A watched pot never boils
Time appears to pass slowly when you are anxiously waiting for something
(बेसब्री से इंतजार करने पर समय धीरे बीतता है)
Sentence: Stop checking the clock again and again—a watched pot never boils.
A wonder lasts but nine days
Something attracts attention for only a short time
(नया आकर्षण जल्दी खत्म हो जाता है)
Sentence: His sudden fame faded quickly—a wonder lasts but nine days.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Being away from someone increases affection for them
(दूरी से प्रेम बढ़ता है)
Sentence: After months apart, they missed each other deeply—absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Across the board
Affecting everyone or everything equally
(सभी पर समान रूप से लागू होना)
Sentence: The company announced salary cuts across the board.
Adversity and loss make a man wise
People gain wisdom through hardship and loss
(विपत्ति इंसान को समझदार बनाती है)
Sentence: After facing many failures, he became more mature—adversity and loss make a man wise.
After a storm comes a calm
Peaceful times follow difficult ones
(कठिन समय के बाद शांति और सुख आता है)
Sentence: Don’t lose hope; after a storm comes a calm.
Against all odds
To struggle in spite of great difficulty or unfavourable chances
(विपरीत परिस्थितियों में संघर्ष करना)
Sentence: Against all odds, she cleared the exam on her first attempt.
All roads lead to Rome
There are many different ways to reach the same goal
(मंजिल तक पहुंचने के कई रास्ते होते हैं)
Sentence: Choose any method that works for you—all roads lead to Rome.
All that glitters is not gold
Appearances can be deceiving; not everything attractive is valuable
(दिखावा हमेशा सच नहीं होता)
Sentence: That expensive-looking phone turned out to be fake—all that glitters is not gold.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
Constant work without leisure makes a person dull and uninteresting
(काम के साथ मनोरंजन जरूरी है)
Sentence: Take a break and relax—all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All’s well that ends well
A successful outcome makes up for earlier difficulties
(अंत भला तो सब भला)
Sentence: We faced many problems, but finished successfully—all’s well that ends well.
Airy-fairy
Impractical, vague, or unrealistic; not based on solid facts
(अवास्तविक या काल्पनिक)
Sentence: His airy-fairy ideas sounded good but had no practical value.
All good things must come to an end
Pleasant situations do not last forever
(अच्छा वक्त हमेशा नहीं रहता)
Sentence: Our vacation was amazing, but all good things must come to an end.
All in one’s head (3)
Imaginary or not real
(काल्पनिक)
Sentence: Don’t worry, those fears are all in your head.
All of a doodah
In a state of excitement or panic
(घबराहट या हड़बड़ी में होना)
Sentence: She was all of a doodah before her first interview.
All the better (2)
Even more desirable or advantageous
(और भी बेहतर)
Sentence: If you can finish early, all the better for everyone.
All the rage
Very popular or fashionable at the present time
(बहुत लोकप्रिय)
Sentence: These sneakers are all the rage among teenagers.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
Eating nutritious food regularly helps maintain good health
(स्वस्थ आहार बीमारी से बचाता है)
Sentence: He eats fruits daily—an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
An idle mind is the devil’s workshop
People who have nothing to do are likely to get into mischief
(खाली दिमाग शैतान का घर)
Sentence: Keep yourself busy; an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
It’s easier to prevent a problem than to fix it
(रोकथाम इलाज से बेहतर है)
Sentence: Wear a helmet while riding—an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Anything but
Not at all; the complete opposite of something
(बिल्कुल नहीं; इसके अलावा कुछ भी)
Sentence: The movie was anything but boring.
Appearances can be deceiving
Things may not be as they seem on the surface
(चीजें हमेशा वैसी नहीं होती जैसी वे दिखती हैं)
Sentence: He looks strict but is very kind—appearances can be deceiving.
As busy as a bee
Very busy and hardworking
(बहुत व्यस्त)
Sentence: She was as busy as a bee preparing for the event.
As cute as a button
Very cute or attractive
(बहुत प्यारा)
Sentence: The baby looked as cute as a button in that dress.
As happy as Larry
Extremely happy and content
(बहुत खुश)
Sentence: He was as happy as Larry after hearing the good news.
