33 Idioms for Teens

Express Yourself with Idioms: A Teen’s Guide to Mastering the Art of Expression

Idioms provide a splash of color to our daily conversations and are essential tools in making our expressions vibrant and engaging. Especially for teenagers, understanding and using idioms can significantly sharpen communication skills and help better interpret the subtleties in dialogues. More than just phrases, idioms enrich the language experience, making it both insightful and delightful to explore.

In this guide, we dive into success-oriented idiomatic expressions which are particularly beneficial for teenagers. These idioms not only promote a positive outlook but also bolster problem-solving capabilities. By exploring various idiomatic expressions, we aim to inspire confidence among teens and impart crucial life lessons. With each idiom, you’ll gain insights on its application in everyday scenarios alongside exercises to enhance your grasp of these colorful expressions.

Idioms Tailored for Teens

1. Get the ball rolling

• Meaning: Start something, initiate action.
• Usage in a Sentence: When no one volunteered for the school play, Jason got the ball rolling by signing up first.
• Variants: Kickstart something, Set things in motion.

2. Dive into the books

• Meaning: Begin studying intensely.
• Usage in a Sentence: With finals around the corner, Rachel decided it was time to dive into the books.
• Variants: Study intensely, Hit the library.

3. Easy as pie

• Meaning: Very simple or easy.
• Usage in a Sentence: For someone who loves math, solving algebra problems is as easy as pie.
• Variants: A walk in the park, A breeze.

4. Let the cat out of the bag

• Meaning: To accidentally reveal a secret.
• Usage in a Sentence: I let the cat out of the bag about Mark’s surprise birthday party.
• Variants: Spill the beans, Disclose a secret.

5. Pull an all-nighter

• Meaning: To stay up all night working on something.
• Usage in a Sentence: We pulled an all-nighter to finish the science project on time.
• Variants: Stay up all night, Work through the night.

6. Ace a test

• Meaning: To do very well, typically implies getting a high score.
• Usage in a Sentence: She aced her chemistry test after studying hard for a week.
• Variants: Pass with flying colors, Nail it.

7. Miss the mark

• Meaning: To fail to achieve the desired aim or to be incorrect.
• Usage in a Sentence: His attempt to bake a cake for the first time really missed the mark.
• Variants: Off base, Not hit the target.

8. Pay through the nose

• Meaning: To pay an excessive amount of money.
• Usage in a Sentence: They paid through the nose for front row seats at the concert.
• Variants: Overpay, Pay dearly.

9. Feel blue

• Meaning: To feel sad or depressed.
• Usage in a Sentence: Alex felt blue after seeing his test scores.
• Variants: Feel down, Be sad.

10. Walk on eggshells

• Meaning: To be extremely cautious about one’s words or actions.
• Usage in a Sentence: She was walking on eggshells during the meeting with her strict teacher.
• Variants: Tread carefully, Be overly cautious.

11. In the same boat

• Meaning: In the same situation, facing the same challenges.
• Usage in a Sentence: We’re all in the same boat, trying to finish our essays on time.
• Variants: Share the same fate, Be alike in circumstance.

12. Under someone’s wing

• Meaning: Under the protection or guidance of someone.
• Usage in a Sentence: The freshman was taken under the senior’s wing during the science fair.
• Variants: Guided by, Protected by.

13. Jump through hoops

• Meaning: To go through many difficulties to achieve something.
• Usage in a Sentence: He had to jump through hoops to get his driver’s license.
• Variants: Overcome obstacles, Go the extra mile.

14. Raise the bar

• Meaning: To set a higher standard.
• Usage in a Sentence: The new captain raised the bar for the whole football team.
• Variants: Elevate standards, Aim higher.

15. Steal the show

• Meaning: To get a lot of praise or attention; outperform others.
• Usage in a Sentence: During the talent show, Laura’s singing performance really stole the show.
• Variants: Win the day, Dominate the spotlight.

Exercises to Practice

1. The debate team really ____ the show with their excellent arguments.
2. If you keep ____ through hoops, you’ll surely succeed in this competition.
3. Ever since she started the art club, she has ____ the bar for all extracurricular activities.
4. We have to ____ a test in history to move to the next chapter.
5. To avoid making the birthday girl suspicious, everyone tried to ____ on eggshells around her.
6. Simon felt quite ____ after he moved to the new school.
7. They ____ through the nose to get the latest smartphones.
8. Unlike last year, this time, we are all ____ the same boat with the difficult syllabus.
9. He was really nervous about the first day of work, so his mentor took him ____ his wing.
10. Let’s try not to ____ the ball rolling too late on this project.

Answers

1. stole
2. jumps
3. raised
4. ace
5. walk
6. blue
7. paid
8. in
9. under
10. get

Conclusion

Embracing idioms not only enhances your linguistic skills but also deepens your understanding of cultural nuances. This vibrant aspect of language paints everyday interactions with more vivid hues and enriches your storytelling arsenal. As you continue to incorporate these idiomatic expressions into your daily conversations, they will naturally become integral to your verbal and written communication. Remember, mastering idioms is not just about memorizing them; it’s about weaving them seamlessly into your dialogues to express yourself more effectively and colorfully. Keep practicing, and soon, using idioms will be easy as pie!