TOP 200 idioms thông dụng trong tiếng Anh
Idiom là gì?
Idiom là thành ngữ trong tiếng anh, thường là các cụm từ, hoặc cũng có thể là một câu được ghép lại từ các từ nhưng có ý nghĩa khác với nghĩa đen của các từ đó. Hiểu một cách đơn giản, idiom tương tự như thành ngữ, tục ngữ Việt Nam vậy.
Các idioms thông dụng trong tiếng Anh
| Thành ngữ | Ý nghĩa | Ví dụ |
| (to) be dead tired |
mệt nhoài, quá mệt mỏi
|
I’ve worked for hours already today and I’m dead tired |
| (to) be fed up with | chán ngán với | Be careful, I think the boss is fed up with us today |
| (to) be in charge of |
quản lý, chịu trách nhiệm
|
Listin to me because I’m in charge of this company. |
| (to) be in the way |
kỳ đà cản mũi, ngáng đường, vật cản trở
|
If my little brother stays in the same room with me when I study, he’ll really be in the way. |
| (to) be my guest |
cứ tự nhiên, đừng khách sáo
|
If you want some food, then be my guest. The pizza is on the table. |
| (to) be named after |
được đặt tên theo/ giống…
|
Ronaldo was named after a famous footballer. |
| (to) be no big deal |
chuyện nhỏ, chẳng to tát gì cả
|
Don’t worry about failing the exam. It’s no big deal. |
| (to) be on top of the world |
rất hạnh phúc, rất thành công
|
She’s on top of the world now because she’s just won the lottery. |
| (to) be/ get in touch with someone | liên lạc với ai đó | Get in touch with me as soon as you have get an email address. |
| (to) build castles in the air |
mơ mộng viển vông, xa rời thực tế
|
Lisa, I know you’re very confident but don’t build castles in the air. |
| (to) call it a day |
nghỉ làm, nghỉ ngơi
|
Today it’s Sunday so I call it a day.
|
| (to) drop someone a line |
viết vài dòng cho ai đó
|
When you arrive in Hanoi, remember to drop me a line. |
| (to) follow in one’s footsteps |
nối nghiệp/ bắt chước ai đó
|
I’ve become a footballer just like my brother. I really followed in his footsteps. |
| (to) fool around |
không làm gì, lãng phí thời gian
|
Alex’s just been fooling around at his desk. |
| (to) get along with someone |
hòa hợp với ai đó, hợp tính cách với ai đó.
|
I really get a long with Jack. He’s a nice guy. |
| (to) get rid of | tống khứ, vứt đi |
You should get rid of that old car.
|
| (to) give s.o the cold shoulder |
đối xử lạnh nhạt, hờ hững với ai
|
She’s given me the cold shoulder all day.
|
| (to) hang in there |
tiếp tục cố gắng, kiên trì
|
John, I know that learning English is not easy but hang in there and you’ll be fluent one day. |
| (to) keep/ bear in mind | luôn nhớ rằng | When you buy cheap clothes, you should bear in mind that they will soon wear out. |
| (to) lay off | sa thải | The company laid off 50 workers last week. |
| 24/7 |
twenty-four hours a day; seven days a week; all the time; constantly
|
My little sister irritates me 24/7
|
| a blessing in disguise |
tưởng xui xẻo nhưng hóa ra lại may mắn
|
Losing that job was a blessing in disguise.
|
| a drop in the bucket |
không ăn thua gì
|
His fortune is a drop in the bucket compared with mine. |
| a friend in need is a friend indeed |
hoạn nạn mới biết bạn hiền
|
|
| a lie has no legs | giấu đầu lòi đuôi | |
| a little bird told me |
tôi nghe nói rằng
|
A little bird told me that you and Cindy are going to get married. |
| a needle in a haystack | mò kim đáy bể | |
| a pain in the neck | điều phiền phức | Sometimes my baby can be a pain in the neck. |
| a penny for your thoughts |
tôi muốn biết bạn đang nghĩ gì
|
You seem pretty pleased, a penny for your thoughts. |
| a picture is worth a thousand words |
trăm nghe không bằng một thấy
|
A good presentation should contain more of graphics and less of text, since a picture is worth a thousand words. |
| a piece of cake | rất dễ dàng | Learning to speak English is a piece of cake. |
| a short fuse | a quick temper. | Jamie is known for his short fuse; just a few days ago he screamed at his coach for not letting him play. |
| a taste of your own medicine |
bad treatment deservedly received for treating other people badly
|
After constantly being prank-called, Julian decided to give Juan a taste of his own medicine and ordered twenty-seven pizzas to be delivered to Juan’s house. |
| a wolf in sheep’s clothing | lòng lang dạ sói | The murderer was really a wolf in sheep’s clothing. |
| a year care, a minute ruin |
khôn ba năm, dại một giờ
|
|
| actions speak louder than words |
những gì bạn làm có ý nghĩa hơn những gì bạn nói.