As ugly as sin
Extremely unattractive or ugly
(अत्यंत बदसूरत)
Sentence: The old building was as ugly as sin.
As you sow, so shall you reap
Your actions determine your results
(जैसा बोओगे वैसा काटोगे)
Sentence: Study hard now because as you sow, so shall you reap.
At a rate of knots
Extremely fast or quickly
(बहुत तेज गति से)
Sentence: The car was moving at a rate of knots on the highway.
At odds
In disagreement or conflict
(असहमत)
Sentence: The two leaders are at odds over the policy.
At the bottom of the ladder
At the lowest position or rank
(सबसे निचले पायदान पर)
Sentence: He started at the bottom of the ladder in the company.
Backstairs influence (2)
A secret or underhand influence, typically through unofficial channels
(गुप्त सिफारिश या अनुचित दबाव)
Sentence: He got the job through backstairs influence.
Bag of bones (2)
An extremely thin person
(अत्यधिक दुबला)
Sentence: After the illness, he was just a bag of bones.
Banana republic
A small country with a weak economy and political instability
(राजनीतिक रूप से अस्थिर और आर्थिक रूप से कमज़ोर देश)
Sentence: The nation was often compared to a banana republic due to corruption.
Bare one’s teeth
To show aggression or anger
(गुस्सा दिखाना)
Sentence: He bared his teeth when someone questioned his authority.
Barking dogs seldom bite
Those who make the most threats rarely act on them
(जो गरजते हैं, वो बरसते नहीं)
Sentence: Don’t be afraid of his threats—barking dogs seldom bite.
Be a law unto oneself
To behave independently and not follow accepted rules or conventions
(नियमों की परवाह न करना)
Sentence: He is a law unto himself and never listens to advice.
Be as good as one’s word
To keep one’s promise; to do what one has promised
(वादा निभाना)
Sentence: She was as good as her word and returned the money on time.
Be bad news
To be a person or thing that causes trouble or problems
(संकट का कारण बनना)
Sentence: That group of boys is bad news for the neighborhood.
Be in eclipse
To be less successful or popular than before
(महत्त्व कम होना)
Sentence: His fame has been in eclipse since his last failure.
Be in the mire
To be in a difficult or unpleasant situation
(मुश्किल में होना)
Sentence: The company is in the mire after the financial crisis.
Be in the running
To have a chance of winning or being successful; to be a contender
(जीतने की संभावना में होना)
Sentence: She is still in the running for the top position.
Be left holding the baby
To be left with an unwanted responsibility, often unfairly
(जिम्मेदारी सिर पर आ जाना)
Sentence: When others quit, he was left holding the baby.
Be no slouch
To be very good or capable at something
(किसी काम में माहिर होना)
Sentence: She is no slouch when it comes to solving tough problems.
Be out of action
To be unable to function or work, typically due to injury or breakdown
(काम करने में असमर्थ होना)
Sentence: He was out of action for weeks after the injury.
Beam in one’s eye
A fault that is greater in oneself than in the person one is criticizing
(अपनी बड़ी कमी को भूलकर दूसरों की छोटी कमी देखना)
Sentence: He criticizes others but ignores the beam in his own eye.
Beauty and honesty seldom agree
Beautiful and honest qualities rarely coexist
(सुंदरता और ईमानदारी कम ही साथ होती हैं)
Sentence: He believes charm often hides truth—beauty and honesty seldom agree.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Beauty is subjective to each person
(सुंदरता देखने वाले की नजर में होती है)
Sentence: Some liked the painting, others didn’t—beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Bed of thorns
A very difficult or uncomfortable situation
(बहुत ही असहज स्थिति)
Sentence: Life became a bed of thorns after he lost his job.
Beggars bleed and rich men feed
The poor suffer while the rich prosper
(गरीब पिसता है, अमीर खाता है)
Sentence: The crisis affected the poor the most—beggars bleed and rich men feed.
Beggars can’t be choosers
People in need must accept what’s offered
(जरूरतमंद को पसंद-नापसंद का अधिकार नहीं)
Sentence: He accepted the small job offer because beggars can’t be choosers.