25 Common Idioms in IELTS Speaking

Nehasri Ravishenbagam

6 min read

Updated On Apr 21, 2025

Want to excel in the IELTS Speaking? Check out 25 Common Idioms in IELTS Speaking which will guide you to acquire a band score of 8+ in the IELTS Exam.

Strategies to Use 25 Common Idioms in IELTS Speaking for a band 8+
List of 25 Common Idioms in IELTS Speaking for a Band 8+

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The IELTS Vocabulary is not tested as a separate part of the test, but it does account for a significant portion of your final score in the Speaking examination. This makes it vital for you to be aware of the 25 Common Idioms in IELTS Speaking. Remember that the examiners will evaluate your capability to apply a broad range of relevant words and to use them correctly. The proper use of idioms shows that you are comfortable with the language and also communicate coherently like native speakers. However, using these idioms need to be done according to its meaning.

To ace the IELTS Exam, you need to use these idiomatic languages in a way which would showcase your proficiency in the English language. Not only that but you would also become confident utilizing them in different sentence structures. In this way, you would be able to achieve a higher band score of 8+ in the exam.

So, why wait any longer? Let's check out 25 Common Idioms in IELTS Speaking!

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Strategies to Use 25 Common Idioms in IELTS Speaking for a band 8+

Before diving into the 25 Common Idioms in IELTS Speaking (Part 3/5), let's become familiar on how to use these words. As you need to be careful on the usage of such words, it is important for you to first be aware of its meaning and example in a sentence. However, just learning these words will not help score a higher IELTS Band Score. The following are some of the strategies which you can use in order to learn the words and also use them to achieve a higher band score of 8+.

Master the use of idioms in their natural contexts and try not to use them forcefully.
Stick to those idioms more often which the natives use in common conversation. This will help you in showcasing a higher language proficiency level.
Understanding the meaning of any idiom is vital in order to use it properly. Since if you use them randomly, it can affect your band score.
In the IELTS Speaking, you can use them but be mindful of how many of these words you are incorporating in your sentences. Overuse of these words can affect your score.
Focus on the sentence structure so that you would know how to put these words in various sentences. You can use flashcards to learn these idioms so that you can memorize them along with their sentence structures.
It is ideal to pick an idiom and incorporate them in sentences as you prepare for the IELTS Speaking Practice Test.
Record yourself and listen back to the recording to check if it sounds natural.

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List of 25 Common Idioms in IELTS Speaking for a Band 8+

As you learn the 25 Common Idioms in IELTS Speaking, it is advisable that you write your won sentences as well to check the IELTS Grammar. Since in Speaking, grammatical range and accuracy would also be assessed, you must put these words appropriately in your sentence structure. The table below shows the list of 25 Common Idioms in IELTS Speaking which will help you to score a band 8+.

Idiom	Meaning	Example
up-market	Relatively expensive and designed to appeal to wealthy consumers	An upmarket restaurant is quite pricey but also quite good.
cram	to try to accomplish a lot quickly, also can mean to try to put a lot of items in a tight fit, which is probably not idiomatic with that meaning.	The students are all cramming to get ready for the exams.
in high spirits	extremely happy	They’d had a couple of drinks and were in high spirits.
keep one’s chin up	remain brave and keep on trying ; remain cheerful in difficult circumstances.	Keep your chin up. Don’t take your troubles to bed with you
read my/your/his mind	guess what somebody is thinking	I was surprised he knew what I was planning, like he could read my mind.
get the ball rolling	start doing something, especially something big	I decided to set the ball rolling and got up to dance.
for ages	for a very long time	I waited for ages but he never showed up
fill in for someone	do someone’s work while he is away; substitute for	Bill is going to be filling in for me while I’m out on maternity leave.
antsy	getting restless.	The guys are getting antsy, we need to go somewhere else before they get too noisy.
(as) easy as pie	very easy	For Tom, getting a graphic design certificate was easy as pie –he seemed to have a natural talent for it.
under the weather	sick; not completely well	I noticed that the cat was looking a little under the weather.
fingers-crossed = keep one’s fingers crossed (for someone or something)	to wish for luck for someone or something	We’re keeping our fingers crossed that he’ll be healthy again very soon
have a chin-wag	have a long conversation between friends; have a chat	We had a good chinwag over a bottle of wine.
chicken scratch (n)	the handwriting that is crammed or illegible	His signature—an unforgeably idiosyncratic chicken scratch
the wee hours	after midnight	He was up until the wee hours trying to finish his work.
a blessing in a disguise	something that seems bad or unlucky at first, but results in something good happening later	Losing that job was a blessing in disguise really.
all in the same boat	in the same difficult situation as someone else	None of us has any money, so we’re all in the same boat.
beating around the bush	avoid the main topic and not speaking directly about it	Let’s stop beating about the bush and discuss this matter
early bird	someone who gets up early	I never miss sunrise. I’m an early bird.
a breath of fresh air	something that is new & refreshing	Selena was a talented and beautiful entertainer, a breath of fresh air in an industry full of people all trying to copy each other.
keep an eye on	to monitor a situation, not forget about it.	Keep an eye on the noodles, there almost done.
keep your nose to the grindstone	continue to put forward a good effort	If you keep your nose to the grindstone, you will finish this job tonight.
know something [it, this] inside out	to be totally familiar with	He knows that subject backwards and forwards.
leave well enough alone	to not try to change something that is good enough	This repair is not perfect, but let’s leave well enough alone.
now and then	on an occasional basis, often every is used as the first word of this idiomatic phrase.	Every now and then I have a good idea.

Check out the Useful Idioms for IELTS Speaking to Score Band 8.0+ by practising each idiom.

Incorporating idioms into your IELTS Speaking test will enhance your ability to speak and also help you score a higher band. However, this can only happen if you use them naturally and correctly. Remember to not use them too many times as you learn these words and be sure that you are confident using them in the right context. With diligent practice, you will be mastering these words and ace the IELTS exam with a higher band score of 8+.

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