Useful Idioms for IELTS Speaking to Score Band 8.0+

A blessing in disguise

A good thing that seemed bad at first

Losing my job was a blessing in disguise because I started my own business.

A piece of cake

Something very easy

The IELTS Speaking test was a piece of cake for me!

All ears

Listening attentively

I’m all ears—tell me about your trip!

Barking up the wrong tree

Accusing the wrong person

If you think I stole your phone, you’re barking up the wrong tree.

Beat around the bush

Avoid saying something directly

Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.

Bite the bullet

Face a difficult situation bravely

I had to bite the bullet and tell my boss the truth.

Break the ice

Start a conversation in a social situation

Telling a joke helped break the ice at the party.

Burn the midnight oil

Stay up late working

I burned the midnight oil to finish my assignment.

Call it a day

Stop working for the day

We’ve done enough work—let’s call it a day.

Cry over spilt milk

Worry about something that cannot be changed

There’s no use crying over spilt milk—just move on.

Cut corners

Do something cheaply or quickly, sacrificing quality

If you cut corners on this project, it will fail.

Down to earth

Practical and realistic

My teacher is very down to earth and easy to talk to.

Face the music

Accept the consequences

He cheated in the exam, so now he has to face the music.

Give someone the cold shoulder

Ignore someone

She gave me the cold shoulder after our argument.

Hit the nail on the head

Describe something accurately

You hit the nail on the head with that explanation.

Jump on the bandwagon

Follow a trend

Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon with this new diet.

Keep an eye on

Watch carefully

Can you keep an eye on my bag while I go to the restroom?

Let the cat out of the bag

Reveal a secret

She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.

Once in a blue moon

Very rarely

I eat fast food only once in a blue moon.

Over the moon

Extremely happy

She was over the moon when she got the job.

Pull someone’s leg

Joke with someone

Don’t believe him—he’s just pulling your leg!

See eye to eye

Agree

We don’t see eye to eye on politics.

Spill the beans

Reveal a secret

Who spilled the beans about my birthday party?

Take with a grain of salt

Be skeptical

Take his advice with a grain of salt—he exaggerates a lot.

The ball is in your court

It’s your decision

I’ve done my part; now the ball is in your court.

Under the weather

Feeling sick

I’m not coming to work today—I’m feeling under the weather.

Up in the air

Uncertain

Our holiday plans are still up in the air.

Hit the books

Study hard

I have an exam tomorrow, so I need to hit the books.

Go the extra mile

Make extra effort

She went the extra mile to help me with my project.

On cloud nine

Extremely happy

He was on cloud nine after winning the lottery.

Bite off more than you can chew

Take on more than you can handle

I bit off more than I could chew by accepting two jobs.

In hot water

In trouble

He’s in hot water for missing the deadline.

Play devil’s advocate

Argue the opposite side for discussion

I’m not against your idea, but I’ll play devil’s advocate for a moment.

Run out of steam

Lose energy or enthusiasm

I started the project with enthusiasm, but now I’ve run out of steam.

The last straw

The final problem that makes a situation unbearable

His rude comment was the last straw—I quit my job.

Turn a blind eye

Ignore something

The teacher turned a blind eye to the students’ whispers.

Throw in the towel

Give up

After failing three times, he threw in the towel.

Hit the sack

Go to bed

I’m exhausted—I’m going to hit the sack.

Break a leg

Good luck

Break a leg in your IELTS Speaking test!

Water under the bridge

Past problems that are no longer important

Our argument was months ago—it’s water under the bridge now.

Don’t judge a book by its cover

Don’t judge something based on appearance

He looks shy, but don’t judge a book by its cover—he’s really outgoing.

Take a rain check

Postpone an invitation

I can’t go out tonight, but I’ll take a rain check.

Cut to the chase

Get to the main point

Stop talking in circles and cut to the chase!

Rule of thumb

A general principle

As a rule of thumb, drink eight glasses of water daily.

Spitting image

A strong resemblance

She’s the spitting image of her mother.

Hold your horses

Wait and be patient

Hold your horses! Let’s think before making a decision.

Get a head start

Begin something early

Arriving early gave me a head start on the competition.

Out of the blue

Suddenly, unexpectedly

She called me out of the blue after five years!

Pass with flying colors

Succeed with high marks

He passed his IELTS exam with flying colors.

Work one’s way up

Move to a higher position gradually

She started as an intern and worked her way up to manager.

Every cloud has a silver lining

Every bad situation has a positive side

Losing the job was hard, but every cloud has a silver lining—I found a better one.

7

Uses some less common and idiomatic vocabulary.

8

Uses a wide range of vocabulary fluently and flexibly, with some awareness of style and collocation.

9

Uses a full range of vocabulary with natural and sophisticated control.

Q: Describe a time when you faced a difficult situation.

A: I had a lot of work to do, and it was very hard for me. I did not know what to do at first, but then I tried my best and finished my project.

Q: Describe a time when you faced a difficult situation.

A: Last month, I was really up to my neck in work. At first, I felt completely at my wit’s end, but then I decided to bite the bullet and focus. In the end, I managed to finish my project on time.

Q: Do you enjoy traveling?

A: Yes, I like traveling. It makes me happy and helps me relax.

Q: Do you enjoy traveling?

A: Absolutely! Traveling is my way of getting away from it all. Every time I visit a new place, I feel on cloud nine. It really broadens my horizons and gives me a fresh perspective on life.

I like exercising because it is good for my health and makes me feel good.

I hit the gym regularly because, as they say, a healthy body leads to a healthy mind. Plus, working out is my way of blowing off steam after a long day.

Q: How do you feel about public transport in your city?

A: It is okay. Sometimes it is good, sometimes bad. It is often late, and I do not like that.

Q: How do you feel about public transport in your city?

A: Public transport here is really hit or miss. On some days, it's great, but on others, it’s a nightmare—especially when buses are late and you’re left high and dry in bad weather.