List of the most Important 200 Idioms from A to Z For CSS & PMS Exam

Mastering idioms is a crucial step for excelling in the English language sections of competitive exams like the CSS (Central Superior Services) and PMS (Provincial Management Services). Idioms not only enrich your vocabulary but also enhance your ability to express ideas vividly and score higher in essay writing, précis, and comprehension sections. In this article, we provide a carefully curated list of 200 idioms from A to Z, complete with their meanings and examples, tailored specifically for CSS and PMS exam aspirants.Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, this comprehensive guide will help you understand and use idioms effectively. Bookmark this page, practice regularly, and elevate your exam preparation to the next level!

Why Idioms Matter for CSS & PMS Exams?

Idioms are phrases or expressions that have figurative meanings different from the literal interpretation of their words. In CSS and PMS exams, idioms are tested to evaluate a candidate’s command of the English language, cultural awareness, and ability to use nuanced expressions. Including idioms in your essays or answers can make your writing stand out, demonstrating fluency and sophistication.

Our list of 200 idioms is designed to cover a wide range of expressions commonly encountered in competitive exams. Each idiom is accompanied by its meaning and a practical example to help you understand its usage in context.

Idioms for CSS & PMS Exam Preparation

The idioms and expressions below are some of the most common in English and equally important for CSS, PMS and all Competitive Exams. Here, some common and important idioms with meaning and examples are given. The example sentences show how idioms are used in context are also given here.

Below is the complete list of idioms, organized alphabetically for easy reference. Insert the idioms, their meanings, and examples in the space provided to create a valuable resource for your exam preparation.

