General English: Idioms/Phrases
Idioms / Phrases English Aptitude Proverbs – English vocabulary Verbal Ability : You will be given four alternative meaning of an idiom or phrase or proverbs, out of which you need to select the most appropriate one. MCQs on proverbs or idioms / phrases are very useful for verbal ability section questions and important for preparation of many competitive section. Practicing this section carefully will make you confident in Descriptive English paper also.
| 1. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Raise the bar | ||
| (1) | To raise the price | |
| (2) | To grow taller | |
| (3) | To set higher goals | |
| (4) | To win a competition | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(3) To set higher goals
| 2. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Bang for the buck | ||
| (1) | More value for money | |
| (2) | Less value for money | |
| (3) | Dash against something | |
| (4) | A sorrowful heart | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(1) More value for money
| 3. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the following idiom/phrase. | |
| To walk on air | ||
| (1) | To feel very depressed | |
| (2) | To be very happy | |
| (3) | To be very rich | |
| (4) | To be completely free | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(2) To be very happy
| 4. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the following idiom/phrase. | |
| To take a chill pill | ||
| (1) | To ask a doctor for medication | |
| (2) | To calm down | |
| (3) | To drink cold water | |
| (4) | To gulp a tablet for a cold | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(2) To calm down
| 5. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Want to curl up and die | ||
| (1) | Too tired from physical labour | |
| (2) | Want to die comfortably | |
| (3) | Unable to sleep well | |
| (4) | Feel terribly ashamed and sorry | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(4) Feel terribly ashamed and sorry
| 6. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Be at a loss for words | ||
| (1) | Not know what to say | |
| (2) | Not aware of the language | |
| (3) | Habituated to using difficult words | |
| (4) | Lost the urge to speak | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(1) Not know what to say
| 7. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| To cut a long story short | ||
| (1) | Like to tell short stories | |
| (2) | Like to tell long stories | |
| (3) | Tell something in a roundabout way | |
| (4) | Tell something briefly | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(4) Tell something briefly
| 8. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Full of beans | ||
| (1) | A storeroom full of vegetables | |
| (2) | A dish made of French beans | |
| (3) | Full of energy | |
| (4) | Full of cowardice | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(3) Full of energy
| 9. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the following idiom/phrase. | |
| To the nines | ||
| (1) | To great depths | |
| (2) | To perfection | |
| (3) | To be exalted | |
| (4) | To be jealous | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(2) To perfection
| 10. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the following idiom/phrase. | |
| Apple of one’s eye | ||
| (1) | Someone who plays all sports | |
| (2) | Someone who behaves courteously | |
| (3) | Someone very precious or dear | |
| (4) | Someone with great respect | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(3) Someone very precious or dear
| 11. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| At the eleventh hour | ||
| (1) | At 11:00 p.m. | |
| (2) | One hour before midnight | |
| (3) | At the very last minute | |
| (4) | At 11:00 a.m. | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(3) At the very last minute
| 12. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| A storm in a teacup | ||
| (1) | A sudden storm during teatime | |
| (2) | Lot of fuss that will soon be forgotten | |
| (3) | Unnecessary tension | |
| (4) | Disarranging the cutlery | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(2) Lot of fuss that will soon be forgotten
| 13. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Herculean task | ||
| (1) | A job that only weak people are assigned | |
| (2) | A job that requires a lot of talking and information | |
| (3) | A job that requires a large amount of physical strength | |
| (4) | A job that makes everyone feel proud | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(3) A job that requires a large amount of physical strength
| 14. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Pipe dream | ||
| (1) | A dream or idea that is unlikely to happen | |
| (2) | A dream or idea that is nearly accomplished | |
| (3) | A dream or idea that is loudly proclaimed | |
| (4) | A dream or idea that keeps getting repeated | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(1) A dream or idea that is unlikely to happen
| 15. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Spick and span | ||
| (1) | Fast and efficient | |
| (2) | Far and near | |
| (3) | Neat and clean | |
| (4) | Noisy and loud | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(3) Neat and clean
| 16. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Go easy on something | ||
| (1) | Fill one’s plate easily | |
| (2) | Eat slowly and liberally | |
| (3) | Use only a small amount of | |
| (4) | Take as much as one wants | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(3) Use only a small amount of
