영어 이디엄 (English Idiom) Top300

 

Idiom	뜻	예문
(Strictly) for the birds	쓸모없고 하찮은 것	That excuse is strictly for the birds.
A blessing in disguise	불행 중 다행	Losing that job was a blessing in disguise.
A dime a dozen	아주 흔한	Jobs like that are a dime a dozen.
A hot potato	다루기 힘든 문제	The topic of salary is a hot potato at work.
A penny for your thoughts	무슨 생각하는지 말해 달라는 표현	You’ve been quiet, a penny for your thoughts?
A piece of cake	아주 쉬운 일	The test was a piece of cake.
A snowball effect	점점 커지는 현상	The idea caused a snowball effect on social media.
A taste of your own medicine	자기가 한 대로 당하다	He got a taste of his own medicine when they ignored him.
Ace up your sleeve	비밀 무기, 숨겨둔 강점	She has an ace up her sleeve for the negotiation.
Actions speak louder than words	말보다 행동	Actions speak louder than words.
Add fuel to the fire	상황을 악화시키다	His comments just added fuel to the fire.
Add insult to injury	엎친데 덮친격	Losing your wallet added insult to injury.
Against all odds	모든 어려움을 딛고	Against all odds, he passed the exam.
Against the clock	시간에 쫓기다	We’re working against the clock.
All bark and no bite	말만 번지르르한	He’s all bark and no bite.
All ears	경청하다	I’m all ears, tell me your story.
All hat and no cattle	말만 많고 행동이 없는 사람	Don’t mind him, he’s all hat and no cattle.
All in the same boat	같은 처지	We’re all in the same boat.
All mouth and no trousers	말만 많고 행동은 없는 사람	He talks big, but he’s all mouth and no trousers.
Apple of my eye	소중한 사람	My daughter is the apple of my eye.
At the crack of dawn	아주 이른 아침	I wake up at the crack of dawn.
At the drop of a hat	즉시, 망설임 없이	She would leave at the drop of a hat.
At the end of your rope	더이상 참을 수 없다	I’m at the end of my rope.
At wit’s end	어찌할 바를 모르다	I’m at my wit’s end with these problems.
Back to square one	다시 처음으로 돌아가다	Let’s go back to square one.
Back to the drawing board	처음부터 다시 시작하다	The deal fell through, so it’s back to the drawing board.
Backseat driver	참견하는 사람	Don’t be a backseat driver during the meeting.
Ballpark figure	대략적인 수치	Can you give me a ballpark figure?
Bark up the wrong tree	헛다리짚다	You’re barking up the wrong tree, Jane.
Barking up the wrong tree	엉뚱한 사람을 비난하다	You’re barking up the wrong tree with that accusation.
Be on the same page	생각이 같다	We’re all on the same page now.
Beat a dead horse	쓸데없이 계속 논쟁하다	Stop beating a dead horse and move on.
Beat around the bush	돌려서 말하다	Stop beating around the bush and get to the point.
Behind closed doors	비밀리에	The meeting happened behind closed doors.
Bend over backwards	최선을 다하다	They bent over backwards to accommodate us.
Bent out of shape	화나거나 짜증난	Don’t get bent out of shape.
Best of both worlds	두 가지 좋은 점을 동시에 갖다	Working from home offers the best of both worlds.
Between a rock and a hard place	진퇴양난	I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Bite off more than you can chew	너무 많은 일을 벌이다	I’ve bitten off more than I can chew!
Bite the bullet	인내하다	I had to bite the bullet and pay the fine.
Bite the dust	죽다, 망하다	The old car finally bit the dust.
Bite the hand that feeds you	은혜를 원수로 갚다	Don’t bite the hand that feeds you!
Black sheep	문제아	He is the black sheep of the family.
Blessing in disguise	불행속 다행	Losing the job was a blessing in disguise.
Blow off steam	스트레스를 풀다	I jog to blow off steam.
Blow the whistle	부정행위를 폭로하다	She blew the whistle on corporate fraud.
Blow your own horn	자랑하다	Don't blow your own horn too much.
Blow your top	갑자기 화내다	He blew his top when he saw the damage.
Bob’s your uncle	‘그게 다야’, ‘간단히 해결되다’	Just add water, stir, and Bob’s your uncle!
