Idioms about animals
| Let the cat out of the bag |
Reveal a secret |
| A fish out of water |
Someone who is uncomfortable in a particular situation |
| Kill two birds with one stone |
Achieve two things with one action |
| The elephant in the room |
An obvious problem that people avoid discussing |
| Busy as a bee |
Very active and hardworking |
| Eagle eye |
Someone who has sharp vision or is very observant |
| Hold your horses |
Wait a moment; be patient |
| Raining cats and dogs |
Raining very heavily |
| Snake in the grass |
A deceitful or treacherous person |
| Cry wolf |
Raise a false alarm; ask for help when it’s not needed |
| Dog days |
The hottest days of summer |
| A little bird told me |
A person received information from a secret or anonymous source |
| Like a fish out of water |
Feeling out of place or uncomfortable |
| Straight from the horse’s mouth |
Information directly from the original source |
| Monkey business |
Silly or mischievous behavior |
| Take the bull by the horns |
Face a difficult situation bravely |
| Get your ducks in a row |
Organize things in preparation for something |
| Curiosity killed the cat |
Being too inquisitive can lead to trouble |
| You can’t teach an old dog new tricks |
It’s hard to change someone’s habits |
| The lion’s share |
The largest part of something |
| Like water off a duck’s back |
An insult or criticism that has no effect |
| Birds of a feather flock together |
People who are similar tend to associate with each other |
| Let sleeping dogs lie |
Don’t disturb a situation as it might cause trouble |
| Wolf in sheep’s clothing |
Someone who seems harmless but is actually dangerous |
| Like a bull in a china shop |
Clumsy and likely to cause damage |
| Cat nap |
A short sleep during the day |
| Lame duck |
Someone who is weak or fails to perform |
| Black sheep |
The odd or disreputable member of a group |
| Wild goose chase |
A futile or hopeless pursuit |
| Sick as a dog |
Extremely ill |
| One-trick pony |
Someone who is good at only one thing |
| Ants in your pants |
Being restless or unable to stay still |
| Early bird catches the worm |
Success comes to those who prepare well |
| Have bigger fish to fry |
Have more important things to do |
| Cat got your tongue? |
A phrase used when someone is unusually silent |
| Fishy |
Suspicious or not quite right |
| Bird-brained |
Not very smart; foolish |
| Pig out |
Eat a lot of food, often in a messy way |
| Elephant in the room |
A big problem that no one is talking about |
| Flog a dead horse |
Waste effort on something that has no chance of success |
| Dog-eat-dog world |
A situation of fierce competition |
| Horse of a different color |
A situation or thing that is completely different |
| Cat’s meow |
Something that is highly admired |
| Bats in the belfry |
Someone who is crazy or eccentric |
| Herding cats |
Trying to control or organize something that is uncontrollable |
| Bird’s-eye view |
A general view from above |
| Go to the dogs |
Deteriorate; become worse |
| Sitting duck |
Someone who is easy to attack |
| Eat like a horse |
Eat a lot of food |
| Bull in a china shop |
A clumsy person who often breaks things |
| Mad as a hornet |
Extremely angry |
| Hog the limelight |
Take all the attention in a situation |
| Cat on a hot tin roof |
Extremely nervous |
| Top dog |
The most important person in a group |
| Wolf in sheep’s clothing |
A person who seems good but is actually bad |
| Clam up |
Suddenly stop talking |
Idioms about animals
| Paper tiger |
Someone or something that seems threatening but is actually weak |
| Barking up the wrong tree |
Accusing or pursuing the wrong person |
| The cat’s whiskers |
Something or someone who is the best |
| As the crow flies |
In a straight line (distance) |
| Butterflies in your stomach |
Feeling nervous |
| Crocodile tears |
Fake tears; insincere emotion |
| Goosebumps |
A feeling of fear or excitement that makes your skin tingle |
| The tail wagging the dog |
A situation where a smaller or less important part controls the whole |
| Piggyback |
To carry something or someone on your back |
| Rat race |
A competitive and stressful way of life |
| Sly as a fox |
Very clever and deceitful |
| Wolf down |
To eat something very quickly |
| Horse around |
To play roughly or act silly |
| Chickens come home to roost |
Bad deeds or mistakes return to cause trouble |
| Cram like a fish |
Study intensively at the last minute |
| Frog in your throat |
Difficulty in speaking due to a sore throat or nervousness |
| Play possum |
Pretend to be asleep or unaware |
| Fish for compliments |
Try to get compliments in an indirect way |
| Hair of the dog |
An alcoholic drink taken to cure a hangover |
| Faster than a speeding bullet |
Extremely fast |
Idioms about animals
Read More
1. List Of Possessive Pronoun With Example Worksheet
2. 120 Example of declarative sentence in English
