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101 Idioms Students Can Use for Composition Writing: A Comprehensive Guide By WRITERS AT WORK
By WR!TERS@WORK
Idioms are a great way to add colour and personality to writing, especially in composition writing. WRITERS AT WORK’s students know all too well how useful these can be during the PSLE and O Level English examinations, especially when it comes to demonstrating how to write a good composition. Here is a comprehensive list of 101 idioms that will help you impress examiners and elevate their stories.
Idioms About Safety and Danger
1. Walking a tightrope – Being in a situation where you must balance risk.
– “With his job on the line, he felt like he was walking a tightrope.”
2. Dodged a bullet – Narrowly escaping a bad situation.
– “They dodged a bullet when the storm changed course.”
3. A ticking time bomb – A situation that could become dangerous at any moment.
– “His anger was like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode.”
4. Running on fumes – To keep going despite being exhausted or out of energy.
– “By the end of the marathon, she was running on fumes.”
5. Out of harm’s way – Safe from danger.
– “The firefighters worked hard to get everyone out of harm’s way.”
Idioms About Success and Failure
6. Climbing the ladder – Making progress, especially in a career.
– “She’s climbing the ladder quickly at her new company.”
7. Fall flat on your face – To fail in an embarrassing way.
– “His plan to prank the teacher fell flat on its face.”
8. Take the world by storm – To be suddenly and hugely successful.
– “Her novel took the world by storm, selling millions of copies.”
9. Miss the mark – To fail to achieve a goal or target.
– “The presentation missed the mark and didn’t convince the investors.”
10. Hit pay dirt – To achieve success or find something valuable.
– “After months of searching, they hit pay dirt when they found the hidden treasure.”
Idioms About Perseverance and Effort
11. Dig in your heels – To refuse to give up or change.
– “Despite the difficulties, she dug in her heels and kept going.”
12. Sweat blood – To work extremely hard.
– “He sweated blood to prepare for the final exam.”
13. Jump through hoops – To go through many difficult tasks to achieve something.
– “To get the promotion, she had to jump through hoops.”
14. Stay the course – To continue despite challenges or difficulties.
– “Even though it was hard, they stayed the course and finished the project.”
15. Bring home the bacon – To earn a living or succeed in a task.
– “She works hard every day to bring home the bacon.”
Idioms About Challenges and Problem-Solving
16. In the same boat – To be in the same difficult situation as others.
– “After the power outage, everyone in the town was in the same boat.”
17. A mountain to climb – A difficult task or obstacle to overcome.
– “With so much homework, it felt like she had a mountain to climb.”
18. Cutting corners – Doing something in the easiest or quickest way, often neglecting quality.
– “He got in trouble for cutting corners on the assignment.”
19. Blow hot and cold – To be inconsistent or change one’s mind often.
– “She blows hot and cold about whether she wants to join the team.”
20. Get your act together – To organise yourself and start acting efficiently.
– “If you want to succeed, you need to get your act together.”
Idioms About Relationships and Communication
21. Wear your heart on your sleeve – To show your emotions openly.
– “He wears his heart on his sleeve, so everyone knows when he’s upset.”
22. At odds with – In disagreement or conflict with someone.
– “They were at odds with each other over who should lead the project.”
23. Give someone the cold shoulder – To ignore or be unfriendly to someone.
– “She gave him the cold shoulder after their argument.”
24. Spill the beans – To reveal a secret.
– “He accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise party.”
25. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes – To imagine how someone else feels.
– “Try putting yourself in his shoes before criticising him.”
Idioms About Emotions
26. Jump for joy – To be extremely happy.
– “She jumped for joy when she got the lead role in the play.”
27. Down in the dumps – Feeling sad or depressed.
– “He’s been down in the dumps since his dog ran away.”
28. Wear a poker face – To hide your emotions and keep a straight face.
– “She wore a poker face during the negotiation, not revealing her true thoughts.”
29. Over the moon – Extremely happy or pleased.
– “He was over the moon when he won the competition.”
30. Blow a fuse – To lose your temper suddenly.
– “When he found out about the broken window, he blew a fuse.”
Idioms About Time
31. Beat the clock – To finish something before the deadline.
– “She managed to beat the clock and submit her essay on time.”
32. Like clockwork – To happen regularly or precisely on time.
– “The trains in the city run like clockwork.”
33. In the nick of time – Just in time before it’s too late.
– “They arrived at the airport in the nick of time to catch their flight.”
34. Burn the candle at both ends – To overwork oneself by doing too much without resting.
– “He’s been burning the candle at both ends, studying for exams and working at night.”
35. Time flies – Time seems to pass very quickly.
– “Time flies when you’re having fun on vacation.”
Idioms About Health
36. Fit as a fiddle – In excellent health.
– “Even at 80, she’s fit as a fiddle and still goes for morning runs.”
37. Under the weather – Feeling ill or unwell.
– “He stayed home from school because he was feeling under the weather.”
38. Back on your feet – To recover after being ill or in a difficult situation.
– “After a long illness, she’s finally back on her feet.”
