of the bag about the party. |
| Lion’s share | The largest part | He took the lion’s share of the profit. |
| Make both ends meet | Earn just enough to live | He can hardly make both ends meet. |
| Once in a blue moon | Very rarely | He visits us once in a blue moon. |
| On cloud nine | Very happy | She is on cloud nine after the result. |
| Pull someone’s leg | Tease someone in fun | Are you pulling my leg? |
| Red-letter day | A memorable day | The day of his selection was a red-letter day. |
| Rule of thumb | A rough guide based on experience | As a rule of thumb, drink eight glasses of water. |
| Sit on the fence | Refuse to take sides | He is sitting on the fence in this dispute. |
| Spill the beans | Reveal a secret | Someone spilt the beans about the plan. |
| Take to heart | Be deeply affected by something | Do not take his words to heart. |
| The last straw | The final problem that makes one lose patience | His rude reply was the last straw. |
| Throw in the towel | Give up | After many failures, he threw in the towel. |
| Turn a blind eye | Pretend not to see | The officer turned a blind eye to the fault. |
| Under the weather | Slightly unwell | I am feeling under the weather today. |
| Wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve | Show one’s feelings openly | She wears her heart on her sleeve. |
More Frequently Asked Idioms and Phrases
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| To bell the cat | To take a risk for the sake of others |
| To smell a rat | To suspect something wrong |
| To feather one’s nest | To make money for oneself, often unfairly |
| To pay through the nose | To pay too high a price |
| To play second fiddle | To take a lower position |
| To take the bull by the horns | To face a problem bravely |
| To show the white feather | To show cowardice |
| To put one’s foot down | To be firm about something |
| To eat humble pie | To apologise humbly |
| To make a clean breast of | To confess everything |
| To cut a sorry figure | To make a bad impression |
| To have an axe to grind | To have a selfish motive |
| To pour oil on troubled waters | To calm a quarrel |
| To rack one’s brains | To think very hard |
| To read between the lines | To understand the hidden meaning |
| To keep the wolf from the door | To avoid hunger or poverty |
| To go through fire and water | To face great dangers |
| To drive home | To make someone understand clearly |
| To turn over a new leaf | To change for the better |
| To end in smoke | To come to nothing |
How to Learn Idioms Fast
- Learn 10 idioms a day with one sentence of your own for each.
- Group the idioms by theme: animals (dark horse, cry wolf), body parts (cold feet, pull one’s leg), colours (blue moon, white elephant).
- Revise the old list every Sunday.
- Understand the story behind an idiom to remember it.
- Practise with options: in the exam, eliminate the literal meaning first.
Quick Tips
- Learn 10 idioms daily with your own sentences.
- Group idioms by theme such as animals and colours.
- Eliminate the literal meaning in options.
- Revise the list every week.
Quick Revision Points
- An idiom does not mean what the words say.
- A blessing in disguise = a hidden advantage.
- Once in a blue moon = very rarely.
- To spill the beans = to reveal a secret.
- At the eleventh hour = at the last moment.
Practice Questions With Answers
- What does “a piece of cake” mean?
Answer: Very easy task - What does “once in a blue moon” mean?
Answer: Very rarely - What does “to spill the beans” mean?
Answer: To reveal a secret - What does “a white elephant” mean?
Answer: A costly but useless possession - What does “to turn a blind eye” mean?
Answer: To pretend not to see - What does “to bite the bullet” mean?
Answer: To face a difficult situation bravely - What does “to be under the weather” mean?
Answer: To be slightly unwell - What does “at the eleventh hour” mean?
Answer: At the last moment - What does “to cry wolf” mean?
Answer: To raise a false alarm - What does “to show the white feather” mean?
Answer: To show cowardice
How to Practise This Chapter
Practise 10 questions every day and write the steps on paper. Then attempt timed sets from our practice papers and the previous year papers page. See all topics on the English notes page, read the previous topic Direct and Indirect Speech and the next topic One Word Substitution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an idiom?
A group of words whose meaning is different from the literal meaning of the words.
Are idioms asked in SSC?
Yes. 3 to 5 questions on idioms and phrases are asked in SSC CGL, CHSL and MTS.
What does a blessing in disguise mean?
Something that looks bad at first but turns out to be good.
What does to break the ice mean?
To start a conversation in a social situation.
What does to burn the midnight oil mean?
To work or study late at night.
What does the last straw mean?
The final small problem that makes a situation unbearable.
What does hit the nail on the head mean?
To say or do exactly the right thing.
What does a dark horse mean?
A person with hidden talent who surprises everyone.
How many idioms should I learn for SSC?
About 200 of the common ones; this list covers the most frequent.
How can I remember idioms quickly?
Group them by theme and use them in your own sentences.
What is the difference between an idiom and a phrase?
A phrase is a group of words without a verb-subject structure; an idiom is a phrase with a figurative meaning.
What is the best way to attempt idiom questions?
Reject the literal meaning and pick the option that fits the context of the sentence.
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Direct and Indirect Speech: Narration Rules, Tense Changes and Solved Examples for SSC CGL, CHSL and MTS
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One Word Substitution: 80 Most Important Words for SSC CGL, CHSL and MTS with Meanings and Tricks
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
Rahul is a senior SSC exam strategist with 8+ years of experience helping aspirants crack CGL, CHSL and MTS exams. He writes in-depth notification breakdowns, exam pattern guides and preparation strategies.