Bolt from the blue	갑작스러운 일	The news of his resignation came as a bolt from the blue.
Born with a silver spoon	금수저로 태어나다	She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth.
Born yesterday	세상 물정 모름	I wasn’t born yesterday!
Break a leg	행운을 빌다	Break a leg in your performance tonight!
Break the bank	너무 많은 돈을 쓰다	The new phone won’t break the bank.
Break the ice	어색함을 풀다	Let’s play a game to break the ice.
Burn bridges	관계를 망치다	Don’t burn bridges with your previous employer.
Burn the candle at both ends	무리하다	He’s burning the candle at both ends lately.
Burn the midnight oil	밤새 일하다	She was burning the midnight oil to finish her report.
Butterflies in my stomach	긴장하다	I get butterflies in my stomach before exams.
Buy the farm	죽다 (특히 사고 등으로)	Several pilots bought the farm during training.
By the book	원칙대로	She does everything by the book.
By the skin of your teeth	간신히, 가까스로	I caught the train by the skin of my teeth.
Call it a day	퇴근하다	Let’s call it a day.
Call the shots	결정권을 갖다	She calls the shots in the office.
Cast in stone	확정된	The decision isn't cast in stone (확정 아님).
Cast your net wide	여러 군데 시도하다	Cast your net wide when job hunting.
Catch someone red-handed	현행범으로 잡다	The police caught him red-handed.
Change of heart	마음이 바뀌다	I had a change of heart.
Chase rainbows	불가능한 꿈을 쫓다	Don’t chase rainbows, be realistic.
Chew the fat	수다 떨다, 잡담하다	Let's meet up and chew the fat sometime.
Clam up	입을 다물다	She clammed up when asked about her job.
Close but no cigar	거의 성공했지만 실패	Close but no cigar, you almost won the game.
Cold feet	겁나다, 긴장하다	She got cold feet before the wedding.
Cold shoulder	일부러 무시하다	They gave him the cold shoulder at work.
Cold turkey	갑자기 끊다	He quit smoking cold turkey last year.
Come rain or shine	무슨 일이 있어도	I walk every morning, come rain or shine.
Cool as a cucumber	아주 침착한	She stayed cool as a cucumber during the crisis.
Cost an arm and a leg	매우 비싸다	The new phone cost me an arm and a leg.
Cross that bridge when you come to it	일이 닥치면 처리하다	We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Cry over spilled milk	이미 끝난 일을 후회하다	There’s no use crying over spilled milk.
Cry wolf	거짓 경보하다	He’s cried wolf too many times.
Cut corners	대충하다	Never cut corners when safety is involved.
Cut someone some slack	덜 엄격하게 대하다	Cut him some slack—he’s just a kid.
Cut the mustard	기대에 부응하다	He didn’t cut the mustard in the new role.
Cut to the chase	본론만 말하다	Let’s cut to the chase.
Cutting corners	대충하다	Don’t cut corners when it comes to safety.
Devil’s advocate	반대 입장 취하기	I'll play devil's advocate in this debate.
Dog days	한여름 무더운 날	During the dog days, we stayed indoors.
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch	기대하지 말라	Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
Down for the count	쓰러지다, 패배하다	After hours of work, I was down for the count.
Down in the dumps	우울한	He’s been down in the dumps since he lost his job.
Down the drain	헛되이 사라지다	All that effort went down the drain.
Down to earth	현실적인, 겸손한	She is very down to earth.
Down to the wire	아슬아슬하게 끝나는	We finished the project down to the wire.
Draw a longbow	과장하여 말하다	Don’t draw a longbow about your successes.
Drive up the wall	화나게 하다	The noise is driving me up the wall.
Drop a bombshell	충격적인 소식을 전하다	She dropped a bombshell at dinner.
Drop a clanger	큰 실수를 하다	She dropped a clanger during the interview.
Drop the ball	실수하다	He really dropped the ball on this project.
Easier said than done	말처럼 쉽지 않다	Studying abroad is easier said than done.
Easy does it	천천히 조심해	Easy does it! Don’t rush the process.
Eat like a bird	적게 먹다	She eats like a bird.
