Idioms and Phrases
Idioms Meaning Sentence
Above all সর্বোপরি Above all, he is a good man.
Above board সংশয়হীনভাবে নির্দোষ His activities are open and above board
Achilles’ heel দুর্বলতা Hankering for votes is the Achilles’ heel of
the leaders of our country
All but প্রায় The poor villagers are all but ruined
Apple of discord বিবাদের বিষয় The land has become an apple of discord
between the two brothers
At a loss হতবুদ্ধি, কিংকর্তব্যবিমূঢ় I am now at a loss and don’t know the
solution.
At all events যাই ঘটুকনা কেন I shall stand by him at all events
At bay কোনঠাসা The tiger was at bay in the bush
At one’s finger
ends নখদর্পণে All these facts are his fingers ends.
At daggers drawn শত্রুতা The two children are at daggers drawn now.
At one’s wit ‘s end হতবুদ্ধি He was at his wit’s end and did not know
what to do.
At stake বিপদে পড়া His life is at a stake now.
Bad blood মনোমালিন্য Now there is a bad blood between the two
sisters.
Beat about the
bush
কাজের কথা না বলে আজেবাজে
কথা বলা
Please come to the point without beating
about the bush
Birds of feather একরকম স্বভাবের লোক Birds of feather flock together
Black sheep কুলাঙ্গার He is a black sheep for the family.
By all means সর্বপ্রকারে Try to complete it by all means
By fits and starts মাঝেমাঝে He works by fits and starts
By hook or by
crook যেকোনমূল্যে You must do this work by hook or by crook
By leaps and
bounds অতি দ্রুত গতিতে The population of Bangladesh is increasing by
leaps and bounds
Bid fair ভালো কিছু আশা করা He bids fair to be a good doctor
Big gun নেতৃস্থানীয় ব্যক্তি The man behind the police is a big gun of our
locality
Bird’s eye view মোটামুটিধারণা He took a bird’s eye view of the flood-stricken
are from an airplane
Bone of connection বিবাদের বিষয় The paternal property is the bone of
contention among the family members.
Book worm গ্রন্থকীট Don’t be a book worm.
Bring to book শাস্তি দেওয়া The students should be bring to book for their
misconduct
Build castle in the
air আকাশ কুসুম রচনা করা Don’t waste your time in building castle in the
air
Breathe one’s last মারা যাওয়া The old man breathes his last on Sunday last.
Call to mind স্মরণ করা I cannot call to mind your cell number
Call in question সন্দেহ করা No one can call his honesty in question
Carry the day জয়লাভ করা The boys carried the day in the debate
competition
Chip of the old
block বাপকা বেটা Mr. Mukherjee is the chip of the old block
Crying need জরুরী Mass education is a crying need for India
Crocodile tears মায়াকান্না He shed crocodile tears at our misery
Cock and bull story আষাঢ়ে গল্প You must be ashamed of your cock and bull
story
Cut a sorry figure খারাপ ফল করা He cuts a sorry figure in the examination
Cut to the quick মর্মাহত হওয়া I was cut to the quick by his birds
D-F
Idioms Meaning Sentence
Dead against তীব্র বিরোধী I am dead against his proposal
Dead language যে ভাষা এখন আর কথ্য নয় Sanskrit is a rich language, but it is now a
dead language.
Dead of night মধ্যরাত্রি The robbers broke into the house at head of
night
Die in harness কর্মরত অবস্থায় মারা যাওয়া Dr. Sen died in harness
Do yeoman’s
service বিশেষ উপকার করা Freedom fighters have done yeoman’s service
for country.
End in smoke ব্যর্থ হওয়া All his plans ended in smoke.
Fall flat ফলপ্রসূ না হওয়া My advice feels flat on him.
Fight shy এড়িয়ে চলা Why do you fight shy of your teacher?
Fish out of water অস্বস্তিকর অবস্থা When he came to the village , he felt like fish
out of water
Fish in a troubled
water এলোমেলো অবস্থার সুযোগ নেয়া He made a lot of money by fishing in a
troubled water
Far and wide সর্বত্র His fame spread far and wide
Flesh and blood রক্তমাংসের শরীর Flesh and blood cannot bear with these such
insults
For good চিরদিনের জন্য He left the house for good
From hand to
mouth দিন আনে দিন খায় The poor man live from hand to mouth
G-I
Idioms Meaning Sentence
Gala day বিশেষ দিন The Eid –Ul-Fitr is a gala day for Muslims.
