Idioms for IELTS Speaking: 120 idioms thông dụng trong IELTS Speaking

1. Idioms giúp người học giao tiếp chính xác và văn phong mang màu sắc hơn.

2. Các cụm idioms thông dụng trong tiếng anh Giao Tiếp và IELTS Speaking có thể kể đến như “pigs can fly”, “work flat out”, “the in-thing”,…

3. Để học idioms tốt, người học cần đặt câu đúng ngữ cảnh và sử dụng thường xuyên.

1

Bump into

Tình cờ gặp nhau, gặp nhau bất ngờ

It often seems that everyone I bump into these days is getting busier and busier.

2

A drop in the ocean

Một số lượng rất nhỏ so với số lượng cần thiết hoặc dự kiến

This is a drop in the ocean compared to the number of children who need help.

3

Work flat out

Làm việc cật lực

But forcing teachers, doctors, and nurses to work flat out until 68 is unacceptable.

4

The in-thing

Hợp mốt

Earning badges or reaching higher levels is the in-thing in the marketing world.

5

Make a fuss over

Cằn nhằn, cãi cọ, phàn nàn với ai về điều gì.

Things that she used to make a fuss over seemed simple all of the sudden.

6

Run of the mill

Tầm thường, không có gì đặc biệt

Sometimes it was just run of the mill things, other times it was more of a crisis.

7

Far-fetched

gượng gạo, không tự nhiên, cường điệu

At first sight, the analogy with oil may seem odd, but it is not so far-fetched.

8

An ace up your sleeve

Vũ khí bí mật, quân át chủ bài, con bài bí mật, quân bài tủ, bảo bối lận lưng

There's an ace up your sleeve and you're about ready to play it.

9

A hot potato

Một sự việc hoặc chủ đề gây nhiều tranh cãi và khó khăn để giải quyết.

The fate of the cargo is also rapidly becoming a hot potato for other reasons.

10

Get a kick out of (something)

Nhận được thú vui/giải trí từ ai/cái gì; tìm thấy niềm vui thích từ ai/cái gì.

You can see why a young guy out of college might get a kick out of working here.

11

Bent out of shape

Nổi điên, vô cùng tức giận

She was bent out of shape because she didn't get my signature on her homework planner.

12

Give (lend) somebody a hand

Giúp đỡ ai đó làm gì đó.

But if somebody is working with you, wouldn't you give him a hand if it doesn't take much of your time?

13

Sit on the fence

Không nghiêng về bên nào trong một cuộc tranh luận.

I find I often sit on the fence and wait to see how something is going to break before I act.

14

A piece of cake

Một việc gì đó rất dễ thực hiện, tương tự cụm từ "dễ như ăn kẹo" mà người Việt hay dùng.

Compared to that, watching a seesaw, three-hour-plus ballgame is a piece of cake.

15

Hit the books

Nghiên cứu, học bài để chuẩn bị cho một kỳ thi.

His dad urged him to hit the books and focus on more practical pursuits, he said.

16

A mile a minute

Rất nhanh

Tom runs a mile a minute. He must be an athlete.

17

Learn the ropes

Học những điều cơ bản nhất của một chuyên môn nào đó

The new employee should learn all the ropes during his probationary period.

18

(Go) back to the drawing board

Làm lại từ đầu

The restaurant's design for an elevator shaft is sent back to the drawing board.

19

Go the extra mile

Vô cùng cố gắng

I'm thankful for doctors like this who go the extra mile to help a patient.

20

Touch base

kết nối, liên lạc, nói chuyện lại, thường là sau một khoảng thời gian không liên lạc

Please help me touch base with my lovely wife and rekindle our relationship.

21

Up-to-the-minute

Rất hiện đại, rất hợp mốt, giờ chót, rất kịp thời

It is used to bring you up-to-the minute reports in video and audio from BBC New.

22

On the go

Bận rộn

Here you're always on the go, and there's never much time to just sit and think.

23

Up in the air

Diễn tả điều gì đó vẫn còn bỏ ngỏ, chưa được quyết định, chưa được giải quyết

I mean, it was bad enough leaving last time when everything was so up in the air.

24

Get off the ground

Bắt đầu thực hiện kế hoạch/ vấn đề nào đó sau khi được bàn bạc kỹ lưỡng

After much discussion and consideration, the new project was finally approved by every member of the Management Board. So it will get off the ground next month.

