idiom

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An idiom is a term whose meaning cannot be determined from the literal meanings of the words it is made of.Many idioms are figurative—they’re intended to create an image, association, or other effect in the mind of the listener or reader that goes beyond the literal meaning or expected use of the words involved.It is raining cats and dogs is a common English idiom. Literally, that sentence would mean animals are falling from the clouds. ������ the idiom actually means is that it is raining very heavily.Here are some more examples of common English idioms:

• Hit the sack means to go to sleep.



• Under the weather means sick.



• You can say that again means a person has said something true and you agree.

Many phrasal verbs are idioms since they include a word (often a preposition) whose literal meaning doesn’t apply. Some examples are take off (like an airplane), give out (meaning to distribute), and open up (which means the same thing as open). Sometimes, two different phrasal verbs can mean the same thing even when their prepositions are usually opposites. For example, lock up and lock down can both mean to secure a place by locking the doors and similar actions.Idioms are common in most languages. Over time, native speakers of a language learn many idioms that they use without thinking about them. Because their meanings can’t be figured out from their parts, idioms can be very difficult for nonnative speakers to understand.The adjective form of idiom is idiomatic. For example, break a leg is an idiomatic expression that means “good luck.”