Idioms

No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence

Uncle Joe is the black sheep
1 A black sheep A disgrace ‫بدکردار شخص‬
of the family.

The day our daughter was

An important or special ‫خاص یا خوشی کا‬
2 A red-letter day born was a real red-letter day
day ‫دِن‬
for us.

‫مشکالت سے‬ Life of a soldier is a bed of

3 A bed of thorns Full of difficulties
‫بھرپور‬ thorns.

I got a bee in my bonnet about

4 A bee in bonnet An obsession ‫دُھن سوار ہونا‬
racing.

We had a bird's eye view of

5 A bird's eye view An overview ‫سرسری جائزہ‬ the city from top of the
mountain.

Mom's illness was a blessing

in disguise; it brought the
6 A blessing in disguise A hidden favour ‫پُوشیدہ رحمت‬
family together for the first
time in years.

A position without hope All the clues led the detective

7 A blind alley ‫پیش رفت نہ ہونا‬
of progress to a blind alley.

The news of his return was a

8 A bolt from the blue A sudden surprise ‫حیران ُکن واقعہ‬
bolt from the blue.

The house is the bone of

Point of argument of
9 A bone of contention ‫جھگڑے کی وجہ‬ contention between the two
disagreement
brothers.

A cat's-paw works only for his

10 A cat's-paw An agent ‫آ ٰلہ کار‬
master.

The test was child's play to

11 A child's play Very easy task ‫آسان کام‬
those who took good notes.

The manager is very close-

Careful with money,
12 A close-fisted man ‫کنجوس‬ fisted when it comes to paying
penny-pinching
salaries.

He proved himself a dark

Previously unknown,
13 A dark horse ‫ُچھپا رستم‬ horse by winning the first
unexpected
position.

Our contract with the

14 A dead letter Ineffective ‫ختم شدہ‬
company is now a dead letter.
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
Negotiators have reached a
Situation in which
15 A dead end ‫اختتام‬ dead end in their attempts to
progress can't be made
find a peaceful solution.

Stop being a dog in the

16 A dog in the manger Mean ‫ مطلبی‬،‫کمینہ‬ manger and let me use your
books.

Without result, equally It was a drawn game as

17 A drawn game ‫بال نتیجہ کھیل‬
contested neither of the team could win.

18 A fair play Honestly, upright conduct ‫صحیح طریقہ‬ The coach insists on fair play.

The villager was a fish out of

19 A fish out of water Uncomfortable situation ‫بےچینی کی حالت‬
water in the city.

No one believes his fishy

‫مشکوک‬
20 A fishy story Doubtful story story about his successful
‫کہانی‬/‫واقعہ‬
business.

Success makes every day a

21 A gala day A happy moment/day ‫خوشی کا دن‬
gala day.

Salahudin was a man of iron

22 A man of iron will Determined person ‫پُرعزم شخص‬
will.

Allama Iqbal made his

23 A man of letters Male scholar or author ‫عالم شخص‬
identity as a man of letters.

Hamid is a man of parts -

A person with different ‫کئی خوبیوں واال‬
24 A man of parts businessman, sportsman and a
talents ‫شخص‬
cook, to name a few.

We had a narrow escape in the

25 A narrow escape Closely avoid danger ‫بال بال بچنا‬
accident this morning.

I managed to brake just in

time but it was a near miss.
Nearly avoid danger or ‫بال بال بچنا یا‬
26 A near miss OR My success was a near
success ‫کامیابی سے رہ جانا‬
miss but I got confused at the
end.

Wise men always save some

27 A rainy day Tough time ‫مشکل وقت‬
money for a rainy day.

Kate has lived in ten cities in

28 A rolling stone A travelling person ‫سفر کرنے واال‬ as many years - she's a real
rolling stone.

He sure has turned out to be a

29 A rotten egg A bad or useless person ‫بےکار شخص‬
rotten egg.

There is no royal road to

30 A royal road Easy or direct way ‫آسان طریقہ‬
success.
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
I failed to understand the
instructions because the
31 A slip of tongue Error in speaking ‫زبان کا جھول‬
teacher made a slip of the
tongue at an important point.

‫مزہ خراب کرنے‬ His brother was a wet blanket

32 A wet blanket destroy others' enjoyment
‫واال شخص‬ in the party.

The new iPhone is a white

33 A white elephant Expensive (and Useless) ‫مہنگی‬
elephant for me.

She sent us on a wild goose

34 A wild goose chase Futile/Useless search ‫بےمقصد تالش‬
chase looking for her lost ring.

Undoubted, without A dog's loyalty is above

35 Above board ‫شک سے باالتر‬
dishonesty board.

Shouting at a crying child just

36 Add fuel to fire Make something worse ‫جلتی پر تیل ڈالنا‬
adds fuel to the fire.

Hurt someone's feelings, ‫زخموں پر نمک‬ He added insult to injury by

37 Add insult to injury
worsen the situation ‫چھڑکنا‬ asking about my loss.

Tea was served to all and

38 All and sundry One and all ‫خاص و عام‬
sundry in the meeting.

I have been all at sea since I

39 All at sea Completely confused ‫بلکل پریشان‬
started taking this class.

All in all, it was a very

40 All in all Summary, everything ‫مجموعی طور پر‬
motivational speech.

He had to learn the alpha and

omega of corporate law in
41 Alpha and omega Beginning and the end ‫اول و آخر‬
order to even talk to the
lawyers.

The right to host the Olympic

42 An apple of discord Cause of envy or dispute ‫جھگڑے کی وجہ‬ Games is an apple of discord
between the two countries.

He claimed to be
43 An axe to grind Personal benefit ‫ذاتی مفاد‬ disinterested, but I knew he
had an axe to grind.

The story you just told is just

44 An eyewash Deception ‫دھوکا‬
an eyewash.

She has an oily tongue, but an

45 An oily tongue Flattering words ‫خوشامدی الفاظ‬
evil heart.

Steve keeps his financial

46 Apple-pie order Extreme neatness ‫مکمل ترتیب‬
records in apple-pie order.
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
Her grandson is the apple of
47 Apple of one's eyes Very near and dear ‫آنکھ کا تارا‬
her eye.

His exams are near but he

48 As cool as a cucumber Calm ‫پُرسکون‬ remains as cool as a
cucumber.

The bakery is just a stone's

49 At a stone's throw Very near ‫بہت قریب‬
throw away.

The two brothers are at

50 At daggers drawn To be enemies ‫دشمنی پر اُتر آنا‬
daggers drawn over the land.

He completed his assignment

51 At eleventh hour Latest possible time ‫عین وقت پر‬
at the eleventh hour.

She is at home in five

52 At home in At ease, proficient ‫ماہر ہونا‬
languages.

Criminals are at large in the

53 At large At liberty, free ‫آزاد‬ city due to laziness of the
police.

I've tried every possible way

Completely confused, ‫ حواس‬،‫پریشان‬
54 At one's wit's end to solve this problem, and
puzzled ‫باختہ ہونا‬
now I'm at my wit's end.

‫حیران و پریشان‬ I was so surprised that I was

55 At a loss Speechless, confused
‫ہونا‬ at a loss for words.

We all have to do eight hours

56 At a stretch Continuously ‫مسلسل‬
of duty at a stretch.

We will defend our country at

57 At any cost At any price ‫کسی بھی قیمت پر‬
any cost.

With different/opposite Enemies are always at cross-

58 At cross-purposes ‫مختلف مقاصد‬
intentions purposes.

With summer holidays at

59 At hand Near ‫قریب‬ hand, everyone is very
excited.

At length, spring came and the

60 At length Finally ‫آخرکار‬
roses bloomed.

There were dozens of maids

At (someone's) beck
61 Ready to obey someone ‫حکم کے تابع ہونا‬ and waiters at our beck and
and call
call.

