1. Introduction: Why Idioms Are Important for CBSE, ICSE and SSC Students
English is a core subject for students across all major educational boards in India—CBSE, ICSE, and SSC (Maharashtra State Board) . For students from Class 6 to Class 10, mastering English is essential not only for scoring well in examinations but also for building strong communication skills that last a lifetime.
Among the many components of English language learning, idioms play a special role. Idioms are expressions whose meanings cannot be understood from the individual words used. For example, “break the ice” has nothing to do with breaking anything or ice—it means to start a conversation in a social setting.
For students preparing for CBSE, ICSE, and SSC board examinations, idioms appear in:
Reading comprehension passages
Literature textbooks
Writing tasks (essays, letters, stories)
Grammar and vocabulary sections
Competitive examinations like Olympiads and NTSE
At Dhingra Classes, Nashik, we understand that students from different boards need a strong command of English idioms. This comprehensive guide of 75 English Idioms for CBSE, ICSE and SSC Class 6 to Class 10 Students is designed to help students expand their vocabulary and use idioms confidently in their exams and daily communication.
2. What Are Idioms? A Simple Explanation
An idiom is a phrase or expression that has a figurative meaning different from the literal meaning of the words that make it up.
Key Features of Idioms:
Figurative meaning: The meaning is not obvious from the individual words
Fixed structure: You cannot change the words or their order
Cultural context: Idioms often reflect the culture of the language
Informal to semi-formal use: Most idioms are used in spoken and informal written English
Example:
Literal meaning: “It is raining cats and dogs” (animals falling from the sky)
Idiomatic meaning: It is raining very heavily
Learning idioms helps students:
Improve reading comprehension
Enhance writing skills
Score better in exams
Communicate more naturally and fluently
3. 75 English Idioms Every Student Should Know (Classes 6 to 10)
We have organised these 75 idioms into easy-to-remember categories. Each idiom includes its meaning and an example sentence to help students understand its usage.
A. Idioms About Actions and Behaviour
| # | Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Break the ice | To start a conversation in a social setting | He told a joke to break the ice at the party. |
| 2 | Hit the books | To study hard | I need to hit the books before my exams. |
| 3 | Piece of cake | Something very easy | The test was a piece of cake for her. |
| 4 | Pull someone’s leg | To joke with someone | Don’t worry, I was just pulling your leg. |
| 5 | Bite the bullet | To face a difficult situation bravely | She decided to bite the bullet and speak the truth. |
| 6 | Let the cat out of the bag | To reveal a secret | He let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party. |
| 7 | Hit the nail on the head | To say exactly the right thing | Your answer hit the nail on the head. |
| 8 | Cost an arm and a leg | To be very expensive | That new phone costs an arm and a leg. |
| 9 | Jump on the bandwagon | To join a popular trend | Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon of online learning. |
| 10 | Burn the midnight oil | To study or work late into the night | She burned the midnight oil to finish her project. |
B. Idioms About Feelings and Emotions
| # | Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Butterflies in the stomach | To feel nervous | I had butterflies in my stomach before the speech. |
| 12 | On cloud nine | To be extremely happy | She was on cloud nine after winning the prize. |
| 13 | Down in the dumps | To feel sad or depressed | He was down in the dumps after losing the match. |
| 14 | Tickled pink | To be very pleased | I was tickled pink to receive your gift. |
| 15 | Under the weather | To feel unwell | I’m feeling a bit under the weather today. |
| 16 | Over the moon | To be very happy | The team was over the moon with their victory. |
| 17 | Hot under the collar | To be angry or embarrassed | He got hot under the collar when criticised. |
| 18 | Green with envy | To be very jealous | She was green with envy at his success. |
| 19 | Scared stiff | To be extremely frightened | I was scared stiff during the horror movie. |
| 20 | On top of the world | To feel wonderful | After the results, he was on top of the world. |
C. Idioms About Time and Effort
| # | Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | In the nick of time | Just in time | He arrived in the nick of time to catch the train. |
| 22 | Around the clock | All day and night | The doctors worked around the clock to save the patient. |
| 23 | Once in a blue moon | Very rarely | He visits us once in a blue moon. |
| 24 | Kill two birds with one stone | To achieve two goals with one action | By studying with friends, I killed two birds with one stone. |
| 25 | A blessing in disguise | Something good that seemed bad at first | Losing that match was a blessing in disguise. |
| 26 | Back to square one | To start over | The project failed, and we were back to square one. |
| 27 | In hot water | In trouble | He got into hot water for breaking the rules. |
| 28 | The last straw | The final problem that makes things unbearable | The late fee was the last straw for the customer. |
| 29 | At the drop of a hat | Immediately | She would help anyone at the drop of a hat. |
| 30 | Beat around the bush | To avoid talking about the main topic | Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth. |
D. Idioms About Knowledge and Understanding
| # | Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Read between the lines | To understand the hidden meaning | If you read between the lines, you’ll see the truth. |
| 32 | Get the picture | To understand the situation | After the explanation, I finally got the picture. |
| 33 | In a nutshell | In summary | In a nutshell, the project was successful. |
| 34 | Know by heart | To memorise completely | She knows the poem by heart. |
| 35 | Off the top of my head | Without thinking or preparing | I can’t remember the answer off the top of my head. |
| 36 | Clear as crystal | Very easy to understand | The instructions were as clear as crystal. |
| 37 | The ball is in your court | It’s your turn to decide | I’ve made my offer; now the ball is in your court. |
| 38 | A grey area | Something unclear or undefined | The rules on this topic are a grey area. |