25

In high spirits

Vui vẻ, phấn chấn

He was in high spirits as they talked about family, girlfriends and football.

26

Keep one's chin up

Không được nản chí! Không được thất vọng!

Keep your chin up Joel, I'm sure there are many more supporters behind you.

27

Read my/your/his mind

Đoán suy nghĩ của người khác

We cannot predict them because we are not Raul and cannot read his mind.

28

Get the ball rolling

Bắt đầu hành động

We're providing a few apps, such as posts and ratings, to get the ball rolling.

29

By the book

Chấp hành quy định một cách nghiêm túc, đầy đủ

If anyone is caught not going by the book, he or she will be strictly punished.

30

Pass with flying colors

Vượt qua kì thi với điểm số cao

And of course, the Duo passed the prerequisite Fruit Ninja test with flying colors.

31

(as) easy as pie

Dễ ợt

Nigella Lawson's recipes look easy as pie, so how did Quentin Letts go so wrong?

32

Under the weather

Ốm

When you're having stomach issues, you should just say you're under the weather.

33

Fingers-crossed = keep one's fingers crossed

chúc ai đó may mắn

If you could keep your fingers crossed for good weather, I would be most grateful.

34

Learn by heart

Học thuộc lòng

Pick a poem to learn off by heart and then try it out.

35

Show your hand

Tiết lộ ý định/kế hoạch của mình, nhất là từ trước đến nay vẫn đang giữ bí mật

If you show your hand, you will get credit for honesty, but you might lose out on some opportunities.

36

A blessing in disguise

trong cái rủi có cái may

It will be broken very badly, but that in itself will be a blessing in disguise.

37

Be in the same boat

Cùng chung cảnh ngộ

We are all in the same boat with that problem.

38

Beating around the bush

Vòng vo tam quốc

Beating around the bush will only help to intensify the situation.

39

Rack one’s brain

Suy nghĩ rất lâu, rất nhiều cho một vấn đề nào đó

You rack your brain trying to remember, but can't seem to even come up with the first letter.

40

A breath of fresh air

Điều gì đó mới mẻ

Maybe Williams' leaving will be a breath of fresh air for the basketball program.

41

Keep an eye on

để mắt tới

You should also keep an eye on what special situations fund managers are buying.

42

Keep your nose to the grindstone

Làm việc chăm chỉ trong một khoảng thời gian dài

Your job was to keep your nose to the grindstone writing these three-minute wonders.

43

Know something inside out

hiểu rõ, quen thuộc

He knows the system inside out.

44

Leave well enough alone

để nguyên như vậy, không cần thay đổi nữa vì có thể sẽ trở nên tệ hơn

Either just put your product on the shelf and leave well enough alone or don't.

45

Now and then

thỉnh thoảng

Every now and then, a public figure is going to say or do something regrettable.

46

A penny for your thoughts

Đây là một cách để hỏi người khác đang nghĩ gì.

A penny for your thoughts.

47

Against the clock

Cật lực, chạy đua với thời gian

Hundreds of volunteers are racing against the clock to complete the home by 10 a.m. Thursday.

48

Lend an ear

Lắng nghe

My problem may seem silly, but I am upset and confused, so please lend an ear.

49

On cloud nine

Cực kỳ sung sướng, hạnh phúc như ở trên mây

One minute you're on cloud nine, and then next you're crashing back to reality with a bump.

50

Cost a (small) fortune

đắt tiền

The Gucci dress costs a small fortune, I can’t afford it.

51

Hard feelings

Buồn phiền

He missed many family events, and our family developed hard feelings toward him.

52

Hit the hay

Đi ngủ

Next day is going to be a big biking marathon so we hit the hay early.

53

Shop till you drop

mua sắm nhiều, số lượng lớn

If you are a shopping lover, go to Viet Nam. You can shop till you drop because everything is super cheap.

54

(come) rain or shine

Dù mưa hay nắng, dù có chuyện gì xảy ra

It will be held rain or shine, since conditions can be unpredictable on any day.

55

Be all ears

Lắng nghe

If people do talk about the transition issues they're facing, try to be all ears.

56

In the nick of time

Vừa đúng/kịp lúc

I realize, just in the nick of time, that it would be inappropriate to hug him.

57

Fresh/clean out of something

hết nhẵn rồi

We’re fresh out of oranges, would you like an apple?

