An idiom is an expression that can be understood only as a whole and not by analysing its constituent parts. For example, if you know what ‘kick’, 'the’ and ‘bucket’ mean, that won’t help you understand that ‘kick the bucket’ means ‘die’.

1. Only use idioms you know well. It is true that using idioms will help to increase your score for vocabulary. However, many students use idioms that are not common and therefore don't gain any extra marks. There is a lot of bad advice online regarding idioms. Many of the idioms suggested on sites and forums are not natural.

Get Started IELTS: An overview The International English Language Test System (IELTS) is a standard language assessment for international students to assess their level of proficiency in English.

Idioms can be hard to understand when people use them in casual conversations. Learn more about these expressions and how to use them here! 25 results.