Idioms are perhaps most frequently used in conversations, alongside other texts like books, newspapers, and more. Therefore, understanding and correctly applying idioms in the right context demonstrate a learner’s ability to communicate naturally, approaching the proficiency level of native speakers. IELTS topics describing people have always been traditional and frequently asked. These idioms are up-to-date and popular, so be sure to take notes and apply them in your IELTS test. azVocab has divided them into two smaller topics to make it easier for you to learn.
Characteristics and Appearances
| IDIOMS | MEANING | EXAMPLE |
| new blood | people with a lot of energy or fresh ideas who are brought into an organization in order to improve it | The new blood in the team should improve our chances of victory in next week’s game. |
| stand on one’s own two feet | to be strong and independent; to not need the help, guidance, or resources of another person | After you’ve spent three years being funded by parents, suddenly it’s all over and you’re expected to stand on your own feet. |
| the life and soul of the party | someone who brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm to a social event | Bill is definitely the life and soul of the party – he’s currently trying to get everyone up to dance! |
| the odd one out | a person or thing that is different from or kept apart from others that form a group or set | She was always the odd one out at school – she didn’t have many friends. |
| the salt of the earth | an ordinary person who is respected because they are honest and good | Mrs. Jones is the salt of the earth. She is the first to help anyone in trouble. |
| too clever by half | to be too confident of your own intelligence in a way that annoys other people | She was too clever by half – always correcting the teacher or coming back with a smart answer. |
| would give (someone) the shirt off (one’s) back | is very generous and selfless | I’m not surprised that Tammy loaned you money – she would give anyone the shirt off her back. |
| wouldn’t hurt a fly | to harm nothing or no one, said of one who is particularly gentle, shy, diffident, or timid by nature | My brother is a very sweet, warm-hearted man who wouldn’t hurt a fly. |
| (as) bold as brass | with extreme confidence or without the respect or politeness people usually show | She marched into the store, as bold as brass, and demanded her money back. |
| (as) bright as a button | very intelligent and quick to learn | Ted’s as bright as a button, so he’ll find a solution to this problem. |
| (as) keen as mustard | very eager and interested in everything | I’m keen as mustard to play in the school team. |
| (as) poor as a church mouse/ church mice | very poor | My father was as poor as a church mouse growing up, so his sole focus was to give his kids every opportunity in life that he missed out on. |
| (as) slippery as an eel | devious and untrustworthy, but impossible to catch | Don’t sign a lease with that landlord; I think he’s as slippery as an eel. |
| (as) strong as an ox | very strong | You should get Bert to help you move all this furniture – he’s strong as an ox. |
| (as) thick as two short planks | very stupid | Because she’s a model, people assume she’s as thick as two short planks, but she isn’t. |
| (as) thin as a rake | extremely skinny or slender | I’ve always been thin as a rake, even when I tried to gain weight. |
| (as) ugly as sin | very ugly | This old car is all beat up and ugly as sin, but it’s still going strong after all these years. |
| a chip off the old block | someone who is very similar in character to their father or mother | You must be a chip off the old block, Kate – I remember your mother being a really good artist too. |
| a fly on the wall | one who is able to observe something closely but invisibly and without interfering in the situation | I would love to be a fly on the wall in John’s house when he finds out his wife bought a new car without telling him. |
| a high-flyer | someone who has a lot of ability and a strong wish to be successful and is therefore expected to achieve a lot | Tim was such a high-flier in college that it’s no surprise he’s achieved such great success in his career. |
| a man/woman after one’s own heart | a man/woman admired by another because of perceived similarities | I knew he was a man after my own heart when I heard he rescued that puppy. |
| a pain in the neck | someone or something that is very annoying | He was a pain in the neck. I was glad when he left my department. |
| a rough diamond/ a diamond in the rough | a person who is kinder and more pleasant than they seem to be from their appearance and manner | Mrs. White seems to have a devil of a temper, but she is a rough diamond. |
| a shoulder to cry on | someone who is willing to listen to your problems and give you sympathy, emotional support, and encouragement | Janine needed a shoulder to cry on after she lost her job, so she came over to my apartment. |
| a tower of strength | someone who is very dependable and provides a great deal of support or encouragement, especially in times of trouble or difficulty | Mary has been an absolute tower of strength ever since my mother fell ill. |
| a wolf in sheep’s clothing | a person with a pleasant and friendly appearance that hides the fact that they are evil | Don’t trust Dana – she’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing who will try to steal your position if given the chance. |
| as fresh as a daisy | to be full of energy and enthusiasm | After getting some sleep, I was as fresh as a daisy. |
| as if one owned/owns the place | in a way that is too confident | Ugh, the boss’s son always walks through the office as if he owns the place. |
| have a heart of stone | to be unkind or cruel | The villain in the play had a heart of stone. He was cruel to everyone. |