Get rid of মুক্তি পাওয়া Try to get rid of the rogue.
Gift of the gab বাকপটুতা An advocate should have the gift of the gab.
Hard nut to crack কঠিন সমস্যা The problem of adult education is really hard nut
to crack
Head and ears সম্পূর্ণরূপে He is over head and ears in debt
Hold water ধোপে টেকা This policy will not hold water in this situation.
Hue and cry শোরগোল The villagers raised a hue and cry to see the
thief
Hush money ঘুষ He offered a hush money to disclose the file.
In a fix মুশকিলে পতিত হওয়া The man is in a fix with his new hairstyle.
In full swing পুরোদমে The school is in full swing after the vacation
In lieu of পরিবর্তে Give me this pen in lieu of that
In cold blood ঠান্ডা মাথায় They committed this murder in cold blood
In no time শীঘ্র He will finish the work in no time
Ins and out খুঁটিনাটি I know ins and outs of this file
In vogue চালু This custom is not in vogue at present
In a nutshell সংক্ষেপে Tell the whole story in a nutshell
In one’s teens তের থেকে উনিশ বছর বয়সের
মাঝে She is yet in her teens
In the long run পরিণামে You will have to suffer in the long run
Irony of fate ভাগ্যের পরিহাস He could not succeed by irony of fate.
k-m
Idioms Meaning Sentence
Kith and kin নিকট আত্মীয় He has no relation with his kith and kin
Lion’s share বড় মাপের অংশ He took the lion’s share of the profit
Lame excuse বাজে ওজর The lame excuse will not do.
Maiden speech প্রথম বক্তৃতা His maiden speech fell flat on the audience
Man of letters পন্ডিত ব্যক্তি You are truly a man of letters
Man of straw অপদার্থ We do not care for a man of straw like you.
Make both ends
meet আয় ব্যয় মেলানো I cannot make both ends meet with my small
income
Moot point অমীমাংসিত বিষয় Dowry system is still a moot point in
Bangladesh.
N-P
Idioms Meaning Sentence
Nip in the bud অঙ্কুরে বিনষ্ট হওয়া All his hopes were nipped in the bud.
Null and void বাতিল The deed has been null and void now.
Now and then মাঝে মাঝে He comes here now and then
Of course অবশ্যই Of course, you know what that meant.
On the contrary বিপরীত পক্ষে I do not hate him; on the contrary I love him.
On the wane হ্রাসমান His fame is on the wane now.
On the whole মোটের ওপর On the whole, his conduct is good
Out of date সেকেলে This fashion is out of date
Out of sorts সামান্য অসুস্থ The baby is out of sorts after playing.
Out of order বিকল the radio has become an out of order
Out of temper ক্রুদ্ধ The teacher is out temper to see the overall
results.
Part and parcel অবিচ্ছেদ্য অংশ Education is part and parcel to build a civilized
nation.
Pros and cons খুঁটিনাটি You should consider the pros and cons of the
system
R-T
Idioms meaning Sentence
Rank and file সাধারণ লোক We should pay attention to the rank and file of
the country
Red letter day স্মরয় দিন The 16th December is a red letter day for us.
Round the clock সমস্ত দিন He is working round the clock
Set free মুক্ত করা The prisoners were set free
Slow coach অলস You cannot expect much from a slow coach.
Slip of the pen লেখায় অসতর্কতাবশত সামান্য ভুল The mistake is due to a slip of the pen.
Slip of the tongue বলায় সামান্য ভুল This is a slip of the tongue; don’t lay much
stress on it.
Square meal পেট ভরা আহার He is too poor to have a square meal everyday
Stone’s throw অতি নিকটে Our school is at a stone’s throw from our
house
Tooth and nail তীব্রভাবে He fought tooth and nail for the sake of
country
To the backbone হাড়ে হাড়ে I know this boy to the backbone
U-W
Idioms Meaning Sentence
Ups and downs উত্থান পতন There are ups and downs in a man’s life.
Up and doing উদ্যোগী Be up and doing and then you will be
succeed in your life
White elephant অত্যন্ত ব্যয়সাপেক্ষ
বিলাসিতা
At last the department proved to be a white
elephant
Weal and woe সুখ-দুঃখ Human life is full of weal and woe.
Widow’s mite দরিদ্রের ক্ষুদ্র দান A windows mite is no less important than a
large contribution of a rich man.