100 Common Phrases in English
Most Common English Phrases:
#Introduction
Mastering English is a vital skill for global communication, and one of the keys to becoming proficient is learning common English phrases. These phrases help speakers express ideas, emotions, and intentions clearly, whether they’re in social conversations, professional settings, or academic environments. In this article, we will explore some of the most frequently used English phrases, categorized for ease of understanding.
This guide offers clear definitions, practical examples, and usage tips for each of the phrases, organized into five main chunks. Let’s dive into the world of common English phrases that can help elevate your English communication skills.
# Chunk 1: Most Common English Phrases (1-20)
These phrases are often used in casual conversations and serve as a foundation for understanding common idiomatic expressions.
| **Phrase** | **Meaning** |
|————————–|—————————————————————————–|
| Break the ice | To initiate conversation in a social setting. |
| Hit the sack | To go to bed. |
| Piece of cake | Something that is very easy. |
| Let the cat out of the bag| To reveal a secret unintentionally. |
| Bite the bullet | To endure a painful or unpleasant situation courageously. |
| Kick the bucket | To die. |
| Under the weather | Feeling unwell or sick. |
| Burn the midnight oil | To work late into the night. |
| Through thick and thin | To remain loyal through both good and bad times. |
| Catch someone’s eye | To attract someone’s attention. |
| Raining cats and dogs | Raining heavily. |
| Hit the nail on the head | To be exactly right or precise about something. |
| Burn bridges | To damage a relationship beyond repair. |
| Spill the beans | To reveal a secret. |
| A blessing in disguise | A good thing that seemed bad initially. |
| Back to square one | To start again from the beginning after a failure. |
| Once in a blue moon | Very rarely. |
| Take it with a grain of salt | To take something lightly or with skepticism. |
| Cost an arm and a leg | To be extremely expensive. |
| Cut corners | To do something poorly to save time or money. |
# Chunk 2: Most Common English Phrases (21-40)
The following phrases are useful in both casual and professional settings, helping you navigate various scenarios.
| **Phrase** | **Meaning** |
|—————————|—————————————————————————–|
| Barking up the wrong tree | Making a false assumption or using the wrong approach. |
| Actions speak louder than words | What you do matters more than what you say. |
| Ball is in your court | It’s now your decision or responsibility to take action. |
| Best of both worlds | Enjoying the benefits of two different things at once. |
| Blow off steam | To release pent-up emotions or stress. |
| Break a leg | A way to wish someone good luck. |
| Call it a day | To stop working for the day. |
| Cut to the chase | To get to the point. |
| Devil’s advocate | To argue the opposite just for the sake of argument. |
| Don’t cry over spilled milk | Don’t waste time worrying about things that have already happened. |
| Drive someone up the wall | To greatly irritate or annoy someone. |
| Fish out of water | Someone who feels out of place in a situation. |
| Go the extra mile | To put in extra effort. |
| In the same boat | To be in the same difficult situation as someone else. |
| Kill two birds with one stone | To achieve two things with one action. |
| Let sleeping dogs lie | To avoid stirring up trouble unnecessarily. |
| Miss the boat | To miss an opportunity. |
| Off the hook | Free from blame or obligation. |
| On cloud nine | Extremely happy or joyful. |
| Play it by ear | To improvise rather than follow a plan. |
# Chunk 3: Most Common English Phrases (41-60)
These idiomatic expressions are often used in informal and conversational English to describe emotions or actions vividly.
| **Phrase** | **Meaning** |
|—————————|—————————————————————————–|
| Pull yourself together | To calm down and regain composure. |
| Raise the bar | To set a higher standard. |
| Throw in the towel | To give up or quit. |
| Up in the air | Something that is undecided or uncertain. |
| Take the bull by the horns | To confront a difficult situation directly. |
| Under the gun | Under pressure to complete a task. |
| Walking on eggshells | To be very cautious to avoid upsetting someone. |
| Water under the bridge | Something in the past that is no longer important. |
| You can’t judge a book by its cover | You shouldn’t judge something based only on appearance. |
| Caught between a rock and a hard place | To be in a difficult situation with no good options. |
| Out of the blue | Something that happens unexpectedly. |
| Hit the road | To leave or start a journey. |
| In hot water | To be in trouble. |
| Pull the plug | To stop something from continuing. |
| Take a rain check | To postpone or delay something. |
| Sit on the fence | To avoid making a decision. |
| Jump the gun | To do something too early or hastily. |
| Let the dust settle | To wait for a situation to calm down. |
| Off the top of your head | To say something without thorough thought or planning. |
| Bite off more than you can chew | To take on a task that is too big. |
# Chunk 4: Most Common English Phrases (61-80)
These phrases are especially useful in both informal speech and writing, often used to express difficult situations or common idioms.
| **Phrase** | **Meaning** |
|—————————|—————————————————————————–|
| Burn the candle at both ends | To overwork yourself by doing too much. |
| Clam up | To refuse to speak. |
| Every cloud has a silver lining | There’s something good in every bad situation. |
| Full of hot air | Talking a lot without saying anything meaningful. |
| Give someone the cold shoulder | To ignore someone deliberately. |
| Go out on a limb | To take a risk. |
| Hang in there | To keep going, not give up. |
| In a nutshell | To summarize something briefly. |
| Leave no stone unturned | To try every possible way to find something or achieve something. |
| Make a mountain out of a molehill | To exaggerate a minor issue. |
| Not out of the woods yet | Still in danger or difficulty. |
| Out of the frying pan into the fire | Going from a bad situation to a worse one. |
| Play with fire | To take unnecessary risks. |
| Pull the wool over someone’s eyes | To deceive or trick someone. |
| Quick on the draw | To be fast at understanding or reacting. |
| Right off the bat | Immediately, without delay. |
| Snowed under | Overwhelmed with too much work or tasks. |
| Take it easy | To relax and not worry. |
| The ball is rolling | Something has started and is progressing. |
| Throw caution to the wind | To take a risk without worrying about the consequences. |
# Chunk 5: Most Common English Phrases (81-100)
These final phrases are commonly used in everyday conversations and describe both emotions and situations effectively.
| **Phrase** | **Meaning** |
|—————————|—————————————————————————–|
| Turn a blind eye | To deliberately ignore something. |
| Wrap your head around it | To understand something complex or difficult. |
| At the drop of a hat | To do something immediately, without hesitation. |
| Beat around the bush | To avoid the main point. |
| Birds of a feather flock together | People with similar interests tend to associate with one another. |
| Burn your bridges | To destroy your relationships or opportunities. |
| Hit the jackpot | To experience great success or fortune. |
| Keep your chin up | To remain positive despite difficulties. |
| Leave someone in the lurch | To abandon someone in a difficult situation. |
| Make ends meet | To manage financially with limited income. |
| Out on a limb | To put yourself in a risky or precarious situation. |
| Pour salt in the wound | To make a bad situation worse. |
| See eye to eye | To agree with someone. |
| Smell a rat | To sense that something is wrong. |
| Steal someone’s thunder | To take credit for someone else’s achievements