Elephant in the room	모두가 피하는 중요한 문제	The budget cuts are the elephant in the room.
Everything but the kitchen sink	불필요한 것까지 모두 포함된	She packed everything but the kitchen sink for the trip.
Face like thunder	매우 화난 표정	He came in with a face like thunder.
Face the music	결과를 감수하다	You must face the music and apologize.
Feel under the weather	몸이 좋지 않다	I’m feeling a bit under the weather today.
Few and far between	드문드문	Good teachers are few and far between.
Fish out of water	어색해하다/낯설어하다	I felt like a fish out of water at the party.
Fit as a fiddle	건강한	She’s fit as a fiddle after the holidays.
Flash in the pan	일시적인 성공	His fame was just a flash in the pan.
Fly by the seat of your pants	즉흥적으로 행동하다	He flew by the seat of his pants during the presentation.
Fly off the handle	갑자기 화를 내다	She flew off the handle when she heard the news.
Full of beans	활기차다	The puppy is full of beans this morning.
Get a kick out of something	~을 재미있어 하다	I get a kick out of solving puzzles.
Get a second wind	재기하다, 새로운 힘이 생기다	I got a second wind and finished the race.
Get a taste of your own medicine	자기가 한 대로 당하다	He got a taste of his own medicine when people ignored him.
Get cold feet	겁내다/주저하다	He got cold feet before signing the contract.
Get off someone’s back	잔소리 그만하다	Please get off my back and let me work.
Get out of hand	통제 불능이 되다	The party got out of hand quickly.
Get something off your chest	고민을 털어놓다	I needed to get that off my chest.
Get the ball rolling	시작하다	I’ll get the ball rolling with the project.
Get your act together	정신 차리다	You really need to get your act together.
Get your goat	화나게 하다	It really gets my goat when people are rude.
Give someone a piece of mind	따끔하게 말하다	He gave him a piece of his mind.
Go against the grain	일반적인 방향과 반대로 행동하다	His decision went against the grain.
Go bananas	미치다, 흥분하다	The kids went bananas at the party.
Go cold turkey	갑자기 중단하다	He went cold turkey on caffeine.
Go down in flames	완전히 망하다	Their plan went down in flames.
Go Dutch	각자 내다	Let’s go Dutch at dinner.
Go for broke	전재산을 걸다	They went for broke launching the new product.
Go the extra mile	더 열심히 하다	Our manager always goes the extra mile for the team.
Go to bat for	적극적으로 옹호하다	He will go to bat for his friend.
Go with the flow	상황에 맡기다	Sometimes, you just have to go with the flow.
Hang by a thread	겨우 버티고 있다	The business was hanging by a thread.
Hang in there	견디다, 버티다	Hang in there, things will improve.
Have sticky fingers	도둑질하다	He was fired for having sticky fingers.
Hit it off	금방 친해지다	They hit it off immediately.
Hit the books	열심히 공부하다	I have to hit the books for tomorrow’s exam.
Hit the ground running	바로 시작해서 성공적으로 진행하다	She hit the ground running at her new job.
Hit the jackpot	대성공하다	They hit the jackpot with that investment.
Hit the nail on the head	정확히 말하다	You hit the nail on the head with your analysis.
Hit the sack	잠자리에 들다	I’m tired and going to hit the sack.
Hold your horses	진정하다	Hold your horses before you make a decision.
Idiom	뜻	예문
In hot water	곤경에 빠진	She’s in hot water for missing the deadline.
In the bag	확실한, 확보한	The victory is in the bag.
In the doldrums	침체된 상태, 우울한	The economy is in the doldrums.
In the driver's seat	주도권 잡다	Now you are in the driver’s seat.
In the loop	소식을 계속 받는 상태	Make sure to keep me in the loop on this project.
In the nick of time	아슬아슬하게, 꼭 맞춰서	We arrived in the nick of time.
In the same boat	같은 처지	We’re all in the same boat.
It’s not rocket science	아주 쉬운	Cooking pasta is not rocket science!
Jump on the bandwagon	인기 있는 일에 동참하다	Many companies jumped on the bandwagon of sustainability.
Jump the gun	성급하게 행동하다	He jumped the gun and started the project without approval.
Keep a straight face	표정 관리하다	It’s hard to keep a straight face sometimes.