58

Have/get mixed feelings about something

Cảm xúc lẫn lộn, không chắc chắn

In all seriousness though I have mixed feelings about the move to buy Lucasfilm.

59

Give it one's best shot

Cố hết sức có thể

I know I gave it my best shot but ultimately I was not physically able to do it.

60

In deep water

gặp rắc rối, gặp tình thế khó

He has not submitted his dissertation so he is in deep water.

61

Cost next to nothing

tốn ít tiền

Simply making that site available to the public would cost next to nothing.

62

To be up in arms about something

buồn và bực tức về vấn đề gì

People are just up in arms about 20 innocent children being mercilessly murdered.

63

Put yourself in somebody's shoes

đặt mình vào vị trí của người khác

Put yourself in her shoes and help her adjust.

64

At all costs

bằng mọi giá

Getting help from Korea would be a disaster and Japan should avoid at all costs.

65

Explore all avenues

tìm mọi cách để làm gì đó

Startups need to explore all avenues to grow sales

66

On the ball

hiểu và chủ động trong việc gì đó

They are not making plays on the ball and seem to be playing without confidence.

67

Throw in the towel

từ bỏ, đầu hàng

Throw in the towel

68

Down to earth

thực tế, nếu chỉ tính cách nghĩa là tính cách bình dân bình thường, không ra vẻ, không đạo mạo

Although extremely dramatic he was actually a very down to earth type of person.

69

Full of beans

tràn đầy năng lượng

I've seen most of the Bristol Zoo's gorillas and they are full of beans.

70

Get a head start

đi đầu, tiên phong

If you'd like to get a head start, combine the dry ingredients the night before.

71

Hear on the grapevine

nghe loáng thoáng về vấn đề gì đó

On the grapevine, I hear good reports of the Mombay Brasserie on Lockyers Quay.

72

Hit the nail on the head

đúng về việc gì đó

You pretty much hit the nail on the head about my being pretty passive around guys.

73

In the heat of the moment

Trong lúc nóng giận

And in the heat of the moment, coaches can still yell and even use foul language.

74

It takes two to tango

nếu có một vấn đề liên quan đến hai người hay hai phe, thì cả hai cần hợp tác với nhau để giải quyết vấn đề đó.

I would say that it takes two to tango, so first I meet with the designer.

75

Get/jump on the bandwagon

tham gia vào một hoạt động phổ biến/ phong trào

Apparently anyone can jump on the bandwagon, even latecomers and copycats.

76

Keep something at bay

ngăn ai/ cái gì tiếp tận

That first 5 minutes can be incredibly rich if you keep the distractions at bay.

77

Kill two birds with one stone

một mũi tên trúng 2 đích

You can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, with a beautiful salad.

78

Break the ice

làm cho mọi người cảm thấy thoải mái hơn

In an attempt to break the ice, I asked her how many people have died at the gym.

79

Let sleeping dogs lie

không nhắc đến những chuyện không hay để mọi thứ được yên ổn

As for some of the other off-field dramas, it's better to let sleeping dogs lie.

80

Let the cat out of the bag

vô tình tiết lộ bí mật

I let the cat out of the bag with reference to completely free dating site last time.

81

Barking up the wrong tree

nhầm lẫn/tìm kiếm giải pháp ở một nơi sai/chưa đúng

I admire your attempt to take the easy way out but you're barking up the wrong tree.

82

Far cry from - Very different from

rất khác biệt

This place is a far cry from Cavallari Gourmet in Oviedo or Petty's in Longwood.

83

Give someone the benefit of the doubt

quyết định nghĩ tốt về ai đó, trong khi bản thân đang có 2 hướng suy nghĩ xấu-tốt

In my brief testing, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt on these.

84

Pull the wool over someone's eyes

lừa dối/che mắt ai đó

He is a good player, he is young and talented, but we didn't pull the wool over his eyes and the decision was up to him.

85

See eye to eye

nhất trí

We didn't always see eye-to-eye and we had words but now I'm older I understand.

86

Take with a grain of salt

nửa tin nửa ngờ

If forecasts for snowfall are getting you down, take them with a grain of salt.

87

Give someone a dose/taste of their own medicine

gậy ông đập lưng ông

But now that the shoe is on the unattached foot, why not give him a taste of his own medicine?

89

Whole nine yards

tất cả mọi thứ

The Yorkshireman has lost a whole nine yards of pace since surgery on his elbow.

