A to Z Idioms

Mastering English with 'W' Idioms: Meanings and Examples

Introduction: Expanding Your Vocabulary with 'W' Idioms

Welcome to our detailed lesson on English idioms starting with 'W'! This guide is crafted for learners at a basic English level, ensuring each idiom is explained with clarity. Dive into these expressions and enhance your conversational skills in English. For any further questions, feel free to visit our Facebook page at Learning English Free.

Content: In-Depth Exploration of 'W' Idioms

1. Wag the Dog

   • Meaning: A diversion from something more important.
   • Example: "The company used a minor announcement to wag the dog, distracting from the financial scandal."

2. Wait up

   • Meaning: Stay awake and wait for someone.
   • Example: "Her mother told her to wait up until her sister returned."

3. Wake up

   • Meaning: Realize the truth of something.
   • Example: "He needs to wake up to the challenges of the real world."

4. Walk off with something

   • Meaning: Win easily.
   • Example: "She walked off with the top prize in the competition."

5. Walk out

   • Meaning: Strike.
   • Example: "Employees decided to walk out in protest against the pay cut."

6. War to the knife

   • Meaning: A bitter and deadly struggle.
   • Example: "It was war to the knife between the two rival gangs."

7. Warm up

   • Meaning: Become lively.
   • Example: "The crowd warmed up as the concert began."

8. Wash something out

   • Meaning: Spoil.
   • Example: "The sudden rainstorm washed out the outdoor event."

9. Washing one's dirty linen in public

   • Meaning: Discussing unpleasant private matters before strangers.
   • Example: "They were warned against washing their dirty linen in public during the meeting."

10. Water Under The Bridge

    • Meaning: Anything from the past that isn't significant anymore.
    • Example: "Our old disagreement is now just water under the bridge."

11. Ways and means

    • Meaning: Solutions.
    • Example: "We need to find ways and means to resolve this issue quickly."

12. Weal and woe

    • Meaning: Good and bad days.
    • Example: "Life is full of weal and woe, ups and downs."

13. Wear and tear

    • Meaning: Damage from ordinary use.
    • Example: "The old couch shows signs of wear and tear."

14. Wear on

    • Meaning: To grind or rub at something.
    • Example: "The constant noise began to wear on her nerves."

15. Wear someone out

    • Meaning: Make tired.
    • Example: "The long hike wore everyone out."

16. Wear something out

    • Meaning: Make useless by long or hard wear.
    • Example: "He wore out his shoes on the long journey."

17. Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeve

    • Meaning: To openly and freely express your emotions.
    • Example: "She always wears her heart on her sleeve, showing her feelings."

18. Well-balanced

    • Meaning: Reasonable, moderate.
    • Example: "He is known for his well-balanced approach to problems."

19. Went home to them

    • Meaning: Deeply appealed to them.
    • Example: "The speaker's message really went home to the audience."

20. Went out of his way

    • Meaning: Took special trouble.
    • Example: "He went out of his way to help the lost tourists."

21. Wet behind the ears

    • Meaning: Inexperienced and naive.
    • Example: "The new recruit is still wet behind the ears."

22. When It Rains, It Pours

    • Meaning: Problems or difficulties tend to follow each other in rapid succession.
    • Example: "First the car broke down, then I lost my keys—when it rains, it pours."

23. When Pigs Fly

    • Meaning: Something that will never ever happen.
    • Example: "He'll clean his room when pigs fly."

24. When the chips are down

    • Meaning: True character is revealed in difficult times.
    • Example: "You really see who your friends are when the chips are down."

25. Where the shoe pinches

    • Meaning: The source of the problem or discomfort.
    • Example: "He finally understood where the shoe pinches in their relationship."

26. Whip-hand of

    • Meaning: In a position to control.
    • Example: "The new manager held the whip-hand of the project."

27. White coffee

    • Meaning: Coffee with milk.
    • Example: "She prefers her morning coffee white, with lots of milk."

28. White elephant

    • Meaning: A burdensome or costly possession.
    • Example: "The old mansion turned out to be a white elephant for the family."

29. White lie

    • Meaning: A harmless or small lie, often told to avoid hurting someone's feelings.
    • Example: "He told a white lie about liking her cooking."

30. White meat

    • Meaning: Light-colored meat, such as pork or chicken.
    • Example: "For dinner, we're having white meat with vegetables."

31. Why keep a dog and bark yourself?

    • Meaning: If you have someone to do a task, there's no need to do it yourself.
    • Example: "Hire a professional to paint the house—why keep a dog and bark yourself?"

32. Wide of the mark

    • Meaning: Inaccurate or not to the point.
    • Example: "His accusations were wide of the mark."

33. Wild goose chase

    • Meaning: A futile search or pursuit.
    • Example: "Looking for the lost key in the park was a wild goose chase."

34. Wildcat strike

    • Meaning: A strike without the sanction of a labour union.
    • Example: "The workers' sudden wildcat strike caught the management off guard."

35. Will go hard with him

    • Meaning: He will face severe consequences.
    • Example: "If he's caught, it will go hard with him."

36. Will stick at nothing

    • Meaning: Will do anything to achieve a goal, regardless of the morality or consequences.
    • Example: "In his ambition, he will stick at nothing, not even betrayal."

37. Willy-nilly

    • Meaning: Whether one likes it or not; haphazardly.
    • Example: "The decision was made willy-nilly, without careful thought."

38. Win (something) hands down

    • Meaning: To win easily.
    • Example: "She won the debate hands down."

39. Win laurels

    • Meaning: To achieve honour or distinction.
    • Example: "The scientist won laurels for her groundbreaking research."

40. Win the palm

    • Meaning: To be the best or most successful.
    • Example: "In the end, he won the palm for his outstanding performance."

41. Wind down

    • Meaning: To relax or reduce in intensity.
    • Example: "After a busy week, she likes to wind down with a good book."

42. Wind fall

    • Meaning: An unexpected gain or piece of good fortune.
    • Example: "The lottery win was a complete windfall for them."

43. Wind something up

    • Meaning: To bring something to a conclusion.
    • Example: "It's time to wind up the meeting and make a decision."

44. Windfall

    • Meaning: A sudden, unexpected piece of good fortune or personal gain.
    • Example: "Receiving the inheritance was an unexpected windfall."

45. Wink at something

    • Meaning: To ignore or pretend not to see something.
    • Example: "The teacher decided to wink at the minor infraction."

46. Wishful thinking

    • Meaning: The attribution of reality to what one wishes to be true or the tenuous justification of what one wants to believe.
    • Example: "Believing he'll win the lottery is just wishful thinking."

47. Wishy-washy

    • Meaning: Lacking in decisiveness; feeble.
    • Example: "Their wishy-washy response to the proposal was frustrating."

48. With a grain of salt

    • Meaning: To view something with scepticism or not take it literally.
    • Example: "Take his advice with a grain of salt; he's not always right."

49. With a high hand

    • Meaning: In an overbearing or autocratic manner.
    • Example: "The new boss rules with a high hand, and the employees are not happy."

50. With a vengeance

    • Meaning: With great force or effort; to an extreme degree.
    • Example: "After the brief break, the storm returned with a vengeance."

Conclusion: Expanding Your English Vocabulary with 'W' Idioms

Congratulations on completing this extensive exploration of 'W' idioms. You're now better equipped to understand and use these expressions in your daily English conversations. For further learning, visit our Facebook page at Learning English Free.