Keep an eye on	주시하다	Keep an eye on the kids.
Keep your chin up	용기를 잃지 마라	Keep your chin up; better days are coming.
Keep your eyes peeled	주의 깊게 살피다	Keep your eyes peeled for any suspicious activity.
Keep your nose to the grindstone	열심히 일하다	She kept her nose to the grindstone to finish early.
Keep your powder dry	대비하며 신중히 행동하다	Keep your powder dry until we know more.
Kick the bucket	죽다	He kicked the bucket last night.
Kick the can down the road	문제를 미루다	The government keeps kicking the can down the road on this issue.
Kick up your heels	신나게 놀다	Let’s go kick up our heels this weekend.
Kill two birds with one stone	한 번에 두 가지 일을 처리하다	I killed two birds with one stone by shopping on the way home.
Know the ropes	요령을 잘 알고 있다	She knows the ropes in her business.
Know which way the wind blows	상황을 파악하다	He always knows which way the wind blows.
Last straw	마지막 한계	Her rude comment was the last straw for me.
Leave a bad taste in someone’s mouth	나쁜 인상을 남기다	That scandal left a bad taste in my mouth.
Leave no stone unturned	모든 노력을 다하다	We left no stone unturned in our search.
Let off steam	화를 풀다	She went for a run to let off steam.
Let sleeping dogs lie	긁어 부스럼 만들지 말다	Better to let sleeping dogs lie.
Let the cat out of the bag	비밀을 누설하다	Who let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party?
Let the chips fall	결과를 받아들이다	Let the chips fall where they may.
Let your hair down	긴장을 풀고 즐기다	At the party, she really let her hair down.
Level playing field	공정한 경쟁 환경	The new rules created a level playing field.
Light at the end of the tunnel	힘든 끝의 희망	There’s finally light at the end of the tunnel.
Like clockwork	아주 규칙적으로	The trains run like clockwork.
Lose your marbles	정신이 나가다	He’s losing his marbles if he thinks that will work.
Mad as a hatter	약간 미친 듯한	He’s mad as a hatter, but a genius nonetheless!
Make a long story short	간단히 말해서	To make a long story short, we got married.
Make ends meet	생활비를 벌다	It’s hard to make ends meet with that salary.
Make waves	문제를 일으키다	She tends to make waves in meetings.
Miss the boat	기회를 놓치다	I missed the boat on investing.
No pain, no gain	노력 없이는 성과도 없다	You have to work hard; no pain, no gain.
Not my cup of tea	내 취향 아니다	Horror movies are not my cup of tea.
Not playing with a full deck	약간 부족한 사람	I think he’s not playing with a full deck.
Not up to scratch	기준에 미치지 못하다	The project isn’t up to scratch yet.
Off one’s rocker	정신이 나간	He’s been acting off his rocker lately.
Off the cuff	즉흥적으로	His speech was off the cuff but very effective.
Off the hook	부담에서 벗어난	I’m off the hook as someone else fixed the issue.
Off the record	비공식적으로	Off the record, he’s planning to resign.
On a roll	계속해서 성공하는 상태	We’ve been on a roll this month.
On cloud nine	매우 행복하다	She was on cloud nine after the concert.
On the ball	민첩하고 준비된	She’s really on the ball with her assignments.
On the fence	결정을 못 내리다	I'm on the fence about the new policy.
On the fritz	고장난	My laptop is on the fritz again.
On thin ice	위험한 상황에 처한	You’re on thin ice with the boss after that mistake.
On your last legs	거의 다 써버린, 힘든 상태	That old car is on its last legs.
Once bitten, twice shy	한번 당하면 조심	I’m once bitten, twice shy about investing.
Once in a blue moon	아주 가끔	I eat fast food once in a blue moon.
Out of left field	예상치 못한, 이상한	That idea came out of left field.
Out of sorts	몸이나 기분이 안 좋은	I’m a bit out of sorts today.
Out of the blue	갑자기	He called me out of the blue yesterday.
Over the moon	매우 기쁜	She was over the moon with her exam results.
Paint the town red	신나게 놀다	Let’s paint the town red tonight!
Paper tiger	외형만 강한 것, 실속 없는 사람	They looked tough, but turned out to be paper tigers.