That's a very risky investment.

62 At stake At risk ‫خطرے میں‬
How much money is at stake?

63 All ears Listening carefully ‫متوجہ ہو کر سننا‬ I'm all ears, so hurry up and
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
tell me about the incident.

All of a sudden, it became

64 All of a sudden Suddenly ‫اچانک‬
cloudy and started to rain.

Doctors worked around the

65 Around the clock All day and night ‫ہر وقت‬ clock to help the people
injured in the train crash.

We've just moved in, and the

66 At sixes and sevens Disorganised ‫بےترتیب‬ office is still at sixes and
sevens

They backed out of the

‫ چھوڑ‬،‫ُمکر جانا‬
67 Back out To withdraw agreement at the eleventh
‫دینا‬
hour.

There's been bad blood

68 Bad blood Enmity ‫دُشمنی‬ between the two families for
years.

The landlord threw them out

69 Bag and baggage With one's possessions ‫ساز و سامان‬
with bag and baggage.

Be the winner, take the I heard that you might bear

70 Bear the palm ‫فاتح ہونا‬
prize the palm at the science fair!

I hope your new plan bears

71 Bear fruit To yield results ‫فائدہ ہونا‬
fruit.

Her story bears out exactly

72 Bear out Confirm something ‫توثیق کرنا‬
what you said.

Don't beat around the bush

To avoid talk which can ‫اِدھر اُدھر کی باتیں‬
73 Beat about the bush and tell me where my brother
upset someone ‫کرنا‬
is.

Taking care of these older

74 Bed of roses Comfortable ‫پُرسکون‬
patients is no bed of roses.

Who's going to bell the cat

75 Bell the cat Perform a risky task ‫مشکل کام کرنا‬ and tell mom we wrecked her
car?

His better half doesn't care

76 Better half Wife/husband ‫میاں بیوی‬
much for him.

For most people a visit to the

dentist is the result of a choice
Between the devil and Having only two very ‫دو مشکالت کے‬ between the devil and the
77
the deep blue sea unpleasant choices ‫درمیان‬ deep blue sea - if you go you
suffer, and if you don't go you
suffer.
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
The soldiers were left alone
‫دو مصیبتوں کے‬
78 Between two fires Between two difficulties between two fires, when the
‫درمیان‬
supply didn't arrive.

The power went dead and

79 Black out To turn off the lights ‫روشنیاں بند کرنا‬
everything blacked out.

He has been blowing hot and

80 Blow hot and cold To be uncertain ‫غیرمعقول مزاج‬ cold about taking a winter
vacation.

Teaching at the local college

81 Bread and butter Basic income ‫روزی‬
is his bread and butter.

The prisoners broke away

82 Break away To escape ‫بھاگ جانا‬
from the prison this morning.

We broke down the wall with

83 Break down To destroy something ‫توڑنا‬
big hammers.

The thieves broke in and took

84 Break in To enter some place ‫کہیں داخل ہونا‬
all the money.

As soon as the movie started,

85 Break into To begin suddenly ‫اچانک شروع ہونا‬ the people behind me broke
into loud chatting.

A fire broke out in the city,

86 Break out To burst suddenly, escape ‫ بھاگنا‬،‫اچانک پھیلنا‬
last night.

It's hard to break the ice at

87 Break the ice To become friendly ‫دوستانہ ہونا‬
formal events.

The TV channels broke the

88 Break the news To tell important news ‫خبر دینا‬ news of massive corruption by
public officials.

The police broke up the

89 Break up To destroy something ‫توڑنا یا ختم کرنا‬
gambling ring.

On this issue the prime

90 Break with To separate from ‫علیحدہ کرنا‬ minister was forced to break
with his cabinet.

The new manager decided it

،‫کوئی کام کرنا‬
91 Bring about Make something happen was time to bring some
‫سبب بننا‬
changes about.

The professor gave a lecture

92 Bring home Make perfectly clear ‫واضح کرنا‬ that brought home some
important points.

Please bring in a specialist to

93 Bring in To include someone ‫کسی کو شامل کرنا‬
advise on this case.
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
Reveal something to the ‫کوئی چیز عوام پر‬ The newspaper brought the
94 Bring to light
public ‫ظاہر کرنا‬ problem to light.

To raise ‫کسی کی پرورش‬ We brought the cat up from a

95 Bring up
someone/something ‫کرنا‬ kitten.

I counted on her to help, but

96 Broken reed An unreliable support ‫ناقاب ِل اعتماد مدد‬ she turned out to be a broken
reed.

I have a big exam tomorrow

To stay up working late at ‫رات دیر تک کام‬
97 Burn the midnight oil so I will be burning the
night ‫کرنا‬
midnight oil tonight.

Real estate taxes are always a

98 Burning question An urgent or crucial issue ‫اہم مسئلہ‬ burning question for
everyone.

To make peace, to end a Mark and I buried the hatchet

99 Bury the hatchet ‫دشمنی ختم کرنا‬
fight and we are good friends now.

‫وقت گزرنے کے‬ The weather is sure to clear up

100 By and by As time passes
‫ساتھ‬ by and by.

There are a few things that I

101 By and large Generally, Usually ‫مجموعی طور پر‬ don't like about my job, but by
and large it's just fine.

They got the building finished

‫کسی چیز کی وجہ‬
102 By dint of Because of something on time by dint of hard work
‫سے‬
and good organisation.

He failed the exam because he

103 By fits and starts Inconsistent ‫بےقاعدگی سے‬
studies by fits and starts.

I decided that I was going to

‫جائز ناجائز طریقے‬
104 By hook or by crook By all means get that job by hook or by
‫سے‬
crook.

Bank on To depend on ‫کسی چیز پر‬ ٰThis project banks on the

105
someone/something someone/something ‫انحصار کرنا‬ engineers and management.

To receive larger part of ‫کسی چیز کا بڑا‬ Ordinary citizens will bear the
106 Bear the brunt of
something ‫حصہ ملنا‬ brunt of higher taxes.

If we keep spending so much,

107 Before long Soon ‫جلد‬ before long we'll be out of
money.

Beside oneself (with In extreme state of Sarah was beside herself with
108 ‫آپے سے باہر ہونا‬
something) emotion anger.

We found his deception a

109 Bitter pill to swallow An unpleasant fact ‫تلخ حقیقت‬
bitter pill to swallow.
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
To blow one's own ‫اپنے منہ میاں مٹھو‬ He kept on blowing his own
110 To brag about oneself
horn/trumpet ‫بننا‬ trumpet for about an hour.

Because his great-

The blood of a noble ،‫امیر گھرانے کا‬ grandparents made millions,
111 Blue blood
family ‫اشرافیہ‬ he is regarded as one of the
city's blue bloods.

His complete lack of concern

Born with a silver about money is natural of
112 From a rich family ‫امیر گھرانے سے‬
spoon in one's mouth someone who was born with a
silver spoon in their mouth.

To cause something to be Your presence here has been

113 Bring into question ‫سوال اُٹھانا‬
questioned brought into question.

I told him he should stop

Build castles in the ‫ہوائی قلعے تعمیر‬
114 To daydream building castles in the air and
air/in Spain ‫کرنا‬
train for a sensible profession.

She burst into tears when she

115 Burst into tears To cry suddenly ‫اچانک آنسو نکل آنا‬
read the letter.

If you butter up Dad, he'll let

116 Butter (someone) up To flatter someone ‫خوش آمد کرنا‬
you borrow the car.

Certainly, In every I will attempt to get there by

117 By all means ‫ہر طرح سے‬
possible way all means

They achieved victory by

By virtue of
118 As a result of, because of ‫کی وجہ سے‬ virtue of superior military
(something)
strength.

