An idiom is a common word or phrase which means something different from its literal meaning but can be understood because of their popular use.
Because idioms can mean something different from what the words mean it is difficult for someone not very good at speaking the language to use them properly. Some idioms are only used by some groups of people or at certain times. The idiom shape up or ship out, which is like saying improve your behavior or leave if you don’t, might be said by an employer or supervisor to an employee, but not to other people.
This grammar section explains English Grammar in a clear and simple way. There are example sentences to show how the language is used.
Idioms and Phrases with Meanings and Examples for Class 5 CBSE Exercises PDF
Idioms are words, phrases, or expressions that are either grammatically unusual. Example: “Long time, no seel”, or their meaning cannot be taken literally. Example: “It’s raining cats and dogs!” This expression does not mean that cats and dogs are falling from the sky, but it is a metaphorical expression (word picture) that means that it is raining very heavily.
What are idioms?
An Idiom (also called idiomatic expression) is an expression, word, or phrase that don’t mean exactly what the words say. They have, however, hidden meanings.
Idioms are phrases that mean something different than what the words say.
Example:
- Time flies quickly when I’m swimming in the pool.
- Of course, clocks don’t have wings and time can’t fly through the air.
- Time flies is an idiom that means time goes by quickly.
Idioms with Meanings and Sentences for Class 5 CBSE PDF
| Idioms | Meaning | Sentences |
| ABC | The elementary knowledge | I do not know even the ABC of cricket. |
| Apple of one’s eye | Valuable things | My daughter is the apple of my eye. |
| Apple of discord | Something which causes strife | Thishouseisan apple of discord between the brothers. |
| A bed of roses | An altogether agreeable position or situation | Life is not a bed of roses. |
| A bone of contention | Something which causes a quarrel | Kashmir is a bone of contention between India and Pakistan. |
| A bosom friend | A very intimate friend | Hold him everything because he is my bosom friend. |
| Bread and butter | Material welfare | Ordinary men think more of their daily bread and butter. |
| A brown study | a dream study | I startled him from his brown study. |
| Castles in the air | Visionary schemes | One who does nothing more than building castles in the air cannot achieve much. |
| Chicken hearted | With no courage | Thieves are normally chicken-hearted. |
| Crocodile tears | Hypocritical tears | He shed crocodile tears in front of the teachers. |
| Eyewash | Pretense | The sympathy of the political leaders for the poor is a mere eyewash. |
| A feather in one’s cap | An honor | A century in a test match is a feather in anyone’s cap. |
| A herculean task | Work requiring great effort | The conquest of Everest without oxygen was a herculean task. |
| An itching palm | A greedy disposition | He had an itching palm and sold offices for gold to the undeserving. |
| A man of letters | A literary man | Nehru was a man of letters. |
Idioms Exercises for Class 5 with Answers PDF
A. With the help of your teacher and find out the meaning of the following idioms and use them in a sentence.
1. Under the weather
meaning: _______________
sentence: _______________
2. Down to earth
meaning: _______________
sentence: _______________
3. Eat your own words
meaning: _______________
sentence: _______________
4. Hanging out
meaning: _______________
sentence: _______________
5. Taking a big step
meaning: _______________
sentence: _______________
6. On top of the world
meaning: _______________
sentence: _______________
B. Below are sentences that have idioms. With the help of your teacher underline the idiom in each sentence and write its literal meaning under the sentence.
1. If you want to be a singer, you should give it a shot.
Meaning: _____________________________
2. The meeting completely slipped my mind.
Meaning: _____________________________
3. She gets a kick out of watching cartoons.
Meaning: _____________________________
4. Are you having second thoughts about getting a pet?
Meaning: _____________________________
5. It’s late; let’s call it a day.
Meaning: _____________________________
6. I saw Sunita at the store, and she gave me the cold shoulder.
Meaning: _____________________________
7. Kiran’s mother baked her birthday cake from scratch.
Meaning: _____________________________
8. Lalit is the type of friend who stays with you through thick and thin.
Meaning: _____________________________
9. I don’t always see eye to eye with her.
Meaning: _____________________________
10. His brother had to go home and hit the books.
Meaning: _____________________________