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40 of the Most Important Advanced English Expressions to Learn

Why Advanced English Expressions Matter

As learners progress to an advanced level in English, mastering idiomatic expressions and complex phrases becomes essential. These expressions are used by native speakers in conversations, literature, media, and professional environments. Understanding and using them correctly allows you to sound more fluent, sophisticated, and natural.

Advanced expressions not only help convey subtle meanings and nuances but also allow for richer communication. They reflect cultural contexts, humor, and social cues, making language more engaging. In this article, we will explore 40 advanced English expressions, their meanings, and how to use them in sentences.

1. Bite the bullet

  • Meaning: To face a difficult situation bravely.
  • Example: "I didn't want to go to the dentist, but I had to bite the bullet and make the appointment."

2. Break the ice

  • Meaning: To initiate conversation in a social setting.
  • Example: "He told a funny joke to break the ice at the meeting."

3. Burn the midnight oil

  • Meaning: To work late into the night.
  • Example: "She’s been burning the midnight oil to finish her thesis."

4. Throw in the towel

  • Meaning: To give up or quit.
  • Example: "After multiple failures, he decided to throw in the towel and close his business."

5. Under the weather

  • Meaning: Feeling unwell or sick.
  • Example: "I’m feeling a bit under the weather, so I’ll stay home today."

6. Cost an arm and a leg

  • Meaning: To be very expensive.
  • Example: "That new phone cost me an arm and a leg!"

7. The ball is in your court

  • Meaning: It’s your decision or responsibility to take action.
  • Example: "I’ve done my part. Now, the ball is in your court."

8. Hit the nail on the head

  • Meaning: To be exactly right about something.
  • Example: "You hit the nail on the head with your analysis of the situation."

9. On the fence

  • Meaning: Undecided about something.
  • Example: "I’m still on the fence about whether to accept the job offer."

10. Spill the beans

  • Meaning: To reveal a secret or disclose information.
  • Example: "She spilled the beans about the surprise party."

11. Out of the blue

  • Meaning: Something unexpected or surprising.
  • Example: "He called me out of the blue after years of silence."

12. Call it a day

  • Meaning: To stop working for the day.
  • Example: "Let’s call it a day and finish the rest tomorrow."

13. Throw caution to the wind

  • Meaning: To take a risk without worrying about the consequences.
  • Example: "He threw caution to the wind and invested all his savings in the startup."

14. Actions speak louder than words

  • Meaning: What someone does is more important than what they say.
  • Example: "Don’t just tell me you’ll help; prove it. Actions speak louder than words."

15. Once in a blue moon

  • Meaning: Something that happens very rarely.
  • Example: "He only visits his hometown once in a blue moon."

16. Cut to the chase

  • Meaning: Get to the point or skip unnecessary details.
  • Example: "Let’s cut to the chase. What’s the bottom line?"

17. Jump on the bandwagon

  • Meaning: To follow a trend or join others in doing something popular.
  • Example: "Everyone’s investing in tech stocks now, but I don’t want to just jump on the bandwagon."

18. Burn bridges

  • Meaning: To damage a relationship to the point where it cannot be repaired.
  • Example: "Leaving the company without notice burned a lot of bridges for him."

19. Hit the ground running

  • Meaning: To start a task or project with great energy and enthusiasm.
  • Example: "When she started her new job, she hit the ground running."

20. Play devil’s advocate

  • Meaning: To argue against a point for the sake of debate.
  • Example: "I’ll play devil’s advocate here and suggest that we might be wrong."

21. Cut corners

  • Meaning: To do something in a cheaper or easier way, often compromising quality.
  • Example: "Don’t cut corners on this project, it’s too important."

22. In hot water

  • Meaning: In trouble or a difficult situation.
  • Example: "He’s in hot water with his boss for missing the deadline."

23. Bite off more than you can chew

  • Meaning: To take on more responsibility than you can handle.
  • Example: "By accepting two jobs, he’s bitten off more than he can chew."

24. Best of both worlds

  • Meaning: A situation where you can enjoy the advantages of two different things.
  • Example: "Living in the suburbs gives you the best of both worlds: close to the city but also peaceful."

25. On cloud nine

  • Meaning: Extremely happy or joyful.
  • Example: "She’s been on cloud nine ever since she got the promotion."

26. Skeleton in the closet

  • Meaning: A hidden and potentially embarrassing or shameful secret.
  • Example: "He seems perfect, but I’m sure he has a skeleton in the closet."

27. Elephant in the room

  • Meaning: An obvious problem or issue that no one wants to talk about.
  • Example: "The tension between the two coworkers was the elephant in the room during the meeting."

28. Behind the scenes

  • Meaning: In private, where the public cannot see.
  • Example: "A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to make a movie successful."

29. Through thick and thin

  • Meaning: To stay loyal through good and bad times.
  • Example: "They’ve been friends through thick and thin."

30. Make a long story short

  • Meaning: To give a brief explanation of something.
  • Example: "To make a long story short, we missed the flight because of traffic."

31. A blessing in disguise

  • Meaning: Something bad that turns out to be good later on.
  • Example: "Losing that job was a blessing in disguise because it led me to a better career."

32. Kill two birds with one stone

  • Meaning: To achieve two things at once with a single action.
  • Example: "By carpooling to work, I kill two birds with one stone: save money and reduce pollution."

33. Let the cat out of the bag

  • Meaning: To accidentally reveal a secret.
  • Example: "She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party."

34. Miss the boat

  • Meaning: To miss an opportunity.
  • Example: "He didn’t apply for the job in time and missed the boat."

35. Pull someone’s leg

  • Meaning: To joke or tease someone.
  • Example: "I didn’t win the lottery, I was just pulling your leg!"

36. Keep your chin up

  • Meaning: To remain positive and hopeful during tough times.
  • Example: "Even though you lost the game, keep your chin up!"

37. The last straw

  • Meaning: The final problem in a series of problems that causes someone to lose patience.
  • Example: "His rude comment was the last straw, and I finally quit the job."

38. Hit the jackpot

  • Meaning: To achieve great success or gain something valuable.
  • Example: "She hit the jackpot when she landed that dream job."

39. Pull yourself together

  • Meaning: To regain control of your emotions and calm down.
  • Example: "After hearing the bad news, he needed a moment to pull himself together."

40. Throw in the towel

  • Meaning: To give up on something, usually after trying hard.
  • Example: "After struggling with the project for months, they decided to throw in the towel."

In conclusion, learning advanced English expressions is vital for improving fluency, sounding more natural, and being able to engage in nuanced conversations. These 40 expressions are not only common in everyday language but are also used in various social and professional contexts. By mastering these, you’ll be able to communicate more effectively and confidently in English.

Understanding when and how to use these expressions will enhance your language skills and help you navigate different situations with ease. Practice using these in conversations, writing, or even while watching English movies or reading books, and soon they’ll become a natural part of your vocabulary!

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