Pass the buck	책임을 떠넘기다	He always tries to pass the buck.
Pay the piper	대가를 치르다	You have to pay the piper for your mistakes.
Pie in the sky	실현 가능성이 낮은 희망	Winning the lottery is just pie in the sky for most people.
Piece of cake	아주 쉬운 일	That exam was a piece of cake.
Pipe down	조용히!	Pipe down, please!
Pull a fast one	속이다, 잽싸게 속임수 쓰다	Don’t try to pull a fast one on me!
Pull some strings	영향력 행사하다	He pulled some strings to get the job.
Pull someone’s leg	놀리다, 농담하다	Are you pulling my leg?
Pull the plug	중단하다	They pulled the plug on the project.
Put all your eggs in one basket	올인하다	Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Put the cart before the horse	순서가 뒤바뀌다	You’re putting the cart before the horse.
Put words in someone’s mouth	하지도 않은 말을 하다	Did you just put words in my mouth?
Put your foot in your mouth	실언하다	I put my foot in my mouth during the meeting.
Put your money where your mouth is	말한 대로 행동하다	If you really believe it, put your money where your mouth is.
Put yourself in others’ shoes	상대 입장에서 생각	Try to put yourself in her shoes.
Rain check	약속 연기	Can I take a rain check on dinner tonight?
Raining cats and dogs	비가 많이 오다	It's raining cats and dogs.
Raise eyebrows	의심을 불러일으키다	The news raised eyebrows around town.
Read between the lines	숨은 뜻을 이해하다	Read between the lines to get the full meaning.
Read someone the riot act	엄하게 꾸짖다	The boss read us the riot act.
Rock the boat	문제를 일으키다	Don’t rock the boat at work.
Rome wasn’t built in a day	로마는 하루 아침에 이루어지지 않았다	Learning English takes time—Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Rule of thumb	일반적인 기준	As a rule of thumb, arrive 15 minutes early.
Save face	체면을 세우다	He lied to save face.
Saved by the bell	위기에서 구원받다	I was saved by the bell when the meeting ended.
Scapegoat	희생양	He became the scapegoat for the team’s failure.
See eye to eye	의견이 같다	We rarely see eye to eye.
Shape up or ship out	각성하지 않으면 나가라	The boss told us to shape up or ship out.
Shoot the breeze	잡담하다	We’re just shooting the breeze.
Shoot yourself in the foot	자멸하다	He shot himself in the foot by insulting his boss.
Sink or swim	성공하든 실패하든	It’s sink or swim for the new manager.
Sit on the fence	중립을 지키다	He’s sitting on the fence in this debate.
Sit tight	가만히 있다	Just sit tight and wait for her call.
Slow as molasses	매우 느린	He moves slow as molasses on Mondays.
Smell a rat	수상함을 느끼다	I smell a rat with this plan.
Snowed under	일이 밀려 바쁘다	I’m snowed under with work.
Speak of the devil	호랑이도 제말하면 온다	Speak of the devil – here he comes!
Spill the beans	비밀을 누설하다	She spilled the beans about the surprise party.
Spill the tea	비밀을 누설하다, 가십을 말하다	Don’t spill the tea about our plans just yet.
Steal someone’s thunder	남의 공을 가로채다	She stole my thunder at the meeting.
Steal thunder	공을 가로채다	She stole my thunder by announcing her engagement first.
Take a leaf out of someone’s book	본받다	You should take a leaf out of her book.
Take a rain check	연기하다	Can I take a rain check on dinner?
Take it with a grain of salt	완전히 믿지 말라	Take his advice with a grain of salt.
Take the biscuit	놀랍거나 실망스러운 행동을 하다	That excuse takes the biscuit!
Take the bull by the horns	문제를 직접 해결하다	It’s time to take the bull by the horns.
Take the plunge	과감히 시도하다	I finally took the plunge and started a blog.
Ten a penny	아주 흔하다	Those gadgets are ten a penny now.
The ball is in your court	이제 결정은 당신 몫	The ball is in your court now.
The bee’s knees	최고, 아주 좋은	This new phone is the bee’s knees.
The best of both worlds	두 가지 좋은 점을 가짐	Working from home gives me the best of both worlds.
