This page gathers the 4,686 dictionary entries of which at least one sense is labelled “Idiomatic” by Wiktionary. The definition shown is that sense; each word leads to its full entry. Page 4 of 47: from “beg to differ” to “blow off steam”.
- beg to differ verb To offer an opposing opinion humbly.
- beggars can't be choosers proverb Something is better than nothing: those who can't provide for themselves should accept whatever help is available.
- behind closed doors prep_phrase In private; in one's private life; lacking (normal) public disclosure, in camera.
- behind its time prep_phrase Showing characteristics of the past; present in one's work after later advances in the field; coming later than could be generally accepted.
- behind someone's back prep_phrase Without somebody's knowledge; secretly.
- behind the counter prep_phrase Of drugs, dispensed by a pharmacist without needing a doctor's prescription or other form of compliance.
- behind the scenes prep_phrase behind the scenery and stage area; backstage; among the actors; during the production or rehearsal
- believing is seeing proverb One needs to believe something in order to know or understand it.
- belly up adj Dead or defunct.
- below par prep_phrase Not up to the average or normal standard.
- below the belt prep_phrase Unfair; dirty; not according to the generally accepted rules.
- bench jockey noun A player, coach or manager who verbally annoys and distracts opposition players and umpires from his team's dugout bench.
- bend over backwards verb To make a great effort; to take extraordinary care; to go to great lengths.
- bend someone's ear verb To bore; to talk too long, especially to one particular person.
- bend someone's will verb To persuade or otherwise induce someone to change his or her views or to choose a different course of action.
- bend the knee verb To swear fealty or allegiance to another person.
- bend the truth verb To change or leave out certain facts of a story or situation, generally in order to elicit a specific response in the audience.
- Benjamin Button verb To seemingly age in reverse; to appear younger, either through changes in appearance or one's personality and lifestyle.
- beside the point adj Irrelevant, moot.
- best laid plans noun A proverbial expression used to signify the futility of making detailed plans when the ability to fully or even partially execute them is…
- bet the farm verb To be absolutely certain, to have no doubts.
- betray with a kiss verb To betray someone in a seemingly inconspicuous or innocuous manner.
- better for it phrase In a more favorable position on the whole due to something, despite possible drawbacks.
- between a rock and a hard place prep_phrase In a difficult and inescapable position.
- betwixt and between adj Neither one thing nor the other.
- beyond one's pay grade prep_phrase Beyond one's level of authority.
- beyond the black stump prep_phrase In an extremely isolated place, remote from populated areas; in the middle of nowhere. Typically used to refer to outback areas.
- beyond the pale prep_phrase Of a person or their behaviour: outside the bounds of what is acceptable, or regarded as good judgment, morality, ethics, etc.
- bicycle chain noun The endless chain, of roller chain type, that transmits power from the pedals to the driven wheel of a bicycle via a sprocket attached to…
- big boy noun A large object or person.
- big break noun A breakthrough, especially the first big hit of a previously unknown performer or performers in the entertainment industry.
- big deal noun Something very important or difficult; a matter of great concern; a considerable feat or achievement.
- big fat adj Complete, utter, total.
- big fish in a small pond noun One who has achieved a high rank or is highly esteemed, but only in a small, relatively unimportant, or little known location or…
- big girl noun An adult woman; a woman behaving as a responsible adult.
- big gun noun A person, group, thing, or course of action that is powerful, influential, or particularly effective.
- big hand noun Synonym of minute hand (on a clock face).
- big head noun An inflated ego, an exaggerated belief in one's own importance.
- big money noun A large amount of money, especially a significant source of revenue or income.
- big mouth noun The mouth of someone who talks too much, especially by making exaggerated claims or by inappropriately revealing information.
- big name noun A widely-known reputation, especially one that is favorable.
- big screen noun Movies, or that which is related to movies or cinema.
- big shop noun A large, regular purchase of groceries; as opposed to ad hoc or impulse purchases.
- big shot noun A person with a reputation of importance or power.
- big talk noun Statements which are boastful or exaggerated.
- big tent noun A group, philosophy, or social or political movement that encompasses or seeks to attract a broad range of constituents or members, or…
- big wheel noun A person with a great deal of power or influence, especially a high-ranking person in an organization.
