English idioms, proverbs, and expressions are an important part of everyday English. They come up all the time in both written and spoken English. Because idioms don’t always make sense literally, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the meaning and usage of each idiom. That may seem like a lot of work, but learning idioms is fun, especially when you compare English idioms to the idioms in your own language.
Here’s a list of “Idioms Beginning With I” in English:
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I Wouldn’t Put It Past (Someone)
Meaning: I think it’s quite possible that [this person] would do this.
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If It Had Been a Snake, It Would Have Bitten Me
Meaning: It was very obvious, but I missed it.
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If the Shoe Fits, Wear It
Meaning: If this description of you is accurate, accept it.
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I’m All Ears
Meaning: You have my attention, so you should talk
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In a Fog
Meaning: Confused, not mentally alert
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In a Heartbeat
Meaning: Immediately. This is especially used in hypothetical situations
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In a Jam
Meaning: In need of help, in a difficult spot
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In a New York Minute
Meaning: Very quickly
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In a Nutshell
Meaning: Expressed in a few words
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In a Pickle
Meaning: In need of help, in a difficult spot
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In a Rut
Meaning: Confined by routine, bored and seeking new experiences
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In Broad Daylight
Meaning: When something occurs in broad daylight, it means the event is clearly visible
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In Clover
Meaning: Benefiting from a positive financial situation
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In For a Penny, In for a Pound
Meaning: Committed to something even though the risks are increasing
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In Full Swing
Meaning: When something, such as an event, gets into full swing, it is at its busiest or liveliest time.
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In His Cups
Meaning: Drunk
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In Hot Water
Meaning: In need of help; in trouble
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In One Fell Swoop
Meaning: All at once, in a single action
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In One’s Element
Meaning: In a situation which is entirely suitable, familiar, or enjoyable.
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In Someone’s Wheelhouse
Meaning: In someone’s strongest area of competence or enthusiasm
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In Touch
Meaning: In contact
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In the Blink of an Eye
Meaning: Quickly, seemingly instantaneously
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In the Cards
Meaning: Likely; likely to occur
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In the Crosshairs (Cross Hairs)
Meaning: Targeted for blame or criticism
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In the Dark
Meaning: Not informed
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In the Dark
Meaning: Unaware of something
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In the Driver’s Seat
Meaning: In a dominant position, in control
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In the Hot Seat
Meaning: Undergoing criticism or scrutiny; under pressure publicly
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In the Interim
Meaning: It denotes a period of time between something that ended and something that happened afterwards
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In the Limelight, In the Spotlight
Meaning: Receiving large amounts of publicity or attention
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In the Long Run
Meaning: Over an extended period of time
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In the Nick of Time
Meaning: Just in time; with no time to spare
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In the Pipeline
Meaning: Being prepared for the marketplace, being worked on
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In the Red
Meaning: Losing money; (of a market index) below a specified starting point
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In the Same Boat
Meaning: In a similar situation; similarly vulnerable
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In the Toilet
Meaning: In disastrous condition
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In the Works
Meaning: Under development; coming soon
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Iron Out (Problems, Difficulties)
Meaning: To resolve
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Is the Pope Catholic?
Meaning: Isn’t the answer obvious?
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It Never Rains but It Pours
Meaning: Bad luck and bad things tend to happen at the same time
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It Takes Two to Tango
Meaning: When something goes wrong involving two people, it’s likely that they share the blame; cooperation is necessary
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It Takes Two to Tango
Meaning: You say this when you think that a difficult situation or argument cannot be the fault of one person alone.
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It Won’t Fly
Meaning: It won’t work; it won’t be approved.
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Itchy Feet
Meaning: A person who has itchy feet is someone who finds it difficult to stay in one place and likes to travel and discover new places.
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It’s a Wash
Meaning: A positive and a negative development cancel each other out, so the situation has neither improved nor gotten worse
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It’s All Greek to Me
Meaning: It is unintelligible, impossible to understand
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It’s No Skin off My (Your) Nose (Back)
Meaning: The outcome will not affect me personally
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It’s Not Over Till the Fat Lady Sings
Meaning: Do not give up too soon; things may improve.
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It’s Not Rocket Science
Meaning: It’s not difficult to understand.
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I’ve Had It Up to Here
Meaning: My patience is almost exhausted.