I'm staying away from risky

119 Burn one's fingers Harm oneself ‫اپنا نقصان کرنا‬ stocks so I don't burn my
fingers.

Our productivity improved in

120 By leaps and bounds With rapid progress ‫تیزرفتاری سے‬
leaps and bounds.

To need or demand This job calls for someone

121 Call for ‫مطالبہ کرنا‬
something with experience.

We called in another specialist

122 Call in To request to come ‫درخواست کرنا‬
for an opinion.

The report's findings call into

123 Call into question To doubt ‫شک کرنا‬ question the safety of all such
medicines.

Because of rain, they called

124 Call off To cancel an event ‫ملتوی کرنا‬
off the baseball game.

125 Call on (someone) To visit someone ‫کسی سے مالقات‬ He calls on his mother every
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
‫کرنا‬ day.

Capital punishment is
126 Capital punishment Death penalty ‫سزائے موت‬ abolished in many parts of the
world.

The students didn't carry out

127 Carry out To perform a task ‫کوئی کام کرنا‬
their assignments.

Our team didn't play well at

128 Carry the day To be successful ‫کامیاب ہونا‬ first, but we won the day in
the end.

Her opinion carries a lot of

129 Carry weight To have influence ‫موثر ہونا‬
weight.

He is cast down because of

130 Cast down To discourage ‫مایوس کرنا‬
the bad news.

The two families lived cheek

131 Cheek by jowl Side by side, together ‫ساتھ ساتھ‬
by jowl in one house.

They had a close shave this

132 Close shave A narrow escape ‫بال بال بچنا‬
morning in an accident.

The whole family was

133 Cold blood Ruthlessly ‫بے رحمی سے‬
murdered in cold blood.

How did you come by that

To find something, to stop ‫کچھ ملنا یا کہیں‬
134 Come by haircut? OR Please come by
for a visit ‫رکنا‬
our home sometime.

Very little came of our efforts

135 Come of Result of something ‫کسی چیز کا نتیجہ‬ to control the outbreak of
smallpox.

Your son's children have now

136 Come of age To develop completely ‫بالغ ہونا‬
come of age.

When does this festival come

137 Come off To happen ‫واقع ہونا‬
off?

When will they come out of

138 Come out To emerge, to exit ‫اُبھرنا یا نکلنا‬
that meeting?

He came around after we

139 Come round To wake up ‫جاگنا‬
threw cold water on his face.

The injured driver came to

140 Come to To become conscious ‫ہوش میں آنا‬
after some time.

The prime minister's crocodile

141 Crocodile tears False display of sadness ‫مگرمچھ کے آنسو‬ tears belie the government's
involvement with the
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
massacre of its citizens.

He cried for the moon by

An impractical
142 Cry for the moon ‫الحاصل کی خواہش‬ saying that he wants a new
request/wish
car.

She cut a sorry figure after she

143 Cut a sorry figure To be ashamed ‫شرمندہ ہونا‬
failed in exams.

The doctor told him to cut

144 Cut down Reduce something ‫کم کرنا‬
down on his drugs.

The casting vote was against

145 Casting vote The deciding vote ‫فیصلہ کن ووٹ‬
the cruel taxes.

The protest of civil servants is

Cast pearls before ‫بھینس کے آگے بین‬
146 To waste something good same as casting pearls before
swine ‫بجانا‬
swine.

Catch (someone) red- To someone in the act of Tom was caught red-handed
147 ‫رنگے ہاتھوں پکڑنا‬
handed doing something stealing the car.

I asked for an explanation,

and all I got was your
148 Cock-and-bull story A false, made-up story ‫من گھڑت کہانی‬
ridiculous cock-and-bull
story!

It was cold comfort to the

149 Cold comfort No comfort or consolation ‫حقیر تسلی‬ student that others had failed
as he had done.

The federation came down

Come down hard on
150 To scold someone ‫سخت سزا دینا‬ hard on the players who
(someone)
weren't obeying rules.

Let's not come to blows over

151 Come to blows To start fighting ‫لڑنا‬
this silly disagreement.

In the end, he came to grief

To experience something
152 Come to grief ‫مایوسی کا سامنا‬ because he did not follow
unpleasant
instructions.

We finally came to terms with

Come to terms with To begin to accept
153 ‫سمجھوتا کرنا‬ the bank and bought the
(someone/something) something
house.

The second paragraph of this

154 Crux of the matter Critical point, main idea ‫ب لباب‬
ِ ‫ل‬ essay is the crux of the matter.

To complain when ‫جھوٹ موٹ کی‬ Don't cry wolf too often. No
155 Cry wolf
nothing is wrong ‫شکایت کرنا‬ one will help you.

To interrupt someone, to ،‫بات میں مداخلت‬ In the middle of her sentence,

156 Cut off
isolate ‫الگ کرنا‬ the teacher cut her off and
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
someone/something started explaining.

To do business of My uncle is a stockbroker. He

157 Deal in ‫کاروبار کرنا‬
something deals in stocks and bonds.

The engineers delivered the

158 Deliver the goods To fulfil a promise ‫وعدہ پورا کرنا‬
goods for the contractor.

The fire died down and went

159 Die down To decrease, weaken ‫کمزور ہونا‬
out.

To die while being able to ‫کام کرتے ہوئے‬

160 Die in harness Our soldiers die in harness.
work ‫مرنا‬

‫چھٹکارا حاصل‬ The time has come to do away

161 Do away with Get rid of something
‫کرنا‬ with that old building.

It dawned on me that I was

162 Dawn on someone To realize ‫واضح ہونا‬
actually going to have the job.

After losing his job, he was

163 Down and out Lacking funds ‫مالی کمی‬
completely down and out.

It's time the government

164 Down to Earth Realistic ‫حقیقت میں‬
comes back down to Earth.

She is a very down-to-earth

165 Down-to-earth Realistic ‫عاجز‬
person.

To separate things, mark We should draw a line

166 Draw a line between ‫حد قائم کرنا‬
boundary between the good and the bad.

He is trying to eat his cake

Eat one's cake and have ‫چٹ بھی میرا پٹ‬
167 Having multiple benefits and have it too by investing in
it too ‫بھی میرا‬
two companies.

He was fascinated by the ebb

168 Ebb and flow Decrease then increase ‫اُتار چڑھاو‬ and flow of the Church's
influence over the centuries.

John wouldn't have done the

169 Egg (someone) on Encourage, excite ‫کسی کو اُکسانا‬ dangerous experiment if his
brother hadn't egged him on.

He worked at two jobs in

170 Eke out (a living) To add to something ‫اضافہ کرنا‬
order to eke his income out

The manager ate humble pie

171 Eat humble pie To act humble on mistake ‫غلطی تسلیم کرنا‬
for his wrong planning.

His corruption plans ended in

172 End in smoke To come to nothing ‫بےکار جانا‬
smoke.

173 End up Finish ‫ختم ہونا‬ She ended up her speech with
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
a poem.

174 Every inch Completely ‫مکمل طور پر‬ He was every inch a leader.

The investigation was eye

175 Eye opening Shocking ‫حیران ُکن‬
opening for everyone.

After failing a math test, Tom

‫اپنے اعمال کی سزا‬
176 Face the music To receive punishment had to go home and face the
‫بھگتنا‬
music.

The World Cup organisers are

177 Fair play Obey rules ‫جائز طریقہ سے‬ keen to promote the idea of
fair play.

Many women would object to

178 Fair sex Girls or women ‫خواتین‬ being called the fair sex
nowadays.

A fair-weather friend isn't

179 Fair-weather friend Friend in good times only ‫مطلبی دوست‬
much help in an emergency.

The rats fall a prey to the

180 Fall a prey to To be hunted ‫شکار ہونا‬
eagle.

When he lost his job he had to

181 Fall back on To depend on something ‫سہارا لینا‬
fall back upon his savings.

The statement falls in exactly

182 Fall in with Agree with ‫متفق ہونا‬
with my view.

Business falls off during the

183 Fall off To decline ‫نیچے گِرنا‬
summer months.

Mary fell out of the tree and

To Topple out of hurt herself. OR Bill fell out
184 Fall out ‫گِرنا یا اختالف‬
something, To disagree with Sara over the question of
buying a new car.