List of 200 Idioms from A to Z For CSS & PMS Exam

Idiom	Meaning	Example Sentence
A blessing in disguise	A misfortune that eventually results in something positive.	Losing that job was a blessing in disguise because it led me to start my own business.
A dime a dozen	Very common and of little value.	Those souvenirs are a dime a dozen at the tourist market.
A drop in the bucket	A very small part of something much larger.	The donation was a drop in the bucket compared to the funds needed for the project.
A fish out of water	Someone who feels uncomfortable in an unfamiliar situation.	At the formal dinner, he felt like a fish out of water among all the executives.
A piece of cake	Something very easy to do.	The exam was a piece of cake for her after studying all week.
A taste of your own medicine	Experiencing the same negative treatment you give to others.	He got a taste of his own medicine when his team ignored him like he ignored them.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing	Someone who appears harmless but has harmful intentions.	The new employee seemed nice, but he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, stealing ideas.
Actions speak louder than words	What someone does is more important than what they say.	She promised to help, but actions speak louder than words—she never showed up.
Add fuel to the fire	To worsen an already bad situation.	His harsh comments added fuel to the fire during the argument.
All ears	Listening attentively.	Tell me your story—I’m all ears!
All in the same boat	Everyone is facing the same situation or problem.	We’re all in the same boat with this deadline, so let’s work together.
An arm and a leg	Very expensive; costing a lot.	That designer bag costs an arm and a leg—I can’t afford it!
Apple of my eye	Someone cherished above all others.	Her little daughter is the apple of her eye.
At the drop of a hat	Immediately, without hesitation.	He’s always ready to help at the drop of a hat.
At the eleventh hour	At the last possible moment.	They submitted the project at the eleventh hour, just before the deadline.
Back to square one	Starting over from the beginning after a failure.	After the deal fell through, we were back to square one.
Back to the drawing board	Starting over because a plan failed.	The prototype didn’t work, so it’s back to the drawing board.
Barking up the wrong tree	Looking in the wrong place or asking the wrong person.	If you think I took your book, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
Beat around the bush	Avoiding the main topic; not speaking directly.	Stop beating around the bush and tell me what’s wrong.
Better late than never	It’s better to do something late than not at all.	He finally arrived at the party—better late than never!
Between a rock and a hard place	Facing two difficult choices with no good option.	She was between a rock and a hard place, choosing between her job and family.
Bite off more than you can chew	Taking on more than you can handle.	He bit off more than he could chew by accepting three projects at once.
Bite the bullet	To endure a painful situation bravely.	She decided to bite the bullet and finish the difficult task.
Blow off steam	To release pent-up emotions or stress.	After a tough day, he went for a run to blow off steam.
Bolt from the blue	Something completely unexpected, like a sudden shock.	The news of the company’s closure was a bolt from the blue.
Break a leg	A way to wish someone good luck, especially in a performance.	Break a leg in your audition tonight!
Break the ice	To start a conversation and reduce tension in a social setting.	She told a joke to break the ice at the meeting.
Burn the midnight oil	To work late into the night.	He burned the midnight oil to finish the report before the deadline.
Bury the hatchet	To make peace and end a conflict.	They finally buried the hatchet after years of disagreement.
By the skin of your teeth	Narrowly succeeding or escaping.	She passed the exam by the skin of her teeth.
Call a spade a spade	To speak plainly and honestly, even if it’s blunt.	Let’s call a spade a spade—your plan isn’t working.
Call it a day	To stop working for the day.	We’ve done enough—let’s call it a day.
Can of worms	A complicated problem that causes more issues when addressed.	Discussing politics at dinner opened a can of worms.
Caught red-handed	Caught in the act of doing something wrong.	He was caught red-handed stealing cookies from the jar.
Chip on your shoulder	Holding a grudge or feeling resentful.	He has a chip on his shoulder because he wasn’t promoted.
Cold feet	Feeling nervous or hesitant before a big event.	She got cold feet right before her wedding.
Cold shoulder	Ignoring or rejecting someone deliberately.	He gave her the cold shoulder after their argument.
Cost an arm and a leg	Very expensive.	The new phone cost an arm and a leg, but it’s worth it.
Cross that bridge when you come to it	Deal with a problem when it arises, not before.	I’m not sure what I’ll do if I fail—let’s cross that bridge when we come to it.
Cry over spilled milk	To be upset about something that cannot be undone.	There’s no point crying over spilled milk—the mistake is already made.
Cut corners	To do something quickly by skipping steps, often lowering quality.	They cut corners on the project, and now it’s falling apart.
Cut to the chase	To get to the point without wasting time.	Let’s cut to the chase—what do you really want?
Devil’s advocate	Someone who argues the opposite viewpoint for the sake of discussion.	I’ll play devil’s advocate to test your argument.
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch	Don’t assume success before it happens.	You haven’t won yet, so don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
Don’t judge a book by its cover	Don’t judge someone or something based on appearance.	She looks shy, but don’t judge a book by its cover—she’s very confident.
Down to earth	Practical, realistic, and humble.	Despite his fame, he’s very down to earth and approachable.
Draw the line	To set a limit on what is acceptable.	I draw the line at working overtime every day.
Drop the ball	To make a mistake or fail to do something.	He dropped the ball by forgetting to send the email on time.
Every cloud has a silver lining	There’s something positive in every bad situation.	After losing his job, he found a better one—every cloud has a silver lining.
Face the music	To accept the consequences of your actions.	He had to face the music after missing the deadline.
Feel under the weather	To feel unwell or sick.	I’m feeling under the weather, so I’ll stay home today.
Fit as a fiddle	In very good health.	At 70, she’s still fit as a fiddle and runs every morning.
Flew the coop	To escape or leave suddenly.	The kids flew the coop as soon as they turned 18.
Food for thought	Something to think about or consider.	Her speech gave us a lot of food for thought about climate change.
Get a kick out of	To enjoy or find something amusing.	I get a kick out of watching funny pet videos.
Get out of hand	To become uncontrollable.	The situation got out of hand when the crowd started shouting.
Get the ball rolling	To start something, like a project or conversation.	Let’s get the ball rolling with some brainstorming ideas.
Give the benefit of the doubt	To trust someone despite uncertainty.	I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he didn’t mean to offend.
Go against the grain	To do something contrary to what’s expected or normal.	Quitting her stable job to travel went against the grain.
Go the extra mile	To make an extra effort beyond what’s required.	She went the extra mile to make the event perfect for everyone.
Green with envy	Extremely jealous.	She was green with envy when her friend got the promotion.
Hit the ground running	To start something quickly and effectively.	The new manager hit the ground running with her first project.
Hit the nail on the head	To be exactly right about something.	You hit the nail on the head when you said we need more teamwork.
Hold your horses	To wait or slow down.	Hold your horses—we need to plan before jumping into this.
Hot potato	A controversial or difficult issue that people avoid.	The topic of tax reform is a hot potato in politics right now.
In a nutshell	Summarizing something briefly.	In a nutshell, we need to finish the project by Friday.
In hot water	In trouble or difficulty.	He’s in hot water after missing the important meeting.
In the blink of an eye	Happening very quickly.	The car sped by in the blink of an eye.
In the driver’s seat	In control of a situation.	With the new promotion, she’s now in the driver’s seat of the department.
In the heat of the moment	Acting impulsively during an intense situation.	He said things he didn’t mean in the heat of the moment.