39. Out of sorts – Not feeling well or in a bad mood.
– “He’s been out of sorts ever since he caught that cold.”
40. As pale as a ghost – To look very ill or frightened.
– “When she heard the news, she turned as pale as a ghost.”
Idioms About Weather
41. Storm in a teacup – Making a big deal out of something minor.
– “Their argument was just a storm in a teacup.”
42. Under a cloud – Being in trouble or disfavored.
– “He’s been under a cloud since the company found out about the mistake.”
43. Every cloud has a silver lining – There’s something good in every bad situation.
– “Even though he failed the exam, he realised that every cloud has a silver lining because it motivated him to work harder.”
44. Chase rainbows – To pursue unrealistic goals.
– “She’s been chasing rainbows with her plan to become famous overnight.”
45. Come rain or shine – No matter what happens.
– “Come rain or shine, he never misses his morning run.”
Idioms About Luck
46. Hit the jackpot – To have great success or luck, often unexpectedly.
– “He hit the jackpot when he landed his dream job.”
47. Luck of the draw – Decided by chance.
– “Whether you get a good seat or not is just the luck of the draw.”
48. Down on your luck – Going through a period of bad luck or misfortune.
– “He’s been down on his luck ever since he lost his job.”
49. Press your luck – To take a risk and try to get more than you should.
– “He was doing well at the casino but pressed his luck and ended up losing everything.”
50. As luck would have it – By chance, either fortunately or unfortunately.
– “As luck would have it, the rain stopped just before the picnic.”
Idioms About Intelligence and Learning
51. A quick study – Someone who learns or understands something quickly.
– “She’s a quick study and picked up the new software in no time.”
52. Brainstorm – To think of or discuss many ideas at once.
– “The team gathered to brainstorm new marketing strategies.”
53. Put on your thinking cap – To think carefully about something.
– “We need to put on our thinking caps to solve this problem.”
54. Know the ropes – To understand how things work in a particular situation.
– “After a few months on the job, he knew the ropes and could work independently.”
55. Learn the hard way – To learn something through difficult or unpleasant experiences.
– “He learned the hard way that procrastination leads to stress.”
Idioms About Money
56. A penny for your thoughts – Asking someone what they’re thinking.
– “You’ve been quiet for a while, a penny for your thoughts?”
57. Cost an arm and a leg – Something very expensive.
– “That new car costs an arm and a leg!”
58. Break the bank – To spend too much money.
– “He broke the bank buying a new gaming console.”
59. Make a killing – To earn a lot of money quickly or easily.
– “She made a killing selling her handmade jewellery online.”
60. Save for a rainy day – To put money aside for future needs or emergencies.
– “It’s always wise to save for a rainy day.”
Idioms About Appearance
61. Dressed to the nines – Dressed in the best or most stylish clothing.
– “She arrived at the party dressed to the nines.”
62. Cut a fine figure – To look good or stylish.
– “He cut a fine figure in his new suit.”
63. Like a fish out of water – To feel uncomfortable in a situation.
– “At the fancy dinner, he felt like a fish out of water.”
64. Not a hair out of place – To look perfectly groomed.
– “Even after the long flight, she didn’t have a hair out of place.”
65. As fresh as a daisy – To look or feel energetic and well-rested.
– “After the weekend, she felt as fresh as a daisy.”
Idioms About Animals
66. Let the cat out of the bag – To reveal a secret unintentionally.
– “He let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.”
67. Raining cats and dogs – Raining very heavily.
– “It was raining cats and dogs all night.”
68. The lion’s share – The largest part of something.
– “He took the lion’s share of the credit for the project.”
69. A dark horse – Someone who is little known but surprises others with success.
– “She was a dark horse in the competition and ended up winning.”
70. Like a bull in a china shop – Clumsy or tactless in a delicate situation.
– “He handled the situation like a bull in a china shop, upsetting everyone.”
Idioms About Work and School
71. Burning the midnight oil – Working late into the night.
– “He’s been burning the midnight oil to finish his science project.”
72. Call it a day – To stop working for the day.
– “After working for hours, they decided to call it a day.”
73. In over your head – To be involved in something that is too difficult.
– “She realised she was in over her head when the maths homework became too complicated.”
74. Get the ball rolling – To start something.
– “Let’s get the ball rolling on this new project.”
75. Learn the ropes – To become familiar with how something works.
– “It took him a few weeks to learn the ropes at his new job.”
Idioms About Travel
76. Hit the road – To start a journey.
– “We packed our bags and hit the road early in the morning.”
77. Off the beaten track – In a remote or less well-known area.
– “They found a beautiful hiking trail off the beaten track.”
78. At the crossroads – Facing a decision about which direction to take.
– “She was at a crossroads in her career and had to decide whether to stay or move on.”
79. Take the scenic route – To take a longer but more beautiful way to your destination.
– “Instead of rushing home, we took the scenic route along the coast.”
80. Throw caution to the wind – To take a risk or do something without worrying about the outcome.
– “They threw caution to the wind and decided to go skydiving.”
Idioms About Family
81. The black sheep of the family – A person in the family who is considered different or a disgrace.
– “He’s the black sheep of the family because he chose a very unconventional career.”