The Medal of Honor is a

185 Feather in one's cap One's accomplishment ‫اعزاز‬
feather in his cap.

Bored of I got fed up with the noisy

186 Fed up with ‫تنگ آجانا‬
someone/something neighbours.

Service stations on this

187 Few and far between Few and widely scattered. ‫بہت کم‬ highway are few and far
between.

She finds fault in every

188 Find fault with To criticise ‫نکتہ چینی کرنا‬
movie.

The fly in the ointment is the

189 Fly in the ointment A drawback ‫کمزوری‬
fact that the UN has not
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
approved the peace plan.

They repaired the car many

190 For good Forever ‫ہمیشہ کے لئے‬ times before they bought a
new one for good.

For
We have to stop fighting for
191 For the sake of someone's/something's ‫کسی کی خاطر‬
the sake of national unity.
good

He fell ill for want of sleep

192 For want of Lack of ‫کمی‬
and rest.

‫اجازت کے بغیر‬ Is he really ill again, or is he

193 French leave Leave without permission
‫چھٹی‬ just taking French leave?

Only bare essentials, After she lost her job she was
194 From hand to mouth ‫ مشکل سے‬،‫غربت‬
poverty living from hand to mouth.

We had a face to face meeting

195 Face to face One to one ‫آمنے سامنے‬
with the CEO.

Fall head over heels in ‫محبت میں گرفتار‬ Mr. Chips fell head over heels
196 To fall deeply in love
love with ‫ہونا‬ in love with Katherine.

Sales for the first half of the

197 Fall short of Insufficient ‫ناکافی‬
year fell short of the target.

Far cry from This food is a far cry from

198 Very different ‫مختلف‬
(something) what we got in the cafeteria.

Feast one's eyes on We feasted our eyes on the

199 Delighted be sight of ‫دیکھ کر خوشی ہونا‬
(someone/something) delicious food.

To get wealthy because of The corrupt ministers are

200 Feather one's nest ‫ناجائز فائدہ اُٹھانا‬
one's position feathering their nests.

Feel sorry for I feel sorry for the poor

201 To feel compassion ‫رحم آنا‬
(someone) people.

A sign of one's The detective said that three

202 Finger in the pie ‫ملوث ہونا‬
involvement people had fingers in the pie.

First and foremost, I think you

203 First and foremost Most important ‫سب سے اہم‬ should work harder on your
mathematics.

To seek personal benefit ‫مشکل وقت میں‬ The corrupt government

204 Fish in troubled waters
in difficult times ‫ذاتی فائدہ اُٹھانا‬ fishes in troubled waters.

205 Flesh and blood Blood relative ‫رشتہ دار‬ Ahmed is my flesh and blood.

Follow in (someone's) To succeed another The boy followed in his

206 ‫نقش قدم پر چلنا‬
ِ
footsteps/tracks person father's footsteps and became
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
an author.

I couldn't decide what to do,

207 Follow one's heart Act according to feelings ‫اپنی مرضی سے‬
so I just followed my heart.

Fathers should not smoke

208 Follow suit To follow pattern/example ‫تقلید کرنا‬
because sons follow suit.

We made the cake from

209 From scratch From beginning ‫آغاز سے‬ scratch, using no prepared
ingredients.

To recover from It took me some time to get

210 Get over ‫صحت یاب ہونا‬
disease/difficulty over the flu.

It's time we got rid of these

211 Get rid of Free oneself from ‫نجات حاصل کرنا‬
old newspapers.

Customs was a mess, but we

To get something ‫کچھ پہنچانا یا مکمل‬ got through with all our
212 Get through
transported or done ‫کرنا‬ baggage in only twenty
minutes.

Once I get up and have coffee,

213 Get up To wake up ‫جاگنا‬
I'm ready to work.

The police got wind of the

214 Get wind of To hear about something ‫اُڑتی اُڑتی خبر ملنا‬
drug deal.

We reached an agreement
215 Give and take Mutual compromise ‫سمجھوتہ‬ after many hours of
bargaining and give and take.

The king is foolish if he

216 Give in To surrender, collapse ‫ہار مان لینا‬ believes our rebellion will
ever give in!

To abandon The doctor advised me to give

217 Give up ‫ترک کرنا‬
someone/something up sugar in all forms.

‫وعدہ پورا نا‬ The mayor has gone back on

218 Go back on To fail a promise
‫کرسکنا‬ several promises.

To pass by We went by Alice without

219 Go by ‫پاس سے گزرنا‬
someone/something even noticing her.

The bomb went off and did a

220 Go off To explode, to sound ‫پھٹنا یا شور کرنا‬ lot of damage. OR The alarm
went off at seven o'clock.

There won’t be enough pizza

To be enough for ‫ہر ایک کے لئے‬
221 Go around to go around if you take two
everyone ‫کافی‬
pieces.
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
The professor went through
222 Go through To examine carefully ‫غور سے جائزہ لینا‬
the students' papers.

It is sad that this once first-

223 Go to the dogs To become worse ‫بےکار ہوجانا‬ class hotel has gone to the
dogs.

He gets along with new

224 Get along with Have smooth relations ‫اچھے تعلقات‬
people.

Agassi got the better of

Get the better of
225 To win a victory over ‫کسی سے جیت جانا‬ Becker in the tennis
(someone)
championship.

You need a bit of get-up-and-

226 Get-up-and-go Having energy/ambition ‫جزبہ‬ go if you're going to work in
the military.

Ability to speak The guy delivering the speech

227 Gift of the gab ‫تقریر کی صالحیت‬
persuasively has a gift of the gab.

John is a bit too nosy, but he

‫حریف یا کسی کی‬ keeps his yard clean and is a
228 Give the devil his due To give foe proper credit
‫صالحیت تسلیم کرنا‬ kind neighbour. I'll give the
devil his due.

The vase went to pieces when

Fall into pieces, mental ‫ٹوٹنا یا دماغی‬
229 Go to pieces I put it down. OR Fred went
collapse ‫توازن کھونا‬
to pieces during the trial.

It goes without saying that

Unambiguous, self-
230 Go without saying ‫بےشک و شبہ‬ success is the product of hard
evident
work.

Useless. ('good-for-
The old car is good for
231 Good for nothing nothing', if used as a ‫بےکار‬
nothing.
modifier before a noun)

The calf—hale and hearty—

232 Hale and hearty Healthy ‫صحت مند‬
ran around the barnyard.

At this company, we don't

233 Hard and fast Defined and invariable ‫ناقاب ِل تبدیل‬
have any hard and fast rules.

They worked hand in glove at

234 Hand in glove with In close cooperation ‫قریب ہونا‬
our factory.

Ali studied for the exams with

235 Heart and soul Completely ‫مکمل طور پر‬
his heart and soul.

He worked here and there but

236 Here and there At various places ‫مختلف جگہوں پر‬
never for long in one town.

237 Hold water To stand up to critical ‫صحت مند ثابت ہونا‬ The corrupt businessman's
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
examination explanations do not hold
water.

I'm hoping against hope that

to have hope in a hopeless ‫نااُمیدی کے وقت‬
238 Hope against hope someone will return my lost
situation ‫میں اُمید‬
wallet.

The company's decision to

239 Hue and cry A large public protest ‫ شور و غل‬،‫احتجاج‬ send thousands of jobs
overseas started a hue and cry.

The poor and even the middle

To live from hand to To live with bare
240 ‫مشکل سے گزارا‬ class lives from hand to
mouth essentials
mouth.