It takes two to tango	Both parties are responsible for a situation.	They both argued—it takes two to tango, after all.
Jump on the bandwagon	To join a popular trend or activity.	Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and trying the new diet.
Keep an eye on	To watch or monitor something closely.	Can you keep an eye on my bag while I step out?
Keep your chin up	To stay positive in a tough situation.	Keep your chin up—things will get better soon.
Kick the bucket	To die (informal).	The old car finally kicked the bucket after years of use.
Kill two birds with one stone	To achieve two goals with a single action.	I killed two birds with one stone by shopping while visiting a friend.
Last straw	The final problem that makes a situation unbearable.	His rude comment was the last straw—I’m done with him.
Let the cat out of the bag	To reveal a secret, often unintentionally.	She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
Like a bull in a china shop	Acting recklessly in a delicate situation.	He was like a bull in a china shop, knocking over everything during the meeting.
Like two peas in a pod	Very similar, especially in appearance or behavior.	The twins are like two peas in a pod—they even finish each other’s sentences.
Make a long story short	To summarize something briefly.	To make a long story short, we missed the flight and had to reschedule.
Miss the boat	To miss an opportunity.	He missed the boat on investing in that stock before it skyrocketed.
Nip it in the bud	To stop a problem early before it worsens.	Let’s nip this issue in the bud before it becomes a bigger conflict.
No stone unturned	To try every possible option or effort.	She left no stone unturned in her search for the perfect job.
Not my cup of tea	Something you don’t like or aren’t interested in.	Horror movies are not my cup of tea—I prefer comedies.
Off the hook	Freed from responsibility or trouble.	He’s off the hook for the mistake since it wasn’t his fault.
On cloud nine	Extremely happy.	She was on cloud nine after getting accepted into her dream school.
On the ball	Alert and efficient; quick to act.	The new assistant is really on the ball—she finished the task in record time.
On the fence	Undecided about something.	I’m on the fence about moving to a new city.
Once in a blue moon	Happening very rarely.	We only see each other once in a blue moon since she moved away.
Out of the blue	Unexpectedly.	He called me out of the blue after years of no contact.
Over the moon	Extremely happy or excited.	They were over the moon when they heard the good news.
Paint the town red	To go out and have a wild, fun time.	They painted the town red to celebrate their graduation.
Pass the buck	To shift responsibility to someone else.	He passed the buck to his teammate instead of solving the problem himself.
Piece of the pie	A share of something, usually profits or benefits.	Everyone wanted a piece of the pie when the company started doing well.
Play it by ear	To handle a situation without a fixed plan.	We don’t have a schedule, so let’s play it by ear.
Pull someone’s leg	To tease or joke with someone.	I’m just pulling your leg—I didn’t really lose your book!
Pull your weight	To do your fair share of work.	Everyone needs to pull their weight on this group project.
Put all your eggs in one basket	To risk everything on a single plan.	Don’t put all your eggs in one basket—diversify your investments.
Put the cart before the horse	To do things in the wrong order.	Planning the party before confirming the budget is putting the cart before the horse.
Rain on someone’s parade	To spoil someone’s plans or happiness.	I hate to rain on your parade, but the event is canceled.
Raining cats and dogs	Raining very heavily.	We can’t go out—it’s raining cats and dogs!
Read between the lines	To understand a hidden meaning.	You have to read between the lines to see what she really meant.
Red herring	A distraction from the main issue.	The rumor was a red herring to divert attention from the real problem.
Ride shotgun	To sit in the front passenger seat of a car.	I called to ride shotgun on our road trip.
Right as rain	Perfectly fine or healthy.	After a good night’s sleep, she felt right as rain.
Rock the boat	To cause trouble or disrupt a stable situation.	Don’t rock the boat by bringing up that topic at the meeting.
Rub salt in the wound	To make a bad situation worse.	Mentioning his failure rubbed salt in the wound.
Rule of thumb	A general guideline based on experience.	As a rule of thumb, save 10% of your income each month.
Run out of steam	To lose energy or motivation.	I ran out of steam halfway through the marathon.
Saved by the bell	Rescued from a difficult situation at the last moment.	The teacher’s question was tough, but I was saved by the bell when class ended.
See eye to eye	To agree with someone.	We don’t always see eye to eye, but we respect each other’s opinions.
Shoot the breeze	To have a casual conversation.	We sat on the porch and shot the breeze for hours.
Sit on the fence	To remain undecided.	He’s sitting on the fence about which college to attend.
Skeleton in the closet	A hidden or embarrassing secret.	Every family has a skeleton in the closet they don’t talk about.
Smell a rat	To suspect something is wrong.	I smelled a rat when he avoided answering my questions.
Spill the beans	To reveal a secret.	She spilled the beans about the surprise birthday party.
Steal someone’s thunder	To take attention or credit away from someone.	He stole her thunder by announcing his project first.
Straight from the horse’s mouth	Information directly from a reliable source.	I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth—the boss is retiring.
Take it with a grain of salt	To not take something too seriously.	His advice is biased, so take it with a grain of salt.
Take the bull by the horns	To face a challenge directly and bravely.	She took the bull by the horns and confronted the issue head-on.
Taste of your own medicine	Experiencing the same treatment you give others.	He got a taste of his own medicine when his friends ignored him.
The ball is in your court	It’s your turn to make a decision or take action.	I’ve done my part—now the ball is in your court.
The best of both worlds	Enjoying the benefits of two different things.	Working from home gives her the best of both worlds—flexibility and income.
The early bird catches the worm	The person who acts first gets the advantage.	She arrived early for the sale—the early bird catches the worm!
The elephant in the room	An obvious problem everyone ignores.	The budget cuts were the elephant in the room during the meeting.
The last straw	The final problem that makes a situation unbearable.	His tardiness was the last straw—I had to let him go.
The whole nine yards	Everything; the full extent.	They went the whole nine yards for the wedding—decor, food, and entertainment.
Through thick and thin	Supporting someone in good times and bad.	They’ve stayed friends through thick and thin for over 20 years.
Throw in the towel	To give up or surrender.	After hours of trying, he threw in the towel and called for help.
Tie the knot	To get married.	They’re planning to tie the knot next summer.
Time flies when you’re having fun	Time passes quickly when you’re enjoying yourself.	We were laughing so much that time flew when we were having fun.
To each his own	Everyone has their own preferences.	She loves spicy food, but I don’t—to each his own.
Turn a blind eye	To ignore something deliberately.	The teacher turned a blind eye to the students whispering in class.
Under the weather	Feeling unwell or sick.	He’s under the weather, so he won’t be joining us today.
Up in the air	Uncertain or undecided.	Our plans for the trip are still up in the air.
Walk on eggshells	To be very cautious to avoid upsetting someone.	I have to walk on eggshells around him when he’s in a bad mood.
Water under the bridge	Something in the past that can’t be changed.	Our argument is water under the bridge—let’s move on.
Wear your heart on your sleeve	To openly show your emotions.	She wears her heart on her sleeve, so you always know how she feels.
When pigs fly	Something that will never happen.	He’ll clean his room when pigs fly—I’m not holding my breath!
Wild goose chase	A hopeless pursuit of something unattainable.	Searching for that old book in the library was a wild goose chase.
You can’t have your cake and eat it too	You can’t have two desirable but mutually exclusive things.	You can’t have your cake and eat it too—choose between work and travel.
Your guess is as good as mine	I don’t know any more than you do.	I have no idea what time they’ll arrive—your guess is as good as mine.

