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English practice

Idiom & Phrases Questions with Answers

Idiom & Phrases questions ask for the meaning of a fixed expression whose sense cannot be worked out from its separate words. SSC CGL, CHSL and MTS include them in the English section, and bank prelims such as IBPS and SBI sometimes test them as well. The only reliable way to answer is to know the standard meaning. Tip: link each idiom to a short sentence or image when you learn it, and always read the idiom inside its sentence in the question.

Rules to remember

  • An idiom is a fixed expression: its meaning is figurative, so translating the words literally leads to the wrong option.
  • Never change a word of an idiom: it is 'a blessing in disguise', not 'a blessing in hiding'.
  • 'At the eleventh hour' means at the last possible moment.
  • 'Once in a blue moon' means very rarely.
  • 'To break the ice' means to start a conversation in an awkward or tense situation.
  • 'To hit the nail on the head' means to say or do exactly the right thing.
  • 'A blessing in disguise' is something that seems bad but turns out to be good.
  • 'To call it a day' means to stop working for the day.

Worked examples

Q1. Choose the meaning of the idiom: A piece of cake. (a) A tasty dessert (b) A very easy task (c) A small share (d) A reward

  1. The idiom is figurative and not about food.
  2. It describes something that takes little effort.
  3. So the meaning is a very easy task.

Answer: (b) A very easy task

Q2. Choose the meaning of the idiom: To burn the midnight oil. (a) To waste resources (b) To start a fire at night (c) To work late into the night (d) To celebrate

  1. Oil lamps were once used to study or work after dark.
  2. 'Burning the midnight oil' therefore means working or studying until late at night.
  3. Wasting resources and celebrating are unrelated.

Answer: (c) To work late into the night

Q3. Choose the meaning of the idiom: A red herring. (a) A rare find (b) A misleading clue (c) A costly mistake (d) A warning sign

  1. A red herring is something that draws attention away from the real issue.
  2. It is commonly used for a false clue in an argument or a story.
  3. The other options do not carry that sense.

Answer: (b) A misleading clue

Shortcuts that save time

  • Read the idiom inside its sentence: the surrounding words usually show whether the meaning is positive or negative, which narrows the options at once.
  • Treat any option that matches the literal words of the idiom as suspect; examiners place literal meanings as traps.
  • If you do not know the idiom and context does not help, skip it rather than guess, as one wrong answer reduces your score.

Where this appears

SSC CGL Tier-1English Comprehension section
SSC CHSL Tier-1English Language section
SSC MTSEnglish Language and Comprehension section
IBPS/SBI PO PrelimsEnglish Language section
IBPS/SBI Clerk PrelimsEnglish Language section

Idiom & Phrases

Practice Set
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Choose the idiom/phrase that means: "as part of one's experience"

English · stress-free practice · answers reveal instantly · difficulty adapts as you go

Idiom & Phrases questions with answers

10 sample questions from this topic with the correct option and the solution.

  1. Q1. Choose the idiom/phrase that means: "it is raining very heavily"

    1. It's raining cats and dogs
    2. Bite the bullet
    3. Jump on the bandwagon
    4. Cry over spilt milk

    Answer: (A) It's raining cats and dogs

    Solution
    "It's raining cats and dogs" means: it is raining very heavily.

  2. Q2. What is the meaning of the idiom/phrase: "Run out of steam"?

    1. just barely; narrowly
    2. to describe exactly what is causing a situation
    3. to argue the opposite side for the sake of debate
    4. to lose energy or enthusiasm

    Answer: (D) to lose energy or enthusiasm

    Solution
    "Run out of steam" means: to lose energy or enthusiasm.

  3. Q3. What is the meaning of the idiom/phrase: "Spill the beans"?

    1. to reveal a secret accidentally
    2. a past problem that is no longer worth worrying about
    3. in trouble
    4. to reveal secret information

    Answer: (D) to reveal secret information

    Solution
    "Spill the beans" means: to reveal secret information.

  4. Q4. What is the meaning of the idiom/phrase: "In hot water"?

    1. to stop working on something
    2. in trouble
    3. something good that seemed bad at first
    4. to avoid taking sides in a dispute

    Answer: (B) in trouble

    Solution
    "In hot water" means: in trouble.

  5. Q5. What is the meaning of the idiom/phrase: "Piece of cake"?

    1. as part of one's experience
    2. something very easy
    3. pursuing a mistaken line of thought
    4. to argue the opposite side for the sake of debate

    Answer: (B) something very easy

    Solution
    "Piece of cake" means: something very easy.

  6. Q6. Choose the idiom/phrase that means: "to take credit for someone else's achievement"

    1. Go the extra mile
    2. Steal someone's thunder
    3. Make a long story short
    4. Shoot yourself in the foot

    Answer: (B) Steal someone's thunder

    Solution
    "Steal someone's thunder" means: to take credit for someone else's achievement.

  7. Q7. What is the meaning of the idiom/phrase: "Piece of cake"?

    1. something very easy
    2. to avoid humiliation
    3. in trouble
    4. to try very hard to help someone

    Answer: (A) something very easy

    Solution
    "Piece of cake" means: something very easy.

  8. Q8. What is the meaning of the idiom/phrase: "Out of the blue"?

    1. something very easy
    2. in the same difficult situation as someone else
    3. to prevent something from approaching
    4. unexpectedly

    Answer: (D) unexpectedly

    Solution
    "Out of the blue" means: unexpectedly.

  9. Q9. Choose the idiom/phrase that means: "it is raining very heavily"

    1. It's raining cats and dogs
    2. Piece of cake
    3. Call it a day
    4. Make a long story short

    Answer: (A) It's raining cats and dogs

    Solution
    "It's raining cats and dogs" means: it is raining very heavily.

  10. Q10. Choose the idiom/phrase that means: "to avoid taking sides in a dispute"

    1. Bite off more than one can chew
    2. Sit on the fence
    3. Jump on the bandwagon
    4. Out of the blue

    Answer: (B) Sit on the fence

    Solution
    "Sit on the fence" means: to avoid taking sides in a dispute.