Idiomatic Expressions

Here is a sampling of online resources on idioms. These can be of use in learning or teaching English as a second language. Search our database to find more similar resources.

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	Available in English		Collections		Extra Cost
	Available in French		Access Restricted

1000 Images on the Tip of My Tongue
http://rea.ccdmd.qc.ca/ri/Expressions/

A trilingual index (English, French, Spanish) of expressions with equivalent meanings.

101 English Language Idioms 
http://www.vec.ca/english/11/idioms.cfm

A list of 101 idiomatic expressions with an explanation of meaning and sentences illustrating their use in context.

bab.la
http://en.bab.la/dictionary/

This Web site offers a dictionary that includes thousands of idiomatic expressions and specialised vocabulary.

Cliché Site
http://www.clichesite.com/index.asp

Cliché Site has amassed a list of over 2100 clichés, euphemisms, sayings and figures of speech complete with definitions and explanations.  

Business English lessons for Adults
http://www.business-english.com/idioms/menu.php

Learn some typical English expressions used in the business world. 

Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/Default.asp?dict=I

ClichéSite.com
http://clichesite.com/alpha_list.asp?which=lett+1

A Collection of clichés, phrases and sayings with definitions and explanations.

Dave Sperling’s ESL Cafe: Idioms
http://www.eslcafe.com/idioms/id-mngs.html

Definitions of idiomatic expressions and examples.

English Language Reference
http://www.usingenglish.com/reference.html

A reference of 3,170 English idiomatic expressions with definitions. 

Categories of English Idioms
http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/cat/

Idioms with definitions classified by topics and by countries of origin.

GoEnglish.com - Pocket English Idioms
http://www.goenglish.com/EnglishIdiomsPhrasesLearningDictionaryKeywordsIndex.asp

A list of idioms grouped alphabetically by keywords. The meaning of each idiom is explained and sentences are provided as example of use in context.

Heinle's Newbury House Dictionary of American English
http://nhd.heinle.com/home.aspx

Heinle's Newbury House Dictionary of American English contains over 40,000 entries. With simple, clear definitions, this online tool provides a wealth of sample sentences and idioms.

Idiom Archive
http://eltc.com/idioms.html

This resource lists Canadian idioms, identified by John R. Bauman of St. Albert, Alberta.

The Idiom connection
http://www.idiomconnection.com/

English Idioms & Quizzes

Idioms and Slang
http://www.settlement.org/site/ED/ESL/idioms.asp

You can use this page to read and listen to over 100 idioms with an explanation of the meaning of each.

If English is not Your First Language: Idioms
http://www.athabascau.ca/courses/engl/155/support/

This Web page contains a story using dozens of idiomatic expressions containing the preposition “up”.

English Language Institute – UBC: Idioms
http://www.eli.ubc.ca/students/language/Idioms/index.html

This page offers a lesson that will help you learn or review some common expressions used in spoken English and a list of everyday idioms composed of pairs of words joined with 'and'.

TheFreeDictionary: Idioms and Phrases
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/

The Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms explains over 7,000 idioms current in British, American and Australian English, helping learners to understand them and use them with confidence. The Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms, based on the 200 million words of American English text in the Cambridge International Corpus, unlocks the meaning of more than 5,000 idiomatic phrases used in contemporary American English. Full-sentence examples show how idioms are really used.

The Phrase Finder
http://www.phrases.org.uk/

Meanings and origins of over 2,000 English sayings, phrases and idioms. Look them up in the A-Z Index or use the search function to locate expressions containing a specific world.

Pictorial Idioms
http://www.edict.com.hk/vlc/idioms/

In this section, you can learn some interesting English idioms through pictures. The idioms have been classified into different groups based on the key word in each idiom.

TalkEnglish - Lesson Categories: Useful Phrases
http://www.talkenglish.com/lessonsubcategory.aspx?idcategory=11

10 lessons with audio files each using 5 idiomatic expressions in sentences and in dialogue to show the meaning in context.

Talking About
http://www.talking-about.net

The site has twenty-five general topics with lists of commonly used words and examples of how they are used in various situations, phrases, and idioms. Definitions and pronunciation of some of the expressions are provided.

Two-Part (Phrasal) Verbs (idioms) - The OWL at Purdue
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/630/01/

This resource offers a list of idiomatic expressions that are two part phrasal verbs.

Vocabulary for learners of English: Idioms
http://esl.fis.edu/vocab/index-id.htm

This index contains information pages and quizzes on the most important British English idioms.

The Word Detective
http://www.word-detective.com/

The Word Detective on the Web is the online version of The Word Detective, a newspaper column answering readers' questions about words and language. You can also research hundreds of words and phrases indexed in alphabetical order that are lurking in our archive.

Word Power
http://www.word-power.us

The site has thirty-eight general topics with lists of commonly used words and examples of how they are used in various situations, phrases, and idioms. Definitions and pronunciation of some of the expressions are provided.