Who is this man that is

hanging around the
To be at some place or ‫کسی جگہ یا کسی‬
241 Hang around department? OR He is
with someone ‫کے ساتھ ہونا‬
hanging around with his
friends.

This assignment is a hard nut

242 Hard nut to crack Difficult to deal with ‫مشکل کام‬
to crack.

I was so hard up, I couldn't

243 Hard up In need of money ‫کنگال ہونا‬
afford to buy food.

Stop harping on my mistakes

244 Harp on (something) To repeat something ‫کوئی بات دُہرانا‬
and work on your own.

The police took him in, but let

245 Have clean hands To be guiltless ‫بےقصور‬ him go after questioning
because he had clean hands.

Have nothing to do Most of the provisions of the

Not associated with
246 with ‫کوئی تعلق نہ ہونا‬ new law have nothing to do
someone/something
(someone/something) with terrorism.

Brave people do not hide their

Hide/bury one's head in ‫مصیبت سے سر‬
247 Refuse to face something heads in sand during difficult
sand ‫ُچرانا‬
times.

It's high time for the

248 High time Appropriate time ‫مناسب وقت‬
preparation of the test.

Hit (someone) below That merchant hits everyone

249 To deal unfairly ‫ناجائز فائدہ اُٹھانا‬
the belt below the belt.

If you want a yellow car, it's

250 Hobson's choice No alternative ‫کوئی متبادل نہ ہونا‬ Hobson's choice because the
dealer has only one.

‫اپنا وقار برقرار‬ Brian could hold his head up

251 Hold one's head up Behave proudly
‫رکھنا‬ because he'd tried extremely
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
hard.

Cramming to get good grades

Weak
252 House of cards ‫کمزور‬ makes your knowledge a
structure/foundation
house of cards.

John got himself into hot

253 In hot water In trouble ‫مشکل میں‬
water by being late.

John is in a fix because he lost

254 In a fix In difficult situation ‫مشکل میں‬
his wallet.

The answer, in a nutshell, is

255 In a nutshell Very brief ‫مختصر‬
no.

Your offer sounds good, but I

256 In black and white Written or printed ‫تحریری شکل میں‬ want you to put it in black and
white.

In the summer months, things

257 In full swing At the peak of activity ‫پورے جوش میں‬ really get into full swing
around here.

In short, we have to decide

whether to continue losing
258 In short Stated briefly ‫مختصر‬
money or change the way we
do business.

There is such a feeling of joy

259 In the air Everywhere ‫ہر جگہ‬
in the air.

Suddenly Paul was in the

260 In the same boat In the same situation ‫ایک ہی حالت میں‬ same boat as any other worker
who had lost a job.

The road was built in the teeth

While experiencing ‫مشکالت کے‬
261 In the teeth of of fierce opposition from
difficulties ‫باوجود‬
environmentalists.

I feel ill at ease about the

262 Ill at ease Uneasy ‫پریشان‬
interview.

He killed his on family in cold

263 In cold blood With cruel intent ‫سفاکی سے‬
blood.

The new windows are in

‫کسی چیز کے‬
264 In keeping with Suited to something keeping with the colonial style
‫مطابق‬
of the house.

The doctor arrived in the nick

265 In the nick of time Just before it's too late ‫عین وقت پر‬
of time.

After his surgery, he has been

266 In the pink In very good condition ‫اچھی حالت میں‬
in the pink.
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
The correct way to do ‫صحیح یا مکمل‬ Mark knows the ins and outs
267 Ins and outs of
something ‫طریقہ‬ of repairing computers.

John can do plumbing,

Skilled in many different
268 Jack of all trades ‫ہرفن موال‬ carpentry, and roofing—a jack
areas
of all trades.

‫بار بار جیل جانے‬ Mike had spent most of his

269 Jail bird Repeatedly jailed criminal
‫واال‬ life as a jail bird.

This new service helps

270 Keep abreast of To have latest information ‫جدید معلومات ہونا‬ doctors keep abreast of the
newest drugs available.

I could hardly keep myself

271 Keep from To avoid something ‫دور رہنا‬
from the dessert table.

The salaries are not keeping

272 Keep pace with To move with ‫ساتھ ساتھ چلنا‬
pace with inflation.

The old man kicked the

273 Kick the bucket To die ‫فوت ہوجانا‬
bucket last night.

I was delighted to find all my

274 Kith and kin Relative ‫رشتہ دار‬ kith and kin waiting for me at
the airport.

Keep body and soul ‫کم دولت ہوتے‬ I don't earn enough money to
275 Survive with little money
together ‫ہوئے زندہ رہنا‬ keep body and soul together.

You can count on Richard;

276 Keep one's word Fulfil one's promise ‫وعدہ پورا کرنا‬
he'll keep his word.

I don't make a lot of money,

Keep the wolf from the
277 To keep from starving ‫ُگزارا کرنا‬ just enough to keep the wolf
door
from the door.

To make things look ‫خراب حاالت کو‬ Things may be unpleasant, but
278 Keep up appearances
alright ‫ٹھیک ظاہر کرنا‬ we will keep up appearances.

To stay equal with You're running so fast that I

279 Keep up with ‫ساتھ ساتھ چلنا‬
someone/something cannot keep up with you.

280 Kill time To use up time ‫وقت ُگزارنا‬ I killed time reading a novel.

The librarian knitted his

‫ناگواری کا اظہار‬
281 Knit one's brows To frown brows when the students made
‫کرنا‬
noise.

The boss doesn't like

282 Lame excuse False excuse ‫جھوٹا بہانا‬ employees who make lame
excuses.

283 Laughing stock Subject of mockery ‫جس پر لوگ ہنسیں‬ If I mess up this speech, I'll be
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
the laughing stock of the
school!

Wise men lay by some money

284 Lay by To save something ‫کوئی چیز بچانا‬
for hard times.

He will never find his way in

Lead (someone) by the To guide someone ‫کسی کی رہنمائی‬
285 New York unless you lead
nose carefully ‫کرنا‬
him by the nose.

Allow
‫داخلے کی اجازت‬ I opened a window to let in
286 Let in someone/something to
‫دینا‬ some fresh air.
enter

When Bill glanced at the door,

he let the cat out of the bag
Let the cat out of the Reveal a secret by ‫غلطی سے راز‬
287 because we knew then that he
bag accident ‫ظاہر کرنا‬
was expecting someone to
arrive.

‫کسی چیز کا بڑا‬ As usual, my brother took the

288 Lion's share Greater part of something
‫حصہ‬ lion's share of the cake.

The long and short of this

289 Long and short In short ‫مختصر‬ report is that the company is
in loss.

He looks after his younger

290 Look after To take care of ‫خیال رکھنا‬
brother.

We should not look down

291 Look down upon Consider someone inferior ‫حقارت سے دیکھنا‬
upon anyone.

To seek He was looking for his

292 Look for ‫تالش کرنا‬
someone/something brother.

I'm really looking forward to

293 Look forward to To anticipate something ‫منتظر ہونا‬
your visit next week.

A federal grand jury is

294 Look into To investigate something ‫چھان بین کرنا‬
looking into the new law.

The team must look sharp if

295 Look sharp To be alert ‫ہوشیار رہنا‬
they want to win.

The last of irritations that ‫غصہ دالنے والی‬ He has been late before, but
296 Last straw
leads to loss of patience ‫بات‬ this is the last straw.

Nowadays the middle class is

‫ذلت آمیز زندگی‬
297 Lead a dog's life Live a petty life leading a dog's life because of
‫گزارنا‬
inflation.

Let bygones be We should let bygones be

298 To forgive someone ‫معاف کرنا‬
bygones bygones and move on to more
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
important things.

