Word
idiom
Phoneticsid·iom
US/ˈɪdiəm/
UK/ˈɪdɪəm/
Definitions
01figurative phrase
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a group of words that has a special meaning which you cannot guess by looking at the words alone.
n. a fixed phrase whose figurative meaning is not deducible from the literal definitions of its constituent parts.
日本語:慣用句、イディオム※
“To 'kick the bucket' is a common English idiom that means to die.”
“Learners often struggle with idioms because the literal translation of the words rarely provides a clue to the actual intended meaning.”
Pitfall
I don't understand the idiom of 'break a leg'.
I don't understand the idiom 'break a leg'.
When naming a specific idiom, do not use 'of' between the word idiom and the phrase itself.
Synonyms
02style of expression
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Academic · Formal
n. the particular way that a group of people or a language expresses ideas.
n. the characteristic mode of expression or linguistic style peculiar to a specific language, region, or group.
“The poet wrote in the local idiom of the mountain villages.”
“The author successfully captured the legal idiom of the nineteenth century, making the courtroom scenes feel authentic to the period.”
Synonyms
03artistic or musical style
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Music Academic
n. a style or way of doing something in art, music, or architecture.
n. a distinct style or character of expression within a specific artistic, musical, or architectural movement.
“The composer moved away from classical music and began writing in a jazz idiom.”
“While the building uses modern materials, its design remains firmly rooted in the neoclassical idiom of the surrounding district.”
04programming style
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Technical
n. the natural or standard way to write code in a specific programming language.
n. a standard way of performing a common task in a specific programming language that is considered natural by experienced developers.
“Using a list comprehension is the preferred idiom for this task in Python.”
“The developer refactored the legacy code to better follow modern C++ idioms, significantly improving both readability and performance.”
Usage
Often used in the adjective form 'idiomatic' to describe clean, standard code.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“The employees were given one of two quizzes on popular idioms, with questions in either mostly English (8 of 12 questions) or mostly German (8 of 12), which only a few participants could understand.” “She memorises idioms and appreciates the looser Chinese grammar, compared with Latin and Romance languages.” Etymology
From Middle French idiome, and its source, Late Latin idioma, from Ancient Greek ἰδίωμα (idíōma, “a peculiarity, property, a peculiar phraseology, idiom”), from ἰδιοῦσθαι (idioûsthai, “to make one's own, appropriate to oneself”), from ἴδιος (ídios, “one's own, pertaining to oneself, private, personal, peculiar, separate”). By surface analysis, idi- + -om.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/idiom
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0