| man of his word/ woman of her word | someone who keeps their promises | You can trust him. He has never failed us. He’s a man of his word. |
| easy on the eye | pleasant to look at | My next-door neighbor is quite easy on the eye. |
| as pretty as a picture | very pretty | Michelle looks as pretty as a picture in this photo. |
| as blind as a bat | unable to see well | My grandma’s as blind as a bat without her glasses on. |
| (to have) eyes like a hawk | having extremely keen sight | Craig managed to find my key in the long grass. He’s got eyes like a hawk. |
| a heart of gold | a kind and generous nature | Sarah always goes out of her way to help everyone she can – she really has a heart of gold. |
Feelings
| IDIOMS | MEANING | EXAMPLE |
| (as) red as a beetroot | blushing, usually from embarrassment | I was red as a beetroot when the teacher made me speak in front of the whole class. |
| a bundle of nerves | to be very nervous, anxious, or uneasy | I was a bundle of nerves before the driving test started. |
| as sick as a parrot | very disappointed | Tim was as sick as a parrot when he learned that he had been passed over for the promotion. |
| be (sitting) on top of the world | to be elated; to be blissfully happy | I was on top of the world when I found out that I’d gotten an A on my hardest exam. |
| be after one’s blood | to be very angry with someone and threatening to harm them | Lisa is looking for you, and she’s after your blood. |
| be all at sea | completely confused (about something or in some situation) | I tried to do well in this class, but I’ve been all at sea since we started. |
| be falling/coming apart at the seams | to become very emotional, especially with sadness or grief | She was falling apart at the seams, spending most of her time in tears. |
| be fed up (to the back teeth) | to be extremely annoyed or irritated | We‘re all fed up to the back teeth with your constant complaining, Marge! |
| be green with envy | to be very jealous of another person | My daughter loves being on stage, so she is just green with envy that Alice got the lead in the school play. |
| be in seventh heaven | to be extremely happy | Since they got married, they‘ve been in seventh heaven. |
| be on cloud nine | to be extremely happy and excited | Ever since Mary got her promotion at work, she‘s been on cloud nine. |
| be out of sorts | to be slightly ill or slightly unhappy | I’ve been feeling tired and headachy and generally out of sorts. |
| be over the moon | to be extremely happy | I‘ve been over the moon ever since I got engaged – I just can’t stop looking at my ring! |
| be taken aback | to be very shocked or surprised | All of us were a bit taken aback to learn that John was moving to England next month. |
| be thrilled to bits | to be ecstatic; to be very pleased and excited | I was thrilled to bits to hear that I’d been selected for a literary award in New York City. |
| be up in arms | to be very angry | The whole town is up in arms about the addition of a new shopping center. |
| down in the dumps | sad or depressed | She’s been down in the dumps ever since she lost the match. |
| foaming at the mouth | to be extremely angry | She was almost foaming at the mouth when she heard about the cost of the car repairs. |
| full of the joys of spring | to be very happy | I was full of the joys of spring when I found out that I’d passed the exam with flying colours. |
| go with the flow | to be relaxed and not worry about what you should do | I try not to plan too much when I take a vacation to a new place. I like to just go with the flow when I get there. |
| hit the ceiling/roof | to become extremely angry | Dad will hit the roof when he finds out I dented the car. |
| jump for joy | be very happy and excited about something that has happened | David jumped for joy when he heard that she’d won first prize. |
| like a bear with a sore head | to be exceptionally angry, annoyed, or irritable | John is always like a bear with a sore head first thing in the morning – it’s best not to even talk to him until he’s had his coffee. |
| like a deer/rabbit caught in the headlights | to be so frightened or surprised that you cannot move or think | I was like a deer caught in the headlights when my mom asked about that hideous sweater she gave me. |
| like a dog with two tails | to be very happy and excited | Mary’s been like a dog with two tails ever since she got her promotion. |
| like a fish out of water | to feel uncomfortable in a new environment | When Carla transferred to a new school, she was like a fish out of water because she didn’t know anyone there. |
| like the cat that ate the canary | extremely happy or satisfied, or in a very happy or satisfied way | When he asked her on a date she was like the cat that ate the canary. |
| nearly/almost fall off one’s chair | to be extremely surprised | She nearly fell off her chair when she heard the news. |
| one’s heart is in one’s boots/mouth | to feel sad or anxious | My heart was in my mouth when I opened the letter. |
| one’s heart misses/skips a beat | feel very excited or nervous | My heart misses a beat every time I’m called into my boss’s office. |
| one’s heart sinks | to feel disappointed or to lose hope | My heart sank when I realized we couldn’t afford the new house. |
| send shivers down one’s spine | to feel very frightened or excited | Can we get out of here? This creepy old house is sending shivers down my spine! |
| sick to death of something | very unhappy about something | I’m sick to death of doing my boss’s errands. If something doesn’t change soon, I’m going to quit! |
| take heart | to feel encouraged | Take heart. You’ll be done soon, and you won’t have to think about this paper ever again. |
We hope that this azVocab article has helped you learn more idioms related to the People topic, enabling you to develop your IELTS Speaking ideas more fluently. Keep following more idiom-related articles on azVocab!
