Definition

1. Noun:
   • A phrase or expression whose overall meaning is different from the literal meanings of the individual words that compose it: An idiomatic expression is a fixed group of words with a meaning that is not obvious from the meanings of its separate parts. It is a conventional way of saying something specific within a language.

Usage

• Idiomatic expressions are used in everyday speech and writing to convey ideas in a concise, culturally specific, and often colorful way. They are a key feature of natural, fluent language use.
• They are typically fixed in form; changing the words or their order usually makes the expression incorrect or changes its meaning.

Examples

• Noun:
  • "Kick the bucket" is an idiomatic expression meaning "to die."
  • She used the idiomatic expression "it's raining cats and dogs" to describe the heavy rain.
  • Understanding common idiomatic expressions is essential for mastering a language.

Advanced Usage

• "To be an idiom": This is a common way to state that a phrase is an idiomatic expression.
  • "Spill the beans" is an idiom meaning "to reveal a secret."
• "To use something idiomatically": Refers to using a word or phrase according to its natural, conventional usage in the language, which often involves idiomatic expressions.
  • The word "get" is used idiomatically in many phrasal verbs.

Variants and Related Words

• Idiom (n): A synonym for "idiomatic expression." It can also refer to the distinctive style or form of expression of a language, group, or person.
  • The phrase "break a leg" is a common idiom in English theater.
• Idiomatic (adj): Pertaining to or conforming to the natural usage of a language; using or containing many idioms.
  • His English is very fluent and idiomatic.

Synonyms

• Figure of speech: A word or phrase used in a non-literal sense for rhetorical or vivid effect.
• Set phrase: A fixed, conventional phrase.
• Colloquialism: An informal expression used in ordinary conversation.

Related Phrases

• "To be a figure of speech": Similar to being an idiom, indicating non-literal usage.
  • When I said I was "starving," it was just a figure of speech.
• "To be taken literally/idiomatically": A contrast highlighting how an expression should be understood.
  • "He has a green thumb" should not be taken literally; it must be understood idiomatically.

Related Idioms

• "It's Greek to me": An idiomatic expression meaning something is incomprehensible.
  • The technical manual was full of jargon; it was all Greek to me.
• "Beat around the bush": An idiomatic expression meaning to avoid addressing a topic directly.
  • Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you really think.

Noun

1. an expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up