|
You keep saying that you’ll do your fair share of the housework. Remember that actions speak louder than words. |
| add fuel to the fire |
đổ thêm dầu vào lửa
|
|
| add insult to injury |
làm cho việc gì đó trở nên tồi tệ hơn.
|
To add insult to injury, after cancelling our flight, they asked us to pay extra! |
| an arm and a leg |
cái gì đó rất đắt tiền
|
I’m sick of paying an arm and a leg for rent in this city. |
| as accient as the sun | xưa như trái đất | |
| as clear as daylight | rõ như ban ngày | |
| as dump as an oyster | câm như hến | |
| as easy as pie |
rất dễ, dễ như ăn bánh, dễ như ăn cháo
|
He said it is a difficult problem, but I don’t agree. It seems as easy as pie to me! |
| as strong as a horse | khỏe như trâu | |
| at all cost | bằng mọi giá | My dream is to become a successful businessman and I will work hard for it AT ALL COSTS |
| be out of your depth |
trong tình thế khó xử/khó khăn
|
I am used to teach General english but I was OUT OF MY DEPTH when I had to teach Academic English |
| be sick and tired of |
tôi ghét (tôi không chịu được)
|
I’m sick and tired of doing nothing but work. Let’s go out tonight and have fun. |
| beat around the bush |
không đi thẳng vào vấn đề
|
Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you really want. |
| beating around the bush |
vòng vo tam quốc
|
|
| beauty is only skin deep |
cái nết đánh chết cái đẹp
|
|
| behind someone’s back |
một cách giấu diếm, bí mật
|
I can’t believe he went out on a date with Rosie behind my back! |
| behind the times | lỗi thời, hết thời | My friend never likes using smartphones. She’s so BEHIND THE TIMES. |
| bend over backwards |
rất cố gắng ( có khi quá sức )
|
He bent over backwards to please his new wife, but she never seemed satisfied. |
| better late than never |
thà muộn còn hơn không
|
David finally paid me the money he owed me. Well, better late than never. |
| better luck next time |
thua keo này ta bày keo khác
|
|
| bite off more than you can chew |
làm điều gì đó quá sức.
|
I think he’s bitten off more than he can chew taking all those classes. |
| bite the hand that feeds | ăn cháo đá bát | |
| blew me away |
khi thứ gì đó “blow you away”, nghĩa là thứ đó thực sự rất đáng ngạc nhiên
|
The new technology blew me away.
|
| broke | hết tiền | I have to borrow some money from my Dad. Right now, I’m broke. |
| butterflies in my stomach | to be nervous. | Liam had butterflies in his stomach before he went on stage to play the violin. |
| by the skin of your teeth |
to just barely get by or make it
|
Lester made the dance team by the skin of his teeth; you can tell he hasn’t been dancing jazz for very long. |
| call it a day |
kết thúc một công việc trong ngày, hoặc trong buổi tối
|
Well, it was nice chatting with you, but it’s time for me to call it a day. |
| cat got your tongue? |
can’t you speak? (usually said to embarrass the other person).
|
I just saw you kissing my boyfriend. What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue? |
| change one’s mind | đổi ý | I was planning to work late tonight, but I changed my mind. I’ll do extra work on the weekend instead. |
| cheapest is dearest | của rẻ là của ôi | |
| chill out |
thư giãn, bình tĩnh lại
|
Despite terrorism, Obama still kept calm, and told his staff to chill out, and got back to work. |
| cost an arm and a leg | đắt cắt cổ | I’d love to buy a Lamborghini supercar, but it costs an arm and a leg. |
| crying wolf |
to ask for help when you don’t need it
|
You have cried wolf so many times that no one believes you when you’re really hurt. |
| curiosity kills the cat |
tò mò chết người
|
When Jane asked Jack where he was going yesterday morning, he replied that curiosity killed the cat. |
| cut it out! |
dừng làm việc gì xấu
|
That noise is really annoying. Cut it out!