| 39 | Put two and two together | To figure something out from clues | By putting two and two together, she solved the mystery. |
| 40 | A piece of information | A small bit of knowledge | He gave me a useful piece of information. |
E. Idioms About Relationships and Social Situations
| # | Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | See eye to eye | To agree with someone | We don’t always see eye to eye on this issue. |
| 42 | A shoulder to cry on | Someone who listens sympathetically | She was a shoulder to cry on for her friend. |
| 43 | Get along like a house on fire | To have a great relationship | The two sisters get along like a house on fire. |
| 44 | Leave someone in the lurch | To abandon someone in difficulty | He left his team in the lurch during the crisis. |
| 45 | Keep an eye on | To watch carefully | Please keep an eye on the children. |
| 46 | Get cold feet | To become nervous before an event | He got cold feet before the competition. |
| 47 | Give someone the cold shoulder | To ignore someone | She gave him the cold shoulder after the argument. |
| 48 | A fair-weather friend | A friend who is only there in good times | He proved to be a fair-weather friend. |
| 49 | Make up one’s mind | To decide | I’ve made up my mind to study harder. |
| 50 | Turn over a new leaf | To change behaviour for the better | He decided to turn over a new leaf and study regularly. |
F. Idioms About Money and Hard Work
| # | Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | A penny for your thoughts | Asking what someone is thinking | You look worried—a penny for your thoughts. |
| 52 | Bring home the bacon | To earn a living | He works hard to bring home the bacon. |
| 53 | Save for a rainy day | To save money for emergencies | She always saves for a rainy day. |
| 54 | Feel like a million bucks | To feel great | After the vacation, I feel like a million bucks. |
| 55 | Tighten one’s belt | To spend less money | We had to tighten our belts after the expense. |
| 56 | Worth its weight in gold | Extremely valuable | Your advice is worth its weight in gold. |
| 57 | Make ends meet | To manage with limited money | They struggle to make ends meet every month. |
| 58 | Go the extra mile | To do more than expected | She always goes the extra mile to help others. |
| 59 | Burn a hole in one’s pocket | Money that is quickly spent | His salary burns a hole in his pocket. |
| 60 | Cash cow | A reliable source of income | The new product is a cash cow for the company. |
G. Idioms About Challenges and Success
| # | Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | Bite off more than you can chew | To take on more than you can handle | He bit off more than he could chew with five projects. |
| 62 | By the skin of your teeth | Just barely | He passed the exam by the skin of his teeth. |
| 63 | Hit the ground running | To start something with energy | She hit the ground running on her first day. |
| 64 | Get a taste of your own medicine | To receive the same bad treatment you give | The bully got a taste of his own medicine. |
| 65 | When it rains, it pours | Problems come all at once | I lost my pen and my book—when it rains, it pours. |
| 66 | Every cloud has a silver lining | There is hope in every bad situation | Don’t worry; every cloud has a silver lining. |
| 67 | The best of both worlds | To enjoy two advantages at once | She has the best of both worlds—studies and sports. |
| 68 | Rome wasn’t built in a day | Great things take time | Be patient—Rome wasn’t built in a day. |
| 69 | Practice makes perfect | Repeated practice leads to mastery | Keep writing; practice makes perfect. |
| 70 | Where there’s a will, there’s a way | Determination leads to solutions | She succeeded because where there’s a will, there’s a way. |
H. Additional Useful Idioms
| # | Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | A hot potato | A controversial issue | The topic became a hot potato in the meeting. |
| 72 | Spill the beans | To reveal secret information | Don’t spill the beans about the surprise. |
| 73 | Break a leg | Good luck (especially before a performance) | Break a leg at your exam! |
| 74 | Pulling your weight | Doing your fair share of work | Everyone must pull their weight in the group project. |
| 75 | The early bird catches the worm | Those who start early succeed | Study early—the early bird catches the worm. |
4. How Idioms Help in CBSE, ICSE and SSC Examinations
Idioms are not just decorative phrases—they are practical tools that can boost your examination performance across all boards.
CBSE Examinations
Reading Comprehension: Idioms appear in passages; understanding them improves comprehension
Writing Skills: Using idioms in essays and letters enhances expression
Literature: Authors use idioms to convey character and setting
Grammar: Idiom-based questions test vocabulary knowledge
ICSE Examinations
English Language Paper: Idioms are tested in fill-in-the-blank and matching questions
Literature: Understanding idioms helps appreciate poetry and prose
Composition: Using idioms appropriately improves writing quality
SSC (Maharashtra State Board) Examinations
Language Paper: Idioms and phrases are part of the syllabus
Reading Comprehension: Idioms appear in unseen passages
Writing Skills: Idioms add colour to essays and letters
5. Common Mistakes Students Make with Idioms
| Mistake | Correction |
|---|---|
| Changing the words in an idiom | Idioms are fixed; use them as they are |
| Using idioms in formal writing | Idioms are mostly informal; use them carefully |
| Misunderstanding the meaning | Always check the figurative meaning |
| Overusing idioms | Use them sparingly for impact |
| Translating idioms literally | Idioms don’t translate word-for-word |
6. Easy Tips to Remember Idioms
Learn in context: Read example sentences to understand usage
Group by theme: Learn idioms related to similar topics together
Use flashcards: Write the idiom on one side and the meaning on the other
Practice daily: Use one new idiom each day in your conversation
Watch English movies and shows: Listen for idioms in dialogue
Read English books: Note down idioms you come across
Play games: Use idiom quizzes and puzzles to make learning fun
📞 Contact Dhingra Classes Nashik
Phone: 98230 62106
Email: dhingraclassesnsk@gmail.com
Website: www.dhingraclassesnashik.com
Address: Plot No 3, XQ3G+H3M Deacon Homes, 301C, opp. Metro Zone, near Guru Govind Sing, Samarth Nagar, Dnyaneshwar Nagar, Pathardi Phata, Nashik, Maharashtra 422009
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