Idioms About Animals
Animals feature prominently in English idioms and expressions. Learn these animal-related phrases to understand figurative language better and speak more n
TL;DR: Animals feature prominently in English idioms and expressions. Learn these animal-related phrases to understand figurative language better and speak m…
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Animals feature prominently in English idioms and expressions. Learn these animal-related phrases to understand figurative language better and speak more n
Idioms About Animals
- A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush — Something you have is better than something you might get (e.g. A secure job now is a bird in the hand; do not risk it for uncertain opportunities.)
- Let sleeping dogs lie — Do not stir up old problems or conflicts (e.g. I will let sleeping dogs lie and not mention his past mistakes.)
- Raining cats and dogs — Raining very heavily (e.g. It has been raining cats and dogs since morning; stay indoors.)
- Work like a dog — To work very hard (e.g. She works like a dog to support her family.)
- Busy as a bee — Very busy and active (e.g. During exam season, students are busy as bees with their studies.)
- Stubborn as a mule — Very stubborn and unwilling to change (e.g. He is stubborn as a mule and will not listen to advice.)
- Sly as a fox — Clever and cunning (e.g. The detective was sly as a fox in solving the mystery.)
- Quiet as a mouse — Very quiet and silent (e.g. During the exam, all students remained quiet as a mouse.)
- Gentle as a dove — Very gentle and peaceful (e.g. Her voice is gentle as a dove, soothing to listen to.)
- Eat like a horse — To eat a lot (e.g. Growing teenagers eat like a horse; grocery bills are very high.)
- Have a cow — To be very angry or upset (e.g. Your parents will have a cow if you fail your exams.)
- More than one way to skin a cat — Multiple solutions to a problem (e.g. There is more than one way to skin a cat; try a different approach.)
- Pig out — To eat a lot of food greedily (e.g. We pigged out at the restaurant yesterday; it was delicious.)
- Go ape — To become very excited or angry (e.g. The fans went ape when their team scored the winning goal.)
- Chicken out — To lose your courage and back out (e.g. He chickened out of the dare at the last moment.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do so many idioms involve animals?
Throughout history, humans have observed animal behaviors and compared them to human characteristics. This has led to the creation of idioms that use animals as metaphors for human traits and actions.
Are animal idioms the same across different cultures?
No, different cultures have different animal idioms based on their local animals and cultural beliefs. For example, some Asian cultures have idioms about tigers, while European cultures have idioms about different animals.
More Vocabulary Sets
- Idioms and Phrases A-Z Set 1
- Idioms and Phrases A-Z Set 2
- Idioms and Phrases A-Z Set 3
- Idioms About Time
- Idioms About Money
- Idioms About Body Parts
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