Fail to support someone, The team didn't want to let

299 Let someone down ‫توقعات پر نہ اُترنا‬
disappoint someone down the coach.

When the other troops failed

To lose
300 Lose heart ‫حوصلہ ہارنا‬ to arrive, the men lost heart
courage/confidence
and surrendered.

To become angry at I hate to lose my temper at

301 Lose one's temper ‫کسی پر غصہ ہونا‬
someone/something someone.

If I knew you were a loud

302 Loud mouth A person who talks a lot ‫منہ پھٹ‬ mouth, I'd have never shared
my secret with you!

He cut a fine figure in his

303 Maiden speech First speech ‫پہلی تقریر‬
maiden speech.

I have to work at two jobs to

304 Make both ends meet To cover basic expenses ‫گزارا کرنا‬
make ends meet.

Bob worked hard to make

305 Make good Succeed at something ‫کامیاب ہونا‬
good at selling.

Can I make up the test that I

306 Make up To redo something ‫تالفی کرنا‬
missed?

‫ہر ممکن کوشش‬ I moved heaven and Earth to

307 Move heaven and Earth To do everything possible
‫کرنا‬ get you that job.

The Titanic sank on its

308 Maiden voyage A ship's first voyage ‫پہال سمندری سفر‬
maiden voyage.

Make a clean breast of Tell the truth about He made a clean breast of his
309 ‫اعترافِ جرم کرنا‬
(something) something corruption.

Make a face (at The little girl made a face at

310 To ridicule ‫منہ چڑھانا‬
someone) her brother.

Make amends for I worked hard to make

311 To compensate ‫تالفی کرنا‬
(something) amends for my losses.

The cat made away with the

312 Make away with To take away something ‫کوئی چیز لے بھاگنا‬
piece of meat.

She has made up her mind to

313 Make up (one's) mind To decide something ‫فیصلہ کرنا‬
join the army.

Threatened with suspension,

314 Mend one's way Improve one's behaviour ‫عادات سنوارنا‬ Jerry promised to mend his
ways.

315 Mind one's own Pay attention to one's own ‫اپنے کام سے کام‬ If he would only mind his
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
business affairs ‫رکھنا‬ own business, there would be
fewer quarrels.

They are missing the boat on

316 Miss the boat/bus To lose an opportunity ‫موقع گنوا دینا‬ improving relations with
Russia.

Do you think you can muster

317 Muster up courage Gather courage ‫حوصلہ جمع کرنا‬ enough courage up to do the
job?

If this problem isn't nipped in

318 Nip in the bud Put an end to something ‫جڑ سے خاتمہ کرنا‬ the bud, it will soon get totally
out of hand.

I read a novel every now and

319 Now and then Occasionally, sometimes ‫کبھی کبھار‬
again.

The court declared the law to

320 Null and void Having no legal effect ‫کالعدم‬
be null and void.

Losing their biggest customer

Nail in (someone's) Something that will
321 ‫تباہی کی وجہ‬ was the final nail in the
coffin destroy something
company's coffin.

I've been exercising off and

322 Off and on Irregularly ‫بےقاعدگی سے‬
on for a while now.

Without preparation or Offhand, I can't think of a

323 Offhand ‫بغیر سوچے‬
forethought better solution than this.

No longer one's We finally got that project off

324 Off hands ‫ذمہ داری نہ ہونا‬
responsibility out hands.

The team held a party on the

325 On the eve of Just before something ‫کسی موقع پر‬
eve of the tournament.

On the whole, this idea is very

326 On the whole Considering everything ‫مجموعی طور پر‬
good.

My sister lives in Spain, so I

Very seldom, almost
327 Once in a blue moon ‫کبھی کبھار‬ only get to see her once in a
never
blue moon.

That singer is an out-and-out

328 Out-and-out Complete, absolute ‫مکمل‬ genius when it comes to
writing music!

329 (Over) head and ears Completely, wholly ‫مکمل طور پر‬ He is head and ears in debt.

Of one's own I cleaned up my room of my

330 By one's own choice ‫اپنی مرضی سے‬
accord/free will own accord.

331 On the horns of a Unable to decide between ‫دو چیزوں میں سے‬ Nonprofit groups are often
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
dilemma two things ‫فیصلہ نہ کر پانا‬ caught on the horns of a
dilemma – they have to satisfy
their donors and attract new
donors.

I was on the verge of calling

‫کچھ کرنے یا ہونے‬
332 On the verge of Close to the doctor when he suddenly
‫کے نزدیک‬
got better.

I'm going to get this place

333 Once and for all Permanently ‫ہمیشہ کے لئے‬
organised once and for all!

It's an open secret that Max is

334 An open secret Secret known to many ‫ُکھال راز‬
looking for a new job.

Being recognized on the street

335 Part and parcel Necessary part ‫الزمی حصہ‬ is part and parcel of being a
celebrity.

My aunt passed away last

336 Pass away To die ‫فوت ہوجانا‬
month.

He just pays lip service

337 Pay lip service Insincere loyalty/respect ‫خوشآمدی‬
instead of working.

I was so bored at work that I

Absent without ‫بغیر اجازت‬
338 Play truant decided to play truant after
permission ‫غیرحاضری‬
lunch.

We're playing with fire if we

339 Play with fire Taking risks ‫خطرہ مول لینا‬ continue with genetic
modification of our food.

We've been discussing the

Advantages and
340 Pros and cons ‫خوبیاں و خامیاں‬ pros and cons of buying a
disadvantages
house.

I put some money by for a

341 Put by To reserve ‫بچا کر رکھنا‬
rainy day.

A poet puts down his feelings

342 Put down To write down ‫لکھنا‬
on paper.

I had to put off the plumber

343 Put off To delay dealing ‫ٹالنا‬ again, because we don't have
money to pay him.

I put a heavy coat on to go

344 Put on To wear ‫پہننا‬
outside in the cold.

345 Put out To extinguish ‫بُجھانا‬ He used water to put out fire.

Put the cart before the John has the cart before the
346 In wrong order ‫اُلٹا کام کرنا‬
horse horse in most of his projects.
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
I cannot put up with your
347 Put up with To tolerate ‫برداشت کرنا‬
constant whining any longer!

He won the game by playing

348 Play one's trump card A key to advantage ‫ت عملی‬
ِ ‫بہترین حکم‬
his trump card.

I'm more qualified than John

Play second fiddle to In a less important ‫کسی سے کم درجہ‬
349 but I still have to play second
(someone) position ‫پر ہونا‬
fiddle to him.

Poke one's nose into I told her to stop poking her

350 To interfere ‫مداخلت کرنا‬
something nose into our business.

The students used to pull Mr.

351 Pull (someone's) legs Tease someone ‫بیوقوف بنانا‬
Chips' legs.

The rank and file usually do

352 Rank and file Ordinary people ‫عام لوگ‬
exactly as they are told.

Official rules which cause ‫قوانین جن سے‬ My passport application has

353 Red tape
delay ‫تاخیر ہو‬ been held up by red tape.

Even though you did well on

Rely on one's past ‫ِپچھلی کامیابیوں پر‬
354 Rest on one's laurels all your exams, you can't
achievements ‫مطمئن ہونا‬
simply rest on your laurels.

To read from beginning to ‫شروع سے آخر تک‬ He reads the newspaper cover
355 Read cover to cover
end ‫پڑھنا‬ to cover.

Dad read us a lecture after the

356 Read a lecture Teach a lesson ‫سبق سکھانا‬ teacher phoned and
complained about us.

I will run down and talk to

357 Run down To reduce, come down ‫کم ہونا یا نیچے آنا‬ you. OR The water reservoirs
are running down.

She poured the coffee until

358 Run over To overflow ‫زیادتی ہونا‬
the cup ran over.

359 Run short of Shortage of something ‫کمی ہونا‬ We are running short of eggs.

If you read between the lines,

To try to understand
360 Read between the lines ‫مخفی مطلب سمجھنا‬ you can begin to see what it
hidden meaning
really means.