| 17. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the following idiom/phrase. | |
| Pat on the back | ||
| (1) | Friendly tap to push someone | |
| (2) | Mild form of disapproval or blame | |
| (3) | Praise or approval for doing something good | |
| (4) | Good massage for aches and pains | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(3) Praise or approval for doing something good
| 18. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the following idiom/phrase. | |
| Wild goose chase | ||
| (1) | A worthless hunt or chase | |
| (2) | A safari to spot rare animals | |
| (3) | A long search for hidden prey | |
| (4) | Going to watch uncommon birds | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(1) A worthless hunt or chase
| 19. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| A kick in the teeth | ||
| (1) | Severe toothache | |
| (2) | Hitting someone hard | |
| (3) | A grave setback | |
| (4) | Removing tooth cavities | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(3) A grave setback
| 20. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| A stumbling block | ||
| (1) | Removing stones on the way | |
| (2) | Skipping over a hurdle | |
| (3) | Putting stones along the way | |
| (4) | An obstacle to progress | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(4) An obstacle to progress
| 21. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the following idiom/phrase. | |
| A live wire | ||
| (1) | A very active or energetic person | |
| (2) | An influential and powerful person | |
| (3) | A dangerous and evil person | |
| (4) | An angry and bad-tempered person | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(1) A very active or energetic person
| 22. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the following idiom/phrase. | |
| Lion’s share | ||
| (1) | The part that must be left for the guests in a party | |
| (2) | The strongest and richest partner in a group | |
| (3) | The greatest and most desirable portion of something | |
| (4) | The sound produced by a lion when it is attacking a prey | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(3) The greatest and most desirable portion of something
| 23. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Sit on the fence | ||
| (1) | Create conflicts | |
| (2) | Avoid making a decision | |
| (3) | Protect something | |
| (4) | Poke fun at people | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(2) Avoid making a decision
| 24. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Fair and square | ||
| (1) | Beautiful in appearance | |
| (2) | According to the rules | |
| (3) | By any means available | |
| (4) | Calm and quiet | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(2) According to the rules
| 25. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Tide someone over | ||
| (1) | Get a boat ready to cross a river or water body | |
| (2) | Ask someone for financial assistance | |
| (3) | Complete a voyage successfully | |
| (4) | Give temporary help, usually financial | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(4) Give temporary help, usually financial
| 26. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| A bad egg | ||
| (1) | Someone who doesn’t like eggs | |
| (2) | Someone who likes to break eggs | |
| (3) | Someone who regularly makes mistakes | |
| (4) | Someone who is dishonest and unreliable | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(4) Someone who is dishonest and unreliable
| 27. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the following idiom/phrase. | |
| To get the ball rolling | ||
| (1) | To play a ball game well | |
| (2) | To keep working until late | |
| (3) | To begin a process | |
| (4) | To match an opponent | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(3) To begin a process
| 28. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the following idiom/phrase. | |
| To pay lip service | ||
| (1) | To talk out of turn | |
| (2) | To make loud statements | |
| (3) | To ask for permission | |
| (4) | To be insincere | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(4) To be insincere
| 29. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Through thick and thin | ||
| (1) | With all kinds of people | |
| (2) | With humility | |
| (3) | With ego and pride | |
| (4) | Under all conditions | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(4) Under all conditions
| 30. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| On the horizon | ||
| (1) | The successful beginning of a business venture | |
| (2) | An event that is likely to end soon | |
| (3) | A plan for the distant future | |
| (4) | An event that is likely to happen soon | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(4) An event that is likely to happen soon
| 31. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| On cloud nine | ||
| (1) | Extremely happy | |
| (2) | Flying with a parachute | |
| (3) | Extremely sad | |
| (4) | Frequently flying by air | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(1) Extremely happy
| 32. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Draw the line at something | ||
| (1) | Agreeing to an idea | |
| (2) | Coming to a conclusion | |
| (3) | Accept something up to a particular point | |
| (4) | Making pencil sketches | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(3) Accept something up to a particular point
| 33. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the following idiom/phrase. | |