The elephant in the room	모두가 알고 있지만 말하지 않는 문제	Let’s talk about the elephant in the room.
The last straw	인내의 한계에 달함	That was the last straw for me.
The tail wagging the dog	작은 것이 큰 것을 지배하는 상황	The junior employee is making decisions—it’s the tail wagging the dog.
The whole nine yards	모든 것	He went the whole nine yards to impress the boss.
The whole shebang	모든 것, 전부	We hired a band, a DJ, and bought decorations—the whole shebang.
Through thick and thin	좋을 때나 힘들 때나	My friends have stuck with me through thick and thin.
Throw in the towel	포기하다	She finally threw in the towel.
Throw someone under the bus	남을 희생시키다	He threw his colleague under the bus.
Throw your hat in the ring	경쟁에 참여하다	She threw her hat in the ring for president.
Time flies	시간이 빨리 간다	Time flies when you’re having fun.
To cost a pretty penny	매우 비싸다	That car costs a pretty penny.
To go over someone’s head	윗사람에게 직접 말하다	I had to go over his head to solve it.
To have a chip on your shoulder	쌓인 감정/열등감	He has a chip on his shoulder about his past.
To hit the nail on the head	정곡을 찌르다	You hit the nail on the head with your comment.
To make a mountain out of a molehill	사소한 일에 호들갑 떨다	Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.
To pitch in	돕다/기여하다	Everyone pitched in at the event.
To play it by ear	즉흥적으로 하다	Let’s play it by ear tonight.
To rub salt in the wound	상처에 소금뿌리다	Stop rubbing salt in the wound.
To sweep under the rug	문제를 덮다	They kept sweeping the issue under the rug.
To turn the tables	상황을 뒤집다	She turned the tables on her rival.
To weather the storm	고난을 이겨내다	We’ll weather the storm together.
To wrap things up	마무리하다	Let’s wrap things up before lunch.
Touch base	짧게 연락하다	Can we touch base next week?
Turn a blind eye	못 본 척하다	The manager turned a blind eye to it.
Turn a blind eye	하지 않은 체하다	The manager turned a blind eye to the issue.
Turn the tables	상황을 뒤집다	She turned the tables in the competition.
Turn turtle	뒤집히다, 전복되다	The car turned turtle on the icy road.
Two peas in a pod	서로 닮은	They’re like two peas in a pod.
Under the table	몰래	He was paid under the table.
Under the weather	몸이 안 좋은	I’m feeling under the weather today.
Under the wire	마지막 순간에	He finished the project just under the wire.
Under your nose	바로 코앞에	The keys were right under your nose!
Up in arms	분개하다	The group is up in arms about the changes.
Up in the air	미정	Our travel plans are still up in the air.
Up the creek without a paddle	매우 곤란한 상황	We’re up the creek without a paddle if it rains.
Up to the mark	기준에 맞는	Her work is up to the mark.
Wash your hands of something	손을 떼다	I’ve washed my hands of that project.
Water under the bridge	지난 일	Don’t worry, it’s water under the bridge.
Wear your heart on your sleeve	감정을 숨기지 않다	He wears his heart on his sleeve.
Wet blanket	분위기 깨는 사람	Don’t be a wet blanket—join the fun!
What’s that got to do with the price of fish?	상관없는 말에 반응할 때 쓰는 표현	What’s that got to do with the price of fish?
When it rains, it pours	안 좋은 일이 연달아 오다	When it rains, it pours!
When pigs fly	결코 일어나지 않는	He’ll clean his room when pigs fly.
White elephant	쓸모없는 큰 물건	The old stadium is a white elephant for the city.
Wrap your head around	이해하다	Can you wrap your head around this topic?
Yellow belly	겁쟁이	Don’t be a yellow belly—try the roller coaster!
You can’t judge a book by its cover	겉모습만 보고 판단할 수 없다	You can’t judge a book by its cover.
Your guess is as good as mine	나도 모른다	Your guess is as good as mine!
Your number’s up	운명의 시간이 다가왔다	I think your number’s up if you keep speeding.
Zero in on	집중하다	We need to zero in on the main problem.
Zip your lip	입을 다물다	Zip your lip about the surprise party.