82. Blood is thicker than water – Family relationships are stronger than any other kind of bond.
– “She knew that no matter what, her family would support her because blood is thicker than water.”
83. Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree – Children often resemble their parents in behaviour or appearance.
– “Seeing him work so hard, it’s clear that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
84. Like father, like son – A son’s behaviour or character is often like his father’s.
– “He’s very stubborn, just like his dad – like father, like son.”
85. Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth – Born into a wealthy or privileged family.
– “She doesn’t understand the struggles of others because she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth.”
Idioms About Food
86. The icing on the cake – Something extra that makes a good situation even better.
– “Winning the competition was great, but the prize money was the icing on the cake.”
87. A piece of cake – Something that is very easy to do.
– “That math test was a piece of cake!”
88. Spill the beans – To reveal a secret.
– “She spilled the beans about the surprise party before the invitations were sent out.”
89. Put all your eggs in one basket – To risk everything on one venture or plan.
– “Investing all your money in one stock is like putting all your eggs in one basket.”
90. Cool as a cucumber – Very calm and composed, even in a difficult situation.
– “Even during the interview, he remained cool as a cucumber.”
Idioms About Sports
91. Throw in the towel – To give up or admit defeat.
– “After losing three matches in a row, the team was ready to throw in the towel.”
92. A level playing field – A situation where everyone has an equal chance.
– “The new rules create a level playing field for all the competitors.”
93. Hit it out of the park – To do something extraordinarily well.
– “She hit it out of the park with her presentation.”
94. On the ball – Alert and quick to react.
– “She’s always on the ball when it comes to managing her time.”
95. The ball is in your court – It’s up to you to make the next decision or take action.
– “I’ve given you all the information; now the ball is in your court.”
Idioms About Technology
96. Push someone’s buttons – To provoke or annoy someone.
– “He knows how to push her buttons, which makes their arguments worse.”
97. Hit the panic button – To react suddenly or irrationally out of fear or anxiety.
– “Don’t hit the panic button just because you’re behind schedule; we can still catch up.”
98. Pull the plug – To stop something from continuing.
– “They decided to pull the plug on the project after it failed to gain traction.”
99. In tune with – To understand or be in agreement with something.
– “She’s very in tune with the latest trends in technology.”
100. Short circuit – A sudden failure or interruption, often in electrical systems, but can be used metaphorically.
– “His plan short-circuited when the data he needed was lost.”
Bonus Idiom
101. Jump on the bandwagon – To join others in doing something popular or trendy.
– “Everyone’s jumping on the bandwagon of this new social media challenge.”
In summary, idioms are a vital aspect of the English language, enriching our communication with vibrancy and nuance. WRITERS AT WORK is an English tuition centre in Singapore that specialises in captivating students with the passion of lifelong learning. Whether they are dealing with PSLE or O Levels, idioms can be used to enliven a conversation, convey emotions, or bring humour to a moment, idioms remain a key element of our everyday language. From “missing the boat” to “skating on thin ice,” we’ll always have a wealth of these imaginative phrases to discover and use.
Attain Stellar Results with WRITERS AT WORK!
English is a compulsory subject which all students must undertake. However, mastering the English language is not something which happens overnight – it takes consistent practice and effort to learn the nuances of the language. Students must read more and practice writing to gradually improve. Cramming for a language subject nearer to the exams is an impossible feat. After all, Rome was not built in a day! Attaining such a skill will have positive implications for not only your child’s education in school, but also employment prospects in future.
At WRITERS AT WORK, we are committed to providing the smoothest learning experience for your child sitting for their English exams. With our carefully curated methods of teaching your child how to write well, your child will learn how to present their thoughts and arguments in a coherent and concise manner. WRITERS AT WORK reinforces your child’s language skills and provides a strong foundation for their academic success, keeping up with all aspects of their progress both inside and outside of the classroom to nurture them holistically. For more information about how WRITERS AT WORK makes a difference, feel free to explore our website, watch our YouTube videos and catch us LIVE on TikTok!
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
1. Which Tuition Centre is Good for English?
WRITERS AT WORK is an excellent option to help your child prepare for their English Language classes at school at any level. WRITERS AT WORK teaches students how to write compositions which are the basic building blocks for all communication, whether it be in school or outside in the workplace.
2. Why is it Important to Attend English Enrichment Classes?
Students will be able to develop important skills such as critical thinking which will serve them well in all areas of life. Students will learn how to incorporate critical thinking and analysis skills when they read comprehension passages and plan their ideas and arguments out for essays.
3. Is it Worth Getting An English Tutor?
If your child needs help in school, it could be worth considering getting an English tutor as English is a compulsory subject at school. English is used in all areas of life and learning how to read critically and write essays are highly important skills which should be learned early.
4. Why Do Students Have Poor Writing Skills?
Students often have poor writing skills as they do not have the knowledge of good exam habits to practise. For example, many students often do not plan their essays, which lead to a poor writing habit of rambling, going off on irrelevant tangents, and forgetting to list all good arguments.
