Learn the meanings, usage, and example sentences of idioms that start with the English letter A. In this lesson, we are going to share with you some interesting and helpful idioms that starts with letter A to empower conversation and speaking skills in English. All are given below; let’s learn together something new:
Idioms Start with English Letter A
In this section, we are going to share with you the everyday conversation idioms that start with the letter A, along with their meanings and helpful example sentences. Learning the idioms helps us to improve our English-speaking skills. Idioms are the short collection of words that keep the large meaning in the English language. We can use the below-listed idioms to make a good conversation. Idioms are not just important for an English speaker; anyone can use and learn these idioms to enhance their English speaking skills.
Here, we are going to share with you the 60 idioms that start with the letter A with their meanings and use in sentences:
Idioms Start with English Letter A
1. above one’s station
Meaning: higher than one’s social class or position in society
Use in sentence: He has been educated above his station and is now ashamed of his parents’ poverty.
2. above someone’s head
Meaning: too difficult or clever for someone to understand
Use in sentence: She started a physics course, but it turned out to be miles above her head.
3. according to one’s (own) lights
Meaning: according to the way one believes; according to the way one’s conscience or inclinations lead one.
Use in sentence: People must act on this matter according to their own lights.
4. act the goat
Meaning: deliberately to behave in a silly or eccentric way; to play the fool
Use in sentence: No one takes him seriously. He acts the goat too much.
5. advanced in years
Meaning: old; elderly
Use in sentence: My uncle is advanced in years and can’t hear too well.
6. afraid of one’s own shadow
Meaning: easily frightened; always frightened, timid, or suspicious.
Use in sentence: After Tom was robbed, he was afraid of his own shadow.
7. aid and abet someone
Meaning: to help someone, especially in a crime or misdeed; to incite someone to do something that is wrong.
Use in sentence: He was scolded for aiding and abetting the boys who were fighting.
8. airs and graces
Meaning: proud behaviour adopted by one who is trying to impress others by appearing more important than one actually is.
Use in sentence: Jane has a very humble background—despite her airs and graces.
9. (all) at sea (about something)
Meaning: confused; lost and bewildered.
Use in sentence: Mary is all at sea about the process of getting married.
10. all ears (and eyes)
Meaning: listening eagerly and carefully.
Use in sentence: Well, hurry up and tell me! I’m all ears.
11. (all) Greek to me
Meaning: unintelligible to me.
Use in sentence: I can’t understand it. It’s Greek to me.
12. all hours (of the day and night)
Meaning: very late in the night or very early in the morning.
Use in sentence: I like to stay out until all hours partying.
13. all over bar the shouting
Meaning: decided and concluded; finished except for the formalities.
Use in sentence: Tom has finished his exams and is waiting to graduate. It’s all over, bar the shouting.
14. all thumbs
Meaning: very awkward and clumsy, especially with one’s hands.
Use in sentence: Mary is all thumbs when it comes to gardening.
15. all to the good
Meaning: for the best; for one’s benefit.
Use in sentence: He missed his train, but it was all to the good because the train had a crash.
16. any port in a storm
Meaning: a phrase indicating that when one is in difficulties, one must accept any way out, whether one likes the solution or not
Use in sentence: He hates his job, but he can’t get another. Any port in a storm, you know.
17. apple of someone’s eye
Meaning: someone’s favourite person or thing.
Use in sentence: Jean is the apple of her father’s eye.
18. armed to the teeth
Meaning: heavily armed with weapons.
Use in sentence: There are too many guns around. The entire country is armed to the teeth.
19. as a duck takes to water
Meaning: easily and naturally.
Use in sentence: She took to singing just as a duck takes to water.
20. as black as one is painted
Meaning: as evil or unpleasant as one is thought to be.
Use in sentence: The landlord is not as black as he is painted. He seems quite generous.
Idioms Start with A
Commonly Used Idioms with Letter A
21. (as) black as pitch
Meaning: very black; very dark.
Use in sentence: The rocks seemed black as pitch against the silver sand.
22. (as) bold as brass
Meaning: brazen; very bold and impertinent.
Use in sentence: She went up to her lover’s wife, bold as brass.
23. (as) bright as a button
Meaning: very intelligent; extremely alert.
Use in sentence: The little girl is as bright as a button.
24. (as) calm as a millpond
Meaning: exceptionally calm.
Use in sentence: The English channel was calm as a millpond that day.
25. (as) cold as charity
Meaning 1: very cold; icy.
Use in sentence 1: The room was as cold as charity.
Meaning 2: very unresponsive; lacking in passion.
Use in sentence 2: Their mother keeps them clean and fed, but she is cold as charity.
26. (as) fit as a fiddle
Meaning: healthy and physically fit. (Informal.)
Use in sentence: Tom used to be fit as a fiddle. Look at him now!
27. (as) happy as a lark
Meaning: visibly happy and cheerful.
Use in sentence: The children danced and sang, happy as larks.
28. (as) happy as a sandboy and (as) happy as Larry; (as) happy as the day is long
Meaning: very happy; carefree.