|
| cut someone some slack |
to not judge someone too harshly
|
Hey. Cut me some slack. I was really busy with my frog hunting business last week and forgot to call. I’m sorry! |
| cut to the chase |
đi thẳng vào vấn đề
|
Let’s cut to the chase. How much is it going to cost me? |
| death pays all debts | chết là hết | |
| diamond cuts diamond |
vỏ quýt dày có móng tay nhọn
|
|
| do in rome as the romans do | nhập gia tùy tục | When you travel abroad, remember to do in Rome as the Romans do. |
| don’t judge a book by its cover |
đừng đánh giá một sự vật/sự việc/con người chỉ qua vẻ bề ngoài
|
He doesn’t look very intelligent, but you can’t judge a book by its cover. |
| down for the count |
tired; giving up; unable or unwilling to participate any longer.
|
No, you can’t take my dog for a walk—she’s down for the count after chasing cats all day. |
| down in the dumps | buồn bã | I was really down in the dumps after my dog died. |
| down to earth |
người thực tế hoặc khiêm nhường
|
He’s very down to earth despite his fame.
|
| draw the line |
to stop; to know the point where something goes from okay to not okay
|
Now I draw the line at speaking in front of 34,000 people. |
| drive s.b nuts |
làm cho ai điên lên được!
|
That loud beeping noise is driving me nuts! |
| drop someone a line |
gửi 1 lá thư hay email cho ai đó
|
It was good to meet you . Drop me a line when you have time. |
| easier said than done |
nói thì dễ làm thì khó
|
|
| easy come easy go |
dễ được thì dễ mất
|
|
| easy come, easy go |
cái gì nhanh đến thì cũng sẽ mau đi
|
I’m sorry that you broke up with him but easy come, easy go. |
| every cloud has a silver lightning |
trong cái rủi có cái may.
|
Even though you just got fired, remember that every cloud has a silver lining—at least you don’t have to work for that grouchy boss anymore! |
| every cloud has a silver lining |
you can find good in every bad situation.e
|
ven though you just got fired, remember that every cloud has a silver lining—at least you don’t have to work for that grouchy boss anymore! |
| every day is not sunday |
sông có khúc người có lúc
|
|
| every jack has his jill |
nồi nào úp vung nấy
|
|
| every now and then | thỉnh thoảng | Every now and then I take my wife to the cinema. |
| explore all avenues |
suy tính đến các hướng/bước để tránh xảy ra vấn đề/hậu quả xấu
|
We need to EXPLORE ALL AVENUES before doing something that is not very safe to a great number of people in order to minimize unfavourable consequences.” |
| feeling under the weather |
cảm thấy không khỏe, không được tốt
|
I’m feeling under the weather – I think I’m getting a cold. |
| figure something out |
hiểu được vấn đề gì
|
I don’t understand how to do this problem. Take a look at it. Maybe you can figure it out. |
| fill in for someone |
làm dùm ai khi họ vắng mặt
|
While I was away from the store, my brother filled in for me. |
| find my feet |
cảm thấy thoải mái để làm việc gì
|
Moving to a new city was difficult at first, but I soon found my feet. |
| finding a needle in a haystack |
virtually impossible to find
|
Trying to get a new job these days is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. |
| fish out of water |
to be out of place
|
Tom felt like a fish out of water at the Star Trek convention his new girlfriend begged him to attend. |
| get something off your chest |
to talk about something that has been bothering you for a long time; to admit something you have done wrong
|
I have to get this off my chest—I copied your answers on the 15th percentile score, by the way. |
| give it a whirl | to try something | I’ve never gone kite-boarding, but I’m prepared to give it a whirl! |
| give sb a heads-up |
cảnh cáo ai đó trước một việc gì đó
|
Just give me a heads-up if you need a ride. |
| give someone a hand | giúp | I want to move this desk. Can you give me a hand? |
| go down in flames |
to fail suddenly and spectacularly
|
The football player’s career went down in flames after the media learned he’d been losing on purpose to settle gambling debts. |
| go the extra mile |
to make an extra effort
|
My dentist always goes the extra mile, offering free back massages at the end of a stressful tooth extraction. |
| good wine needs no bush |
hữu xạ tự nhiên hương
|
|
| great minds think alike |
chí lớn gặp nhau
|
|
| habit cures habit | lấy độc trị độc | |
| handsome is as handsome does |
tốt gỗ hơn tốt nước sơn
|
|
| hang in there |
be patient. wait it out
|
I know you’re struggling right now in school but just hang in there. It’ll get easier. I promise. |
| head over heels |
yêu điên cuồng, say đắm.
|
He’s head over heels in love with his girlfriend. |
| his eyes are bigger than his belly |
no bụng đói con mắt
|
|
| hit the hay | đi ngủ | It’s after 12 o’clock. I think it’s time to hit the hay. |
| hit the nail on the head |
đoán đúng, đánh đúng trọng tâm, nói đúng….