After the trial, the criminals

361 Scot-free Without paying ‫سزا سے بچ جانا‬
went scot-free.

He went to the airport to see

362 See off To say goodbye ‫الوداع کہنا‬
us off.

We saw through the fraud of

363 See through To understand ‫بھانپ لینا‬
this company.
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
If you don't go I shall send for
364 Send for Summon ‫بُالنا‬
the police.

The court has set aside the

365 Set aside To reject ‫رد کرنا‬
new petrol prices.

He had some petrol set by for

366 Set by Put aside for future ‫بچا کر رکھنا‬
an emergency situation.

In winter, darkness sets in so

367 Set in To begin ‫شروع ہونا‬
early!

The wind will set the ship in

368 Set in motion Move something ‫چالنا‬
motion.

We set off for Tokyo three

369 Set off Leave for a journey ‫سفر کرنا‬
hours late.

We set out on our trip exactly

370 Set out Leave for a journey ‫سفر کرنا‬
as planned.

It took nearly an hour to set

371 Set up To establish something ‫کچھ قائم کرنا‬
up the tent.

I smelled a rat as he made that

To sense something
372 Smell a rat ‫گڑبڑ محسوس کرنا‬ offer. It sounded too good to
wrong
be true.

A friend with the intent to How could I ever have trusted

373 Snake in the grass ‫چھپا ہوا دُشمن‬
deceive that snake in the grass?

The soldiers were in spick-

374 Spick-and-span Clean, spotless ‫صاف ستھرا‬
and-span uniforms.

Ten thousand soldiers are on

‫استعمال کے لئے‬
375 Stand by Available for use, waiting stand by for in case of a
‫تیار‬
natural disaster.

Excitement about a trivial There's no danger of a war ‐

376 Storm in a teacup ‫بات کا بتنگڑ بنانا‬
matter it's all a storm in a teacup.

Can you quickly tell me the

،‫مرکزی خیال‬
377 Sum and substance A summary sum and substance of your
‫خالصہ‬
proposal?

I thought she felt that way, but

Say (something) to ‫کسی سے کھری‬
378 Say directly to someone I never thought she'd say it to
(someone's) face ‫کھری کہ دینا‬
my face.

See eye to eye (with My father and I see eye to eye

379 To agree with someone ‫متفق ہونا‬
someone) on most things.

They're making the new

380 Snail's pace Very slow pace ‫سست رفتار‬
vaccine, but at a snail's pace.
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
Don't waste time splitting
Make unnecessary ‫غیرضروری‬
381 Split hairs hairs and accept it the way it
distinctions ‫امتیازات‬
is.

Rumours spread like wildfire

382 Spread like wildfire To spread rapidly ‫تیزی سے پھیلنا‬
when people are excited.

The lunch program at school

383 Square meal A nutritious meal ‫متناسب کھانا‬ provides square meals for
children.

Trying to teach me math is

Square peg in a round
384 Not fitting in or together ‫ایک ساتھ نہ جڑنا‬ like trying to fit a square peg
hole
into a round hole.

Afghanistan stood its ground

‫اپنی جگہ برقرار‬
385 Stand one's ground Maintain one's position even after facing many
‫رکھنا‬
invasions.

We should strike while the

To hit/strike while the Take action while there's
386 ‫موقع کا فائدہ اُٹھانا‬ iron is hot, and buy a house as
iron is hot chance
soon as possible.

She takes after her grandfather

387 Take after To resemble a relative ‫مشابہت ہونا‬
in her talent for design.

Today in tennis, Martinez

took down Kournikova to win
388 Take down To write, to defeat ‫ ہرانا‬،‫لکھنا‬ the championship. OR Please
take these figures down in
your notebook.

Salespeople have to take into

‫ ذہن میں‬،‫شامل کرنا‬
389 Take into account To consider something account the differences
‫رکھنا‬
between their customers.

After he retired, he took to

390 Take to To start doing regularly ‫باقاعدگی سے کرنا‬
working in the local schools.

‫کام کے بارے میں‬ John and his brother talk shop

391 Talk shop Talk about business/work
‫بات کرنا‬ on the weekends.

Overworking was now

392 Tell upon To have an effect ‫اثر انداز ہونا‬ beginning to tell upon the
health of Steve.

Through good and bad ‫اچھے برے حاالت‬ Dogs are loyal to you through
393 Through thick and thin
times ‫سے‬ thick and thin.

He became a doctor to abide

394 To abide by To obey ‫پابندی کرنا‬
by his father's wishes.

They backed out of the deal

395 To back out To recede ‫پیچھے ہٹ جانا‬
when we refused to accept
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
their new terms.

She is hard up after losing her

396 To be hard up Having too little money ‫تنگ دست ہونا‬
job.

When she told me the news, I

397 To be taken aback Surprised ‫حیران رہ جانا‬ was taken aback for a
moment.

Don't beat around the bush

To avoid talking about ‫اِدھر اُدھر کی باتیں‬
398 To beat about the bush and just tell me where he did
something ‫کرنا‬
he go.

To be at one's beck and She had a dozen servants at

399 Ready to obey ‫کام کے لئے تیار‬
call her beck and call.

The criminals must be brought

400 To bring to book To punish ‫سزا دینا‬
to book.

He burned his fingers in the

401 To burn one's finger Harm oneself ‫اپنے آپ کو نقصان‬
stock market.

‫کھری کھری بات‬ More time will be wasted if

402 To call a spade a spade To speak clearly
‫کرنا‬ we don't call a spade a spade.

John was punished for calling

403 To call names To insult someone ‫نام رکھنا‬
his teacher names.

Twenty four officers have

faced charges since the
404 To come to light To become known ‫منظر عام پر آنا‬
ِ scandal came to light last
month.

Tom was stealing the car

To catch someone doing
405 To catch red-handed ‫رنگے ہاتھوں پکڑنا‬ when the police caught him
something
red-handed.

This beautiful story casts a

406 To cast a spell To delight ‫جادو کرنا‬
spell on its readers.

Let's not come to blows over

407 To come to blows To have a fight ‫لڑائی پر اُتر آنا‬
this silly disagreement.

Dad cut away at the chicken

408 To cut at To cut or slice ‫کاٹنا‬ and asked us what part we
wanted.

Injure someone Your insulting comments cut

409 To cut to the quick ‫ذہنی صدمہ دینا‬
emotionally me to the quick.

Ali was wrong and had to take

410 To eat one's word Take back what one said ‫اپنے الفاظ واپس لینا‬
eat his words.

411 To fall flat To fail ‫ بےاثر‬،‫ناکام ہونا‬ The advertising campaign

No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
which had worked so well in
the US fell flat in UK.

In the last minutes of the

To fight with one's
412 In a difficult situation ‫مشکل میں ہونا‬ game, our team had to fight
back to the wall
with their back to the wall.

You're flogging a dead horse

‫وقت ضائع کرنے‬
413 To flog a dead horse Useless activity trying to persuade him to
‫واال کام‬
come to Spain.

Somehow, we managed to get

414 To get in To enter ‫داخل ہونا یا کرنا‬ our son into a fine private
school.

He got into hot water with his

415 To get into hot water To get into trouble ‫مشکل میں پڑنا‬ school by not paying his
tuition.

I'm girding up my loins for

416 To gird up one's loins Prepare for action ‫تیاری کرنا‬
that interview.

He didn't dare give vent to his

417 To give vent to To express an emotion ‫جزبات کا اظہار‬ annoyance in front of her
parents.

The bomb went off and did a

418 To go off To explode or to sound ‫پھٹنا یا آواز کرنا‬ lot of damage. OR The alarm
went off at seven o'clock.

The government should not

419 To grease the palm To bribe somebody ‫رشوت دینا‬ grease the palms of public
officials.

Leave someone who's ‫کسی کو منتظر‬ Where were you, John? You
420 To leave in the lurch
waiting for you ‫چھوڑ دینا‬ really left me in the lurch.

