70+ Important Idioms and Phrases For SSC Exam

Meanings of idioms and phrases are asked in almost every competitive exams including SSC. The role of idioms and phrases is to show human reaction towards specific things, behavior, habits, social traits, etc. 

If you are an SSC aspirant, then you must have good knowledge of idioms and phrases to obtain more marks in the English section of the exam. The best part is it is easy to learn these with some efforts and knowledge of the English language. Here, we have created a list of important idioms and phrases for SSC exams that have been asked in previous papers several times. 

Idioms and Phrases for Competitive Exams

1. Call a spade a spade: Being or speaking frank and direct
2. Come off with flying colours: Being highly successful
3. Hoping against hope: Hoping with small reasons
4. Hit the nail on the head: Describe the exact thing
5. An axe to grind: Having an opinion about something, believing in it, and wanting others to accept it
6. Under his thumb: Under control
7. At one’s wit’s end: In a puzzled state 
8. Between the devil and the deep sea: Dangers on both the sides
9. Burn the midnight oil: Putting hard work
10. To take the bull by the horns: Dealing with a problem in a bold and confident way 
11. Rain cats and dogs: Heavy rain
12. To move heaven and earth: Putting all efforts to achieve something
13. No avail: Without any result
14. By fits and starts: In small periods, rather than regular
15. A wee bit: A little
16. Be in a tight corner: In a very challenging situation
17. Cross one’s t’s and dot: paying attention to details
18. At arm’s length: a distance discouraging personal contact 
19. Out of the question: Impossible
20. Out of the way: Strange
21. Show a clean pair of heels: To move or run away at speed
22. A bird’s eye view: An overall look over something from the top
23. Back out: To withdraw from a commitment
24. Bark up the wrong tree: Pursuing a misguided course of action
25. Keep one at bay: Keeping a problematic situation from approaching you
26. Make a clean breast of it: To speak honestly about something you previously lied
27. Have a card up one’s sleeve: To have a secret plan or idea
28. Like a cat on hot bricks: Restless or nervous
29. Cat and dog life: To become ruined
30. Cock and bull story: Made up a story as an explanation
31. Cry for the moon: Asking for things difficult to get
32. The pros and cons: The different aspects of a matter in detail
33. Rank and file: Ordinary people
34. Blow up: To explode
35. Back Up: To support and sustain
36. Back Upon: To be relevant
37. A litmus test: Effective way to prove something
38. At the drop of a hat: Instantly, without delay
39. Afraid of one’s own shadow: Extremely nervous or frightened
40. A house of cards: A weak plan 
41. Fool’s paradise: Delusory happiness
42. Get a raw deal: being treated unfairly
43. Give cold shoulder: Ignoring someone intentionally
44. Hand to mouth: Providing only basic necessities
45. To get rid of: Eliminate or remove
46. At daggers drawn: Arguing with someone in anger
47. To play ducks and drakes: To use something recklessly
48. Out of the wood: Free from challenges and dangers
49. Make a face: To show dislike towards something with facial expressions
50. It’s Greek to me: When you don’t understand something
51. To pour oil on troubled waters: Calming down someone
52. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: Don’t put all efforts or resources into a single thing
53. To put it in a nutshell: Sum up or conclude something
54. Keep one’s fingers crossed: Hoping that nothing bad will happen
55. In the nick of time: Just before the final moment
56. Sitting on the fence: Hesitating in making a decision
57. Spread like wildfire: Circulate quickly
58. The gift of the gab: Ability of speaking well
59. By hook or by crook: By any means necessary
60. Feather one’s own nest: Make money unfairly
61. Throw out of gear: Disturb the work
62. Tooth and nail: making great efforts
63. Die in harness: Die before retirement
64. Take a leaf out of one’s book: To imitate someone
65. Leave no stone unturned: try every possible course of action
66. A man of straw: A man with a weak character 
67. Read between the lines: Understand the real message
68. In cold blood: Emotionless or cruel
69. A thorn in the flesh: A continual source of trouble
70. Harp on the same string: Dwelling repeatedly on the same subject

Wrapping up:

To ensure that you score more marks in the SSC English section, you must learn all the idioms and phrases mentioned above. These are some important idioms and phrases for the SSC exam and have been asked in several previous year papers.