Sting in the tail
An unpleasant surprise at the end of something
(अंतिम झटका)
Sentence: The story had a sting in the tail that shocked everyone.
Stir up a hornet’s nest (5)
To do something that causes serious trouble
(मुसीबत खड़ी करना)
Sentence: His comments stirred up a hornet’s nest.
Storm in a teacup (15)
A lot of unnecessary anger about something small
(छोटी बात पर हंगामा)
Sentence: The issue turned out to be just a storm in a teacup.
Straight from the horse’s mouth (9)
Heard from the person directly involved
(सीधे संबंधित व्यक्ति से सुनी बात)
Sentence: I heard the news straight from the horse’s mouth.
Straight shooter
Someone who is honest and says what they think
(ईमानदार और सीधा व्यक्ति; खरा बोलने वाला)
Sentence: She is a straight shooter and never hides the truth.
Straighten up and fly right
To start behaving well or responsibly
(सुधर जाना)
Sentence: You need to straighten up and fly right if you want success.
Strain every nerve (6)
To try as hard as possible
(जी-तोड़ मेहनत)
Sentence: He strained every nerve to win the competition.
Straw in the wind
A small hint or indication of future events
(भविष्य का संकेत)
Sentence: This decision is a straw in the wind of upcoming changes.
Stretch one’s legs
To take a walk, especially after sitting
(टहलना)
Sentence: Let’s stretch our legs after the long meeting.
Strike (or touch) a chord
To evoke an emotional response
(दिल को छू लेना)
Sentence: His speech struck a chord with the audience.
Strike a bargain
To make a deal that both sides agree to
(सौदा तय करना)
Sentence: They struck a bargain after hours of negotiation.
Strike a chill into someone’s heart
To make someone feel suddenly frightened
(डर से काँपना)
Sentence: The horror movie struck a chill into the audience’s hearts.
Strike the colours
To admit defeat; to lower the flag in surrender
(हार मानना)
Sentence: The army had to strike the colours after heavy losses.
Strike while the iron is hot (3)
Take advantage of an opportunity immediately
(अवसर का लाभ उठाना)
Sentence: The market is favorable, so invest now—strike while the iron is hot.
Stuffed shirt
A person who behaves in a very formal and self-important way
(घमंडी व्यक्ति)
Sentence: He is such a stuffed shirt, always acting superior.
Suffer in silence
To endure hardship without expressing grief or complaint
(चुपचाप सहना)
Sentence: She suffered in silence despite facing many problems.
Suit someone to a T (2)
To be exactly right for someone
(बिल्कुल सही होना)
Sentence: This job suits him to a T.
Sum and substance
The main or essential part of something
(सार; मुख्य बात)
Sentence: The sum and substance of the speech was about honesty.
Sup with the devil
Be very cautious when dealing with dangerous people
(दुष्ट संगति में सावधानी जरूरी है)
Sentence: If you work with dishonest partners, be careful—you are supping with the devil.
Swan song (2)
The last piece of work by an artist before death or retirement
(अंतिम प्रदर्शन)
Sentence: The film turned out to be his swan song.
Sweep under the carpet (or rug) (2)
To try to hide a problem or keep it secret
(समस्या छिपाना)
Sentence: You can’t sweep this issue under the carpet anymore.
Sweeping statement
A statement that is too general and ignores important facts
(बारीकियों को नज़रअंदाज़ करने वाला)
Sentence: His comment was just a sweeping statement without evidence.
Swim with the tide (or go with the flow) (2)
To behave like others rather than act independently
(भीड़ का अनुसरण करना)
Sentence: He prefers to swim with the tide instead of opposing others.
Swollen-headed (2)
Too proud of yourself; having an exaggerated sense of your own importance
(घमंडी)
Sentence: Success made him swollen-headed.
Sword of Damocles (4)
A bad thing that might happen to you at any time
(मँडराता ख़तरा)
Sentence: The fear of losing his job hung like a sword of Damocles over him.
Take a back seat (3)
To become less active; to allow others to take control
(पीछे हटना; कम सक्रिय भूमिका लेना)
Sentence: He decided to take a back seat in the project.
Take a chill pill
To relax and stop being angry or upset
(शांत हो जाना, आराम करना)
Sentence: You need to take a chill pill and calm down.
Take a dim view of
To regard something with disapproval
(अनुचित समझना)
Sentence: The teacher took a dim view of cheating.
Take a fancy to
To start to like someone or something
(पसंद आना)
Sentence: She took a fancy to the new dress.
Take a leaf out of someone’s book
To copy what someone else does because they are successful
(किसी का अनुकरण करना)
Sentence: You should take a leaf out of her book and work hard.
Take a leap in the dark
To do something without knowing what will happen
(अनजान जोख़िम लेना)
Sentence: Starting a business without experience is a leap in the dark.
Take a rain check (2)
To refuse an offer but suggest accepting it at a later time
(अभी नहीं, बाद में)
Sentence: I’ll take a rain check on dinner tonight.
Take a shortcut
To use a faster route or method
(जल्दी का तरीक़ा)
Sentence: He took a shortcut and reached early.
Take a toll on (2)
To cause damage or suffering gradually
(धीरे-धीरे नुकसान पहुँचाना)
Sentence: Stress can take a toll on your health.
Take care of
To look after someone or something
(देखभाल करना)
Sentence: She takes care of her younger brother.
Take exception to (5)
To strongly disagree with or be upset by something
(आपत्ति जताना; बुरा मानना)
Sentence: He took exception to the rude remarks.
Take for granted (3)
To not appreciate something; to assume something is true
(महत्व न समझना)
Sentence: Don’t take your parents for granted.
Take French leave (4)
To leave without asking permission or saying goodbye
(बिना अनुमति के अनुपस्थित रहना)
Sentence: He took French leave from the office yesterday.
Take heart (4)
To start to feel more hopeful and confident
(हिम्मत जुटाना)
Sentence: Take heart, things will improve soon.
Take in one’s stride (2)
To handle something difficult without becoming upset
(शांत रहकर निपटना)
Sentence: She took the criticism in her stride.
Take into account (or take account of) (2)
To consider something when making a decision
(ध्यान में रखना; विचार करना)
Sentence: You must take all factors into account before deciding.
Take it easy
To relax and not work too hard; to stay calm
(आराम करना; धीरज रखना)
Sentence: Just take it easy and don’t stress too much.
Take notice
To give attention to something important
(ध्यान देना; संज्ञान लेना)
Sentence: The authorities must take notice of the issue.
Take off one’s hat (5)
To express admiration for someone
(सम्मान व्यक्त करना)
Sentence: I take off my hat to her dedication.
Take one’s breath away
To make someone feel extremely surprised or impressed
(आश्चर्यचकित करना)
Sentence: The view from the hilltop took my breath away.
Take one’s cue from (2)
To use someone’s actions as a signal for what to do
(संकेत लेना; अनुसरण करना)
Sentence: He took his cue from the team leader.
Take one’s eye off the ball
To stop giving attention to what is important
(ध्यान हटाना; मुख्य बात से चूकना)
Sentence: The company failed because it took its eye off the ball.
Take pains (4)
To try very hard to do something well
(मेहनत करना)
Sentence: She took great pains to prepare the presentation.
Take someone at their word
To believe what someone says without question
(बिना सबूत विश्वास करना)
Sentence: I took him at his word and trusted him.
Take someone for a ride (2)
To trick or deceive someone
(धोखा देना)
Sentence: The salesman took him for a ride.