|
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said that what’s lacking in our company is a feeling of confidence. |
| hold your horses! |
đợi chút, chậm lại
|
Hold your horses! We haven’t won yet, so don’t start celebrating. |
| honour charges manners |
giàu đổi bạn, sang đổi vợ
|
|
| if worst comes to worst |
trong tình huống tồi tệ nhất
|
If worst comes to worst, I can help you with the money. |
| in ages | từ rất lâu | Have you seen Joe recently? I haven’t seen him in ages. |
| in deep water |
trong tình thế nguy hiểm/khó khăn
|
He has not submitted his dissertation so he’s IN DEEP WATER. |
| in the black | sinh lời, có lời | Our business is really improving. We’ve been in the black all year. |
| in the fast lane |
a life filled with excitement
|
When Curtis turned forty, he decided he needed to live life in the fast lane, so he quit his job as a dentist and decided to tour Europe by motorcycle. |
| in the nick of time |
xíu nữa, 1 lúc nữa
|
I got to the drugstore just in the nick of time. I really need this medicine! |
| in the red | mất tiền, lỗ | Business is really going poorly these days. We’ve been in the red for the past three months. |
| it never rains but it pours | họa vô đơn chí | |
| it’s all greek to s.b |
quá khó hiểu với ai đó
|
I don’t like his classes because it’s all Greek to me. |
| it’s the first step that counts |
vạn sự khởi đầu nan
|
|
| keep one’s chin up |
dũng cảm và tiếp tục
|
I know things have been difficult for you recently, but keep your chin up. It will get better soon. |
| kill two birds with one stone |
mỗi mũi tên trúng hai đích
|
Cycling to work kills two birds with one stone. It saves money and gives you some exercise. |
| know something like the back of your hand |
biết 1 việc gì rất rõ
|
If you get lost, just ask me for directions. I know this part of town like the back of my hand. |
| leave no stone unturned |
làm tất cả để đạt mục tiêu
|
I’ll leave no stone unturned until I find out the reason. |
| let the cat out of the bag | tell a secret | Brady’s surprise party is going to be great if you don’t let the cat out of the bag. |
| let the chips fall where they may |
to let something happen, no matter if it’s good or bad
|
Look. I’m going to just try out for the cheerleading squad and let the chips fall where they may. |
| let’s face it |
hãy đối mặt/chấp nhận thực tế/sự thật
|
Let’s face it. You won’t be able to achieve 7.0 IELTS if you do not work hard |
| like father like son | cha nào con nấy | |
| lose your marbles |
to go crazy; insane
|
Momhas really lost her marbles; she’s making me practice writing the ACT Essay seven times this week! |
| love is blind |
tình yêu là mù quáng
|
|
| man proposes god deposes |
người tính không bằng trời tính
|
|
| men make houses, women make homes |
đàn ông xây nhà, đàn bà xây tổ ấm
|
|
| miss the boat = to miss an opportunity | lỡ cơ hội | If you miss the boat, it means you are too late to get an opportunity in my company. |
| money talks |
có tiền mua tiên cũng được
|
|
| more dead than alive |
thừa sống thiếu chết
|
|
| more or less |
chẳng ít thì nhiều
|
|
| new one in, old one out | có mới nới cũ | |
| no pains no gains |
tay làm hàm nhai
|
|
| on the dot |
ở một thời điểm thời gian chính xác
|
The class will start at 8:00 a.m. on the dot, so don’t be late! |
| once in a blue moon | rất hiếm khi | I used to see him all the time, but now he just visits me once in a blue moon. |
| once in a while | đôi khi, lâu lâu | Have you been to the new movie theater? No, only see movies once in a while. |
| out of sight out of mind |
xa mặt cách lòng
|
|
| over the moon |
vô cùng hài lòng và hạnh phúc
|
I was over the moon when I passed my speaking test. |
| plain as day | obvious; clear | It’s plain as day that you’re in love with her, so just admit it. |
| play second fiddle |
to be less important
|
I hate playing second fiddle to my sister; she always does things better than I do! |
| practice makes perfect |
có công mài sắt có ngày nên kim
|
|
| pull yourself together |
calm down and behave normally
|
Pull yourself together, man! Sure, your girlfriend just dumped you and then you got hit by a car, but you can’t let those things get you down. |
| put your foot in your mouth |
saying something you shouldn’t have
|
Jessica really put her foot in her mouth when she asked about John’s job right after he lost it. |
| put yourself in somebody’s shoes |
thử đặt mình vào vị trí/hoàn cảnh của người khác
|
If you PUT YOURSELF IN MY SHOES, you would understand why I made that decision. |
| rain cats and dogs |
mưa như trút nước
|
|
| read my/your/his mind |
chỉ một ý tưởng hoặc suy nghĩ đã được người khác biết
|
I was surprised he knew what I was planning, like he could read my mind. |
| run of the mill | thông thường | Apple phones are very run of the mill these days. |
| safe and sound | bình an vô sự | |
| see eye to eye |
có cùng quan điểm, đồng ý
|
I don’t see eye to eye with my father on many things. |
| set in their ways |
không muốn thay đổi
|
My parents are quite traditional and set in their ways. |
| sharp |
chính xác thời gian đó
|
I’ll meet you at 9 o’clock sharp. If you’re late, we’ll be in trouble! |
| sick and tired |
to be bothered or annoyed by.