| To be light years away | ||
| (1) | When something seems like it is about to happen in the near future | |
| (2) | An extremely long time from now in the past or future | |
| (3) | An unlikely event that happened suddenly | |
| (4) | To be too distant for human beings to reach | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(4) To be too distant for human beings to reach
| 34. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the following idiom/phrase. | |
| A fish out of water | ||
| (1) | Feel uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings | |
| (2) | Feel like going to an unfamiliar and new place | |
| (3) | Feel comfortable in any kind of place | |
| (4) | Feel as if you are unable to breathe | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(1) Feel uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings
| 35. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| On edge | ||
| (1) | Playing a tiring game | |
| (2) | Keeping things safely | |
| (3) | Nervous and unable to relax | |
| (4) | Doing exercises regularly | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(3) Nervous and unable to relax
| 36. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| A square deal | ||
| (1) | An unfair agreement | |
| (2) | A fair agreement | |
| (3) | A nice decoration | |
| (4) | A dishonest transaction | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(2) A fair agreement
| 37. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| The gift of the gab | ||
| (1) | Used to grabbing others’ gifts | |
| (2) | Talks well and persuasively | |
| (3) | Writes very well | |
| (4) | Loves to give gifts | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(2) Talks well and persuasively
| 38. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Feel at sea | ||
| (1) | Feel seasick | |
| (2) | Feel angry | |
| (3) | Feel comfortable while travelling by water | |
| (4) | Feel lost or confused | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(4) Feel lost or confused
| 39. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Twiddling one’s thumbs | ||
| (1) | Feeling hungry | |
| (2) | Feeling angry | |
| (3) | Feeling bored | |
| (4) | Feeling sad | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(3) Feeling bored
| 40. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Out of the blue | ||
| (1) | Loves to wear only blue colour clothes | |
| (2) | Beat someone black and blue | |
| (3) | Completely honestly | |
| (4) | Completely unexpectedly | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(4) Completely unexpectedly
| 41. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| To fight tooth and nail | ||
| (1) | To silently leave the scene of battle | |
| (2) | To use unusual weapons to fight | |
| (3) | To keep the enemy guessing about the weapons used | |
| (4) | To fight or compete with great ferocity and intensity | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(4) To fight or compete with great ferocity and intensity
| 42. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| To fan the flames | ||
| (1) | To cool the situation | |
| (2) | To make a bad situation worse | |
| (3) | To resolve the issue amicably | |
| (4) | To call for help to solve an issue | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(2) To make a bad situation worse
| 43. | Select the appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| A hard nut to crack | ||
| (1) | Not restrained | |
| (2) | Easily encouraged | |
| (3) | Easily disappointed | |
| (4) | A difficult problem | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(4) A difficult problem
| 44. | Select the appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| To take French leave | ||
| (1) | Leave without any intimation | |
| (2) | Welcome the host | |
| (3) | Acknowledge the host | |
| (4) | Leave with written permission | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(1) Leave without any intimation
| 45. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| On shank’s mare | ||
| (1) | On an elephant | |
| (2) | On a lion | |
| (3) | On a bicycle | |
| (4) | On foot | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(4) On foot
| 46. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| A snake in the grass | ||
| (1) | A well-wisher | |
| (2) | Difficult to find | |
| (3) | A good friend | |
| (4) | A secret enemy | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(4) A secret enemy
| 47. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Blow one’s own trumpet | ||
| (1) | Follow others | |
| (2) | Praise oneself | |
| (3) | Condemn others | |
| (4) | Be self-reliant | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(2) Praise oneself
| 48. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Spill the beans | ||
| (1) | Perform magic | |
| (2) | Work hard | |
| (3) | Waste money | |
| (4) | Give away a secret | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(4) Give away a secret
| 49. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Back to square one | ||
| (1) | Neglect something | |
| (2) | Come to the original point | |
| (3) | Draw a square | |
| (4) | Move ahead | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(2) Come to the original point
| 50. | Select the most appropriate meaning of the given idiom/phrase. | |
| Dead heat | ||
| (1) | Close contest that ends in a tie | |
| (2) | Strong opposition to one’s ideas | |
| (3) | A deadly blast of hot air | |
| (4) | A strong heat wave | |
CORRECT ANSWER
(1) Close contest that ends in a tie