How to Use Idioms Effectively in CSS & PMS Exams

Understand the Context: Use idioms only when they fit the context of your sentence or paragraph. Misusing an idiom can confuse the reader and lower your score.
Practice Regularly: Memorize a few idioms each day and try using them in sentences to build familiarity.
Enhance Essays: Incorporate idioms in your essays to make your arguments more engaging and expressive.
Review Examples: Study the examples provided with each idiom to understand how they are used in real-life scenarios.

Tips for Memorizing Idioms

Memorizing 200 idioms may seem daunting, but with the right approach, it can be manageable and even enjoyable. Here are some proven strategies:

Group by Themes: Categorize idioms by themes, such as emotions, success, or challenges, to make them easier to recall.
Use Flashcards: Create flashcards with the idiom on one side and its meaning and example on the other.
Practice in Writing: Write short stories or paragraphs using the idioms to reinforce their meanings.
Engage with Media: Watch English movies, read books, or listen to podcasts to see how idioms are used naturally.

Conclusion

Idioms are a powerful tool for CSS and PMS exam candidates aiming to excel in the English language sections. By mastering the 200 idioms from A to Z provided in this article, you’ll gain the confidence to use them effectively in your writing and comprehension tasks. Start incorporating these idioms into your daily practice, and watch your language skills soar!

Ready to ace your CSS or PMS exam? Save this page, fill in the idiom list, and begin your preparation today. For more exam tips and resources, explore our website or share this article with fellow aspirants!

English MCQs by CSS MCQs

English (Precis and Composition)
General English Mcqs	Prepositions Mcqs
Fill in the blinks Mcqs	One Word Substitutes Mcqs
Synonyms Mcqs	Idioms And Phrases Mcqs
Antonyms Mcqs	Active and Passive Voice Mcqs
Tenses Mcqs	Direct And Indirect Speech Mcqs
Correct Spelling Mcqs	CSS Vocabulary MCQs
Pair of Words Mcqs:	100 Most Important English Idioms
ONE WORD SUBSTITUTION Mcqs	65 Most Important Idioms
English Important Prepositions	English Grammer Mcqs

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