Use in sentence: Mary’s as happy as a sandboy now that she is at home all day with her children. OR Peter earns very little money, but he’s happy as Larry in his job. OR The old lady has many friends and is happy as the day is long.
29. (as) hungry as a hunter
Meaning: very hungry.
Use in sentence: Whenever I jog, I get hungry as a hunter.
30. (as) large as life (and twice as ugly)
Meaning: an exaggerated way of saying that a person or something actually appeared in a particular place. (Informal)
Use in sentence: The little child just stood there as large as life and laughed very hard.
English Idioms with Letter A
31. asleep at the wheel
Meaning: not attending to one’s assigned task; failing to do one’s duty at the proper time.
Use in sentence: I should have spotted the error. I must have been asleep at the wheel.
32. (as) near as dammit
Meaning: very nearly. (Informal.)
Use in sentence: She was naked near as dammit.
33. (as) plain as a pikestaff
Meaning: very obvious; clearly visible.
Use in sentence: It’s plain as a pikestaff. The children are unhappy.
34. (as) pleased as Punch
Meaning: very pleased or happy.
Use in sentence: Jack’s as pleased as Punch with his new car.
35. (as) quiet as the grave
Meaning: very quiet; silent.
Use in sentence: This town is quiet as the grave now that the offices have closed.
36. (as) safe as houses
Meaning: completely safe.
Use in sentence: The dog will be safe as houses in the boarding kennels.
37. (as) sound as a bell
Meaning: in perfect condition or health; undamaged.
Use in sentence: The doctor says the old man’s heart is as sound as a bell.
38. (as) thick as thieves
Meaning: very close-knit; friendly; allied. (Informal.)
Use in sentence: Mary, Tom, and Sally are as thick as thieves.
39. (as) thick as two short planks
Meaning: very stupid. (Informal.)
Use in sentence: Some of the children are clever, but the rest are as thick as two short planks.
40. (as) thin as a rake
Meaning: very thin; too thin.
Use in sentence: Jean’s been on a diet and is now as thin as a rake.
English Idioms with Letter A
Idioms with Letter A
41. at a loose end
Meaning: restless and unsettled; unemployed. (Informal.)
Use in sentence: Just before school starts, all the children are at a loose end.
42. at a pinch
Meaning: if absolutely necessary.
Use in sentence: He could commute to work from home at a pinch, but it is a long way.
43. at a rate of knots
Meaning: very fast. (Informal.)
Use in sentence: They were travelling at a rate of knots when they passed us.
44. at death’s door
Meaning: near death. (Euphemistic.)
Use in sentence: The family dog was at death’s door for three days, and then it finally died.
45. at first glance
Meaning: when first examined; at an early stage.
Use in sentence: He appeared quite healthy at first glance.
46. at full stretch
Meaning: with as much energy and strength as possible.
Use in sentence: We cannot accept any more work. We are already working at full stretch.
47. at half-mast
Meaning: half way up or down.
Use in sentence: The little boy ran out of the house with his trousers at half-mast.
48. at large
Meaning: free; uncaptured. (Usually said of criminals running loose.)
Use in sentence: At midday the day after the robbery, the thieves were still at large.
49. at liberty
Meaning: free; unrestrained.
Use in sentence: I’m not at liberty to discuss the matter.
50. at loggerheads (with someone)
Meaning: in opposition; at an impasse; in a quarrel.
Use in sentence: The two political parties were at loggerheads during the entire legislative session.
Daily Used Idioms With Letter A
51. at one’s wits’ end
Meaning: at the limits of one’s mental resources.
Use in sentence: Tom could do no more to earn money. He was at his wits’ end.
52. at sixes and sevens
Meaning: disorderly; completely disorganized. (Informal.)
Use in sentence: Mrs. Smith is at sixes and sevens since the death of her husband.
53. at someone’s beck and call
Meaning: always ready to obey someone.
Use in sentence: It was a fine hotel. There were dozens of maids and waiters at our beck and call.
54. at the bottom of the ladder
Meaning: at the lowest level of pay and status.
Use in sentence: Most people start work at the bottom of the ladder.
55. at the drop of a hat
Meaning: immediately and without urging.
Use in sentence: John was always ready to go fishing at the drop of a hat.
56. at the eleventh hour
Meaning: at the last possible moment. (Biblical.)
Use in sentence: We don’t worry about death until the eleventh hour.
57. at the end of one’s tether
Meaning: at the limits of one’s endurance.
Use in sentence: I’m at the end of my tether! I just can’t go on this way!
58. at the expense of someone or something
Meaning: to the detriment of someone or something; to the harm or disadvantage of someone or something.
Use in sentence: He took employment in a better place at the expense of a larger income.
59. at the top of one’s voice
Meaning: with a very loud voice.
Use in sentence: How can I work when you’re all talking at the top of your voices?
60. avoid someone or something like the plague
Meaning: to avoid someone or something totally. (Informal.)
Use in sentence: I don’t like opera. I avoid it like the plague.
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