To leave no stone ‫ہر ممکن کوشش‬ He left no stone unturned to

421 To try every possibility
unturned ‫کرنا‬ provide justice.

Our enemies shall lick the

422 To lick the dust To lose in battle ‫جنگ میں ہارنا‬
dust.

She's got enough money to

423 To take a fancy to To like something ‫پسند کرنا‬ buy whatever she takes a
fancy to.

We should not make fun of

424 To make fun of To ridicule ‫مزاق اُڑانا‬
others.

We hope scientists are able to

425 To make headway To make progress ‫آگے بڑھنا‬
make headway against cancer.

426 To make off with To steal ‫ُچرانا‬ The robbers broke into the
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
bank and made off with $50
million.

He had to pay through the

427 To pay through nose Pay heavy amount ‫بھاری قیمت ادا کرنا‬
nose for car parking.

The committee passed on the

Accept/approve
428 To pass on ‫منظور کرنا یا مرنا‬ proposal. OR Mr. Chips
someone/something, die
passed on at the age of 85.

The police rounded up the two

429 To round up To gather ‫اکٹھا کرنا‬
suspects for questioning.

When Mary and Mike argue,

it is best to sit on the fence
430 To sit on the fence not to take sides ‫حمایت نہ کرنا‬
and not make either of them
angry.

Please sit down and make

431 To stand on ceremony To behave formal ‫رسمی انداز میں‬ yourself comfortable, we don't
stand on ceremony here.

In the past they've to turned a

432 Turn a deaf ear To ignore ‫نظرانداز کرنا‬
deaf ear to such requests.

The board turned our request

433 To turn down To reject or refuse ‫مسترد کرنا‬
down.

Our plan will work out in the

end. OR I go to the gym to
434 To work out Be effective, exercise ‫ ورزش‬،‫موئثر‬
work out at least twice a
week.

Our sailboat turned turtle

435 Turn turtle To turn upside-down ‫اُلٹ جانا‬
during the storm.

Please turn up the radio! OR

436 Turn up To increase, to arrive ‫زیادہ کرنا یا پہنچنا‬ Guess who turned up at my
door last night?

Everything he said is true, and

To take (something) to To take something
437 ‫سنجیدگی سے لینا‬ I hope people will take it to
heart seriously
heart.

I told her to take heart and try

438 To take heart To be encouraged ‫پُراعتماد ہونا‬
again next time.

To take (someone) by His resignation took us all

439 To surprise someone ‫کسی کو حیران کرنا‬
surprise completely by surprise.

To expect something ‫اہمیت دیئے بغیر‬ So many of us take clean

440 To take for granted
without gratitude ‫استعمال کرنا‬ water for granted.

441 To take to task To criticise ‫سرزنش کرنا‬ I lost a big contract, and the
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
boss took me to task in front
of everyone.

The military took the bull by

To take the bull by the To confront difficulties ‫مشکل کا جم کر‬
442 the horns and eliminated the
horns resolutely ‫مقابلہ کرنا‬
terrorists.

Our enemies took to their

443 To take to one's heels To run away ‫بھاگ جانا‬ heels when we revealed our
nuclear power.

I decided to settle the matter

Right at that time and ‫اُسی وقت اور موقع‬
444 Then and there then and there and not wait
place ‫پر‬
until Monday.

True to his word, John

445 True to one's word To keep one's promise ‫وعدہ پورا کرنا‬ showed up at exactly eight
o'clock.

Turn one's back on To reject He does not turns his back on

446 ‫مسترد کرنا‬
(someone/something) someone/something anyone's request for help.

I have made a mess of my life.

447 Turn over a new leaf To reform and begin again ‫دوبارہ آغاز کرنا‬ I'll turn over a new leaf and
hope to do better.

After six defeats, we finally

Turn the tables on Change a situation to
448 ‫ت حال بدلنا‬
ِ ‫صور‬ turned the tables on our old
(someone) one's advantage
rivals.

Someone stole some money at

449 Under a cloud Suspected of something ‫مشکوک‬ work, and now everyone is
under a cloud of suspicion.

‫اچھی اور بری‬ Ups and downs are to be

450 Ups and downs Good and bad things
‫چیزیں‬ expected in life.

When your work is up to the

451 Up to the mark Up to the standard ‫معیار کے مطابق‬ mark we can review your
salary again.

Driving in freezing weather

‫استعمال سے‬
452 Wear and tear Damage from use means lots of wear and tear on
‫بےکار ہوجانا‬
your car.

She asked if I liked her dress,

453 White lie A lie told to be polite ‫بےضرر جھوٹ‬ and of course I told a white
lie.

With a heavy heart, she said

454 With a heavy heart Sadly ‫اُداسی سے‬
good-bye.

With all one's heart and He does his job with all his
455 With great willingness ‫مخلصانہ انداز میں‬
soul heart and soul.
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
She took a driving test and
456 With flying colours Easily ‫آسانی سے‬
passed with flying colours.

I take his stories with a grain

457 With a grain of salt Doubtfully ‫شک سے‬ of salt because he tends to
exaggerate.

This building was designed

458 With a view to With a purpose ‫کسی مقصد سے‬ with a view to resist
earthquakes.

My uncle rules the family

459 With an iron hand Control firmly ‫قوت سے‬
business with an iron hand.

They received their new

460 With open arms With happiness ‫خوشی سے‬ daughter-in-law with open
arms.

Certain to happen, Sarah sends me a card on my

461 Without fail ‫مسلسل‬
constant birthday without fail.

Wolf in sheep's A danger appearing ‫دوست کر روپ میں‬ He appears to be nice but is a
462
clothing harmless ‫دشمن‬ wolf in sheep's clothing.

This new medicine works

463 Work wonders Very helpful ‫بہت مددگار‬
wonders with my headaches.

For many people finding a job

Wait for a raindrop in Hoping for an unlikely ‫ناممکن کی امید‬
464 these days is like waiting for a
the drought thing ‫کرنا‬
raindrop in the drought.

‫اچھے اور برے‬ We all get our share of weal

465 Weal and woe Good and bad times
‫وقت‬ and woe in life.

Mom had me walking on

Walking on broken
466 To get punished ‫سزا ہونا‬ broken glass for breaking the
glass
window.

A lot of similar products are

Unique or exceptional
467 X factor ‫کسی کی خاصیت‬ on the market right now—
quality
ours has to have an X factor!

Exact position of This is where the rock struck

468 X marks the spot ‫عین اِسی جگہ‬
something my car—X marks the spot.

This wooden ladder has done

469 Yeoman's service Good enough service ‫ٹھیک خدمت‬ me yeoman's service over the
years.

You can't trust what Chad

Someone who always ‫ہاں میں ہاں مالنے‬
470 Yes-man says, he's just the boss's yes-
agrees with the authority ‫واال‬
man.

471 Young Turk A young rebel ‫جوان باغی‬ The young Turks are acting
No. Idiom Meaning(English) Meaning(Urdu) Sentence
up again against the status
quo.

I have so much studying left

472 Zero hour Starting time ‫ت آغاز‬
ِ ‫وق‬ to do before the exam, and
zero hour is 8 AM!

There should be zero

473 Zero tolerance No tolerance at all ‫مکمل عدم برداشت‬
tolerance against corruption.

The teacher ordered the

474 Zip your lip Be quiet ‫خاموش ہونا‬
students to zip their lips.

The team celebrated with zeal

475 Zeal and zest With great enthusiasm ‫جوش و جزبہ‬
and zest after their victory.

Compiled by Rao Ali Raza… Punjab group of colleges Kabirwala…