- bigger fish to fry noun A much more pressing issue to attend to.
- bill of goods noun A set of misleading or deceptive claims.
- bio queen noun A cis female performance artist who performs in female drag at drag shows, or acts like a drag queen.
- bird's-eye view noun The view from directly or high above.
- birds and bees noun Informal education about sex.
- birds of a feather noun People having similar characters, backgrounds, interests, or beliefs.
- birds of a feather flock together proverb People of similar character, background or taste tend to congregate or associate with one another; it is easier to establish friendships…
- birthday suit noun Nakedness, unclothed skin; an exposure of a human's natural anatomy without clothing.
- bitch goddess noun Success, especially in terms of wealth and fame.
- bite me intj An expression of discontent or aggravation to another party.
- bite my ass intj Go away!; an expression of disdain or dismissal.
- bite off verb To accept or commit oneself to a task, project, notion, or responsibility, especially one which presents challenges.
- bite one's lip verb To forcibly prevent oneself from speaking, especially in order to avoid saying something inappropriate or likely to cause a dispute.
- bite one's nails verb To worry or fret over something.
- bite one's tongue verb To resist the urge to speak out, especially in order to avoid saying something inappropriate or likely to cause a dispute.
- bite the big one verb To perform poorly; to fail.
- bite the biscuit verb To undertake an unpleasant task or to acknowledge an unfavorable situation or responsibility; bite the bullet.
- bite the bullet verb To accept a negative aspect of a situation in order to proceed.
- bite the curb verb To be curb stomped.
- bite the dust verb To die.
- bite the hand that feeds one verb To cause harm to a benefactor (especially one that one is dependent on, thus with the idea that this behaviour is self-damaging).
- bitter end noun The end of a long and difficult process.
- black gold noun Raw petroleum; crude oil.
- black hat noun A villain in a story, especially in a Western (a film or other work of the Western genre).
- black market noun Trade that is in violation of restrictions, rationing, or price controls.
- black out verb To censor or cover up by writing over with black ink.
- black oxide noun Any of several coatings for steels or copper; some are oxides (mainly iron(II,III) oxide), some are nitrites or nitrates, and some are…
- black sheep noun A nonconformist; an unusual or unconventional person, who may be rejected or disdained by others for this reason.
- black tie adj Moderately formal; usually requiring a dinner jacket (tuxedo) for men.
- blame Canada verb A catch phrase for shifting attention away from a problem or serious social issue by humorously laying responsibility on Canada.
- blank out verb To become blank.
- blast off verb to begin ascent under rocket power
- blaze a trail verb To show the way or proceed rapidly.
- blaze away verb To fire (firearms) repeatedly.
- bleeding edge adj Of or pertaining to something, such as technology, which is too new and untested to be reliable or to have any assurance of safety; (in a…
- bless someone with verb To give or bestow, as a gift from God.
- bless you intj Said to someone who has just sneezed, as a polite remark.
- blessed event noun The birth of a baby.
- blink-and-you-miss-it adj Brief, fleeting, or subtle; so quick or small that it is easy to overlook if one is not paying close attention.
- block out verb to prevent (a thought) from entering one's mind.
- blondin noun An expert tightrope walker.
- blood and guts noun Gore; gruesome images.
- blood in the water noun In a competitive situation, the exhibition of apparent weakness or vulnerability by one party, especially when this leads to a feeling of…
- blood is thicker than water proverb Family relations and loyalties are stronger than relationships with people who are not family members.
- bloom is off the rose phrase The person, object, or situation identified in the context has lost its novelty, freshness, appeal, or acceptability.
- blow verb To fail at; to mess up; to make a mistake in.
- blow a fuse verb To lose one's temper; to become enraged.
- blow a hole through verb To destroy the integrity or cohesion of.
- blow away verb To kill (someone) by shooting them with a firearm.
- blow chunks verb To vomit chunks of undigested food.
- blow me intj An expression of discontent or aggravation to another party (with a metaphorical connotation of fellatio).
- blow off verb To shirk or disregard (a duty or person).
- blow off steam verb To vent; to talk or take action (especially in a ranting or unrestrained way) so as to relieve stress.