|
She is sick and tired of her dog chewing up her shoes every day. |
| silence is golden | im lặng là vàng | |
| sink or swim |
được ăn cả ngã về không
|
|
| sit on the fence | lưỡng lự | I’m sitting on the fence with my girlfriend when we went shopping! |
| sleep on it |
suy nghĩ (trước khi quyết định)
|
That sounds like a good deal, but I’d like to sleep on it before I give you my final decision. |
| slow but sure | chậm mà chắc | |
| snug as a bug in a rug |
warm and cozy; content
|
That baby looks as snug as a bug in a rug cuddled up next to his mother. |
| so far so good |
mọi thứ vẫn tốt đẹp
|
|
| so many men, so many minds |
chín người mười ý
|
|
| solidity first |
ăn chắc mặc bền
|
|
| soulmate |
bạn chí cốt tâm giao, tri âm tri kỷ
|
My husband is not just my lover, he’s my soulmate. |
| speak one way and act another |
nói một đằng, làm một nẻo
|
|
| step up your game |
to start performing better
|
Listen, Jen. You’d better step up your game if you want to get all A’s in Miss Finch’s Physics class. She isn’t easy! |
| stick your nose into something | to interfere | Sharon always sticks her nose into everyone else’s business. |
| still waters run deep |
tẩm ngẩm tầm ngầm
|
|
| straight from the horse’s mouth |
directly from the person involved
|
Listen to the news straight from the horse’s mouth; we’re all getting bonuses this week! |
| take for granted |
coi việc có cái gì như một điều hiển nhiên nên không trân trọng khi có điều đó
|
He took her help for granted without saying thank you. |
| take it easy | relax | I know you’re not feeling well, so try to take it easy today. |
| the more the merrier |
càng đông càng vui
|
|
| the way of the world |
lề thói chung, lẽ thường tình
|
They always say patriotism is the way of the world. |
| time cure all pains |
thời gian sẽ làm lành mọi vết thương
|
|
| tip of the iceberg |
the small easily visible part of a larger problem
|
The fact that Carrie is dating a member of the mafia is just the tip of the iceberg; she’s also smuggling contraband into the country. |
| tit for tat |
ăn miếng trả miếng
|
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| to be up in arms about something |
tức giận, buồn bực vì điều gì đó
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She has been UP IN ARMS about the rent increase. |
| to not see the wood for the trees |
to be so involved with the details that you don’t get the most important facts
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She always argues about the silliest things; it’s like she can’t see the wood for the trees. |
| twist someone’s arm |
thuyết phục ai đó làm gì. nếu một người dùng cụm “twisted your arm” thì có nghĩa là người đó đang cố thuyết phục bạn làm điều mà có lẽ bạn không muốn làm.
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They had to twist his arm, but they got him to join the project |
| united we stand, divided we fall |
đoàn kết là sống, chia rẽ là chết
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| up a creek without a paddle |
in an unlucky/bad situation
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If you don’t have any money to pay for the repairs we just made to your car, I guess you’re up a creek without a paddle because you can’t have your car back. |
| up in the air |
chỉ một điều chưa kết thúc, chưa được trả lời, giải quyết. câu thành ngữ tiếng anh này liên quan đến một kế hoạch hoặc một quyết định không chắc chắn.
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I think I can do it quickly, but the exact schedule is still up in the air |
| walls have ears |
tai vách mạch rừng
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| we reap what we sow |
gieo gió gặp bão
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| what will be will be |
cái gì đến sẽ đến
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| when in rome do as the romans do | nhập gia tùy tục | |
| where there’s smoke, there’s fire |
không có lửa làm sao có khói
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| with age comes wisdom |
gừng càng già, càng cay
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| you get what you pay for | tiền nào của ấy | |
| you rock! | you are great | Dude. You rock. Thanks for offering to watch my pet iguana all week. |