90

Wouldn't be caught dead

thà chết chứ không làm, không bao giờ thích làm điều gì đó

There was a time when I wouldn't be caught dead with a dahlia in my garden.

91

At the drop of a hat

trong tích tắc, ngay lập tức

If another bank opened branches in these 2 places I'd change at the drop of a hat.

92

On the dot

đúng tại thời điểm đó

At 9am on the dot, I find a place right opposite Big Ben near Westminster Abbey.

93

And then some

nhiều hơn thế

We won't know until they've played 162 games, and then some more important ones.

94

Find my feet

dần quen với việc gì

I'm still working it out and trying to find my feet.

95

Your guess is as good as mine

Tôi không biết/không có ý tưởng gì

Honestly, your guess is as good as mine as to what will happen on the TV show.

96

Before long

chẳng bao lâu nữa

Before long, he was too big for the bus seats, and started sitting in the aisle.

97

Cost an arm and a leg

quá đắt đỏ

And if you think this is all going to cost an arm and a leg, it doesn't.

98

Set in their ways

không chịu thay đổi thói quen, suy nghĩ…

The forced cross-training upset longtime employees who were set in their ways.

99

You can say that again

Điều đó đúng, tôi đồng ý với điều bạn nói

You can say that again, and it's not one I'd care to revisit.

100

Burn the midnight oil

thức khuya, đặc biệt làm việc muộn

He yearns to burn the midnight oil and explore the mysteries of creation.

101

That's the last straw

Sự kiên nhẫn đã chạm giới hạn

I've always been a supporter of the BBC, but this is just about the last straw.

102

Change one's mind

thay đổi quyết định/ý kiến

I don't have the right to change my boyfriend's mind about his childhood friend.

103

Speak of the devil

người mà chúng ta vừa nhắc tới xuất hiện

Speak of the devil, and up pops John Updike.

104

(Right) off the top of my head

nói ra điều gì đó không cần suy nghĩ quá nhiều hay cần một kiến thức gì đó đặc biệt

Off the top of my head, I'm unsure your vague assertion is accurate in any case.

105

Catch your/my/his eye

lôi cuốn sự chú ý/lưu tâm

As I got older, a simmering pot of chicken and dumplings would catch my eye.

106

Down in the dumps

buồn chán

A happy person is on top of the world, but a sad person is down in the dumps.

107

Make a long story short

kể vắn tắt một câu chuyện

To make a long story short, I was in extreme pain by the time we arrived home.

108

Put all your eggs in one basket

bỏ tất cả trứng vào một giỏ, bỏ tất cả tiền bạc và công sức vào việc gì đó

But remember emerging markets success is not guaranteed and never put all your eggs in one basket.

109

It's not rocket science

Không phức tạp

Sometimes it takes a while to set up a good sound, but it's not rocket science.

110

Miss the boat

vuột mất cơ hội

Those who are very selfish about their own franchises miss the boat.

111

Hang in there

Đừng bỏ cuộc

Nokia needs to hang in there until it can become an innovative handset designer.

112

Once in a blue moon

hiếm khi

Once in a blue moon, my aimless cruising around the internet really pays off.

113

Cutting corners

đi tắt, đốt cháy giai đoạn / làm việc gì một cách nhanh nhất, thường là phớt lờ các quy tắc, luật lệ

There is little tolerance for impulsive decisions and no room for cutting corners.

114

Call it a day

Thôi làm việc

Fred, Josh and Emily were shattered and decided to call it a day and just relax.

115

Over the moon

Cục kỳ hạnh phúc vì điều gì

When our daughter began showing signs of musical ability, we were over the moon.

116

Out of the blue

Nói về sự việc xảy ra đột ngột, không hề có cảnh báo hay chuẩn bị trước

Out of the blue, Gene sent me an e-mail that I'll have to paraphrase from memory.

117

Try my hand at something

thử sức làm công việc gì đấy

My favorite subjects are landscapes, and I'd like to try my hand at HDR photography too.

118

Pigs can fly

Ám chỉ một điều không bao giờ xảy ra

I can imagine Dutch or Danish soldier protecting an Italian citizen, yeah pigs can fly.

119

Off the beaten track

Miêu tả một nơi nào đó rất xa khu dân cư

It is surprisingly off the beaten track and still unspoilt by too much tourism.

120

Window shopping

Chỉ ngắm đồ chứ không mua

Even window shopping or browsing online can prove dangerous for your budget.