Idiom
Elementary School
Definition
A common expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal meaning of its words. For example, "break the ice" means to ease tension, not to shatter frozen water. Idioms are part of everyday language and vary between cultures.
Worked examples
"It's raining cats and dogs outside!"
This idiom means it's raining very heavily, not that animals are falling from the sky.
"She let the cat out of the bag when she mentioned the surprise party."
This means she accidentally revealed a secret, not that she released an actual cat.
Common mistakes
- translating idioms word-by-word into another language → learning the idiom's figurative meaning in each language separately Idioms don't translate literally because their meanings are cultural, not based on the individual words.
- "piece of cake" means a dessert is involved → "piece of cake" means something is very easy to do The literal words don't match the figurative meaning — that's what makes it an idiom.
- using idioms in formal academic essays without explanation → saving idioms for informal writing or speech, or explaining them if necessary Idioms are conversational and can confuse readers unfamiliar with them; formal writing prefers precise language.
Where you'll use it next
You'll identify idioms when analyzing character dialogue and tone in literature, and learn to distinguish figurative from literal language in poetry and nonfiction. Understanding idioms also helps you interpret meaning in everyday conversations and media.
See also
Reviewed by Pat Cheng, M.Ed. — StudyPug Curriculum Lead · Last updated June 6, 2026