詞彙學習

英語習語：500+常見表達附含義和例句

#習語 #習語和短語 #慣用表達 #英語習語 #常見習語

每種語言都有字面翻譯毫無意義的表達。英語有數千個。「It’s raining cats and dogs」（下貓和狗）與動物無關。「Break a leg」（折斷一條腿）不是威脅——它的意思是「祝你好運」。「Spill the beans」（灑出豆子）不是關於食物——它的意思是洩露秘密。

這些表達被稱為習語，它們在英語中無處不在——在對話、電影、音樂、新聞、商業和文學中。母語者非常自然地使用習語，以至於他們很少注意到它們。但對學習者來說，習語是流暢性的最大障礙之一。你可以有完美的語法、大量的詞彙和清晰的發音——但因為習語而錯過你聽到的一半句子的含義。

本指南涵蓋500+最常見的英語習語，按主題分類，讓你可以在有意義的組別中學習它們。每個習語包括清晰的含義和自然的例句。

總計習語：500+
按：20個主題類別組織
程度：A2–C2（初學者到高級）
最適合：一般流暢性、IELTS/TOEFL準備、理解母語者

什麼是習語？

習語是一種固定的表達，其含義無法從個別單字中理解。關鍵特點：整個短語的含義與其各部分不同。

表達	字面含義	實際（習語）含義
break the ice	打碎冰凍的水	在尷尬情況中開始對話
hit the nail on the head	用錘子打釘子	對某事完全正確
under the weather	在氣候下面	感覺略有不適
piece of cake	一塊蛋糕	非常容易的事情

習語 vs. 片語動詞 vs. 搭配詞

類別	定義	例子
習語	含義非字面意思的固定表達	kick the bucket（= 死亡）
片語動詞	動詞+助詞，帶有新含義	give up（= 放棄）
搭配詞	自然搭配在一起的單字	make a decision（不是「do a decision」）

如需片語動詞的完整指南，請見英語片語動詞：完整指南。

英語習語按主題分類——身體、動物、食物、天氣、金錢、時間、顏色、情感、工作、運動

身體部位

身體習語是英語中最古老、最通用的。許多習語在不同語言中以相似形式存在。

#	習語	含義	例句
1	keep an eye on	仔細觀察	Keep an eye on the soup — don’t let it boil over.
2	turn a blind eye	故意忽視	The manager turned a blind eye to the late arrivals.
3	see eye to eye	完全同意	We don’t always see eye to eye, but we respect each other.
4	in the blink of an eye	非常快速	The accident happened in the blink of an eye.
5	catch someone’s eye	吸引注意力	The red dress in the window caught my eye.
6	play it by ear	即興；邊走邊決定	I don’t have a plan — let’s just play it by ear.
7	turn a deaf ear	拒絕聆聽	He turned a deaf ear to all our warnings.
8	keep your chin up	保持積極	I know things are tough, but keep your chin up.
9	bite your tongue	阻止自己說某事	I wanted to argue, but I bit my tongue.
10	on the tip of my tongue	幾乎能記住	His name is on the tip of my tongue — give me a second.
11	by the skin of your teeth	勉強通過	We passed the exam by the skin of our teeth.
12	give someone the cold shoulder	故意無視某人	After the argument, she gave me the cold shoulder for a week.
13	cost an arm and a leg	非常昂貴	That car repair cost an arm and a leg.
14	get something off your chest	談論一直困擾你的事	I need to get this off my chest — I lied about the deadline.
15	have a heart of gold	非常善良和慷慨	She has a heart of gold — she’d help anyone.
16	break someone’s heart	讓某人非常難過	Leaving the country broke his mother’s heart.
17	get cold feet	變得緊張猶豫	She got cold feet the night before the wedding.
18	put your foot in your mouth	意外說出令人尷尬的話	I put my foot in my mouth when I asked about her ex.
19	have butterflies in your stomach	感到緊張	I always have butterflies in my stomach before presentations.
20	a pain in the neck	令人惱火的人或事	This paperwork is a real pain in the neck.
21	keep your fingers crossed	希望好運	Keep your fingers crossed — the results come out tomorrow.
22	pull someone’s leg	開玩笑	Are you serious, or are you pulling my leg?
23	give a hand	幫助	Could you give me a hand with these boxes?
24	the apple of someone’s eye	某人最喜歡的人	Their youngest daughter is the apple of their eye.
25	head over heels	深深戀愛	He fell head over heels for her on the first date.

動物

動物習語生動而容易記住，因為形象很鮮明。

#	習語	含義	例句
26	let the cat out of the bag	意外洩露秘密	I was planning a surprise party, but Tom let the cat out of the bag.
27	raining cats and dogs	下大雨	Take an umbrella — it’s raining cats and dogs outside.
28	the elephant in the room	沒人想討論的明顯問題	Nobody mentioned the budget cut — it was the elephant in the room.
29	kill two birds with one stone	用一個動作實現兩件事	By cycling to work, I kill two birds with one stone — exercise and transportation.
30	the early bird catches the worm	成功來自早起的人	I always arrive at the office at 7 AM — the early bird catches the worm.
31	when pigs fly	永遠不（不可能的事情）	He’ll clean his room when pigs fly.
32	hold your horses	等等；耐心一點	Hold your horses — we haven’t even started yet.
33	straight from the horse’s mouth	直接從原始來源	I heard the news straight from the horse’s mouth.
34	a wild goose chase	毫無意義的搜索	Looking for that document was a wild goose chase — it never existed.
35	the black sheep	家族或群體中的異類	He’s the black sheep of the family — the only one who didn’t go to university.
36	a fish out of water	在環境中不舒適的人	At the fashion show, I felt like a fish out of water.
37	take the bull by the horns	勇敢面對困難情況	Instead of avoiding the problem, she took the bull by the horns.
38	the lion’s share	最大的份額	The lion’s share of the budget goes to marketing.
39	a wolf in sheep’s clothing	看起來無害但危險的人	Be careful with that salesman — he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
40	every dog has its day	每個人最終都有機會	Don’t worry about losing today — every dog has its day.

食物和飲料

#	習語	含義	例句
41	a piece of cake	非常容易的事情	The exam was a piece of cake — I finished in 30 minutes.
42	spill the beans	洩露秘密	Come on, spill the beans — what did she say?
43	go bananas	變瘋狂或非常興奮	The crowd went bananas when the band came on stage.
44	butter someone up	奉承某人以獲得某事	He’s just buttering up the boss to get a promotion.
45	cry over spilled milk	浪費時間為已做的事後悔	The project failed, but there’s no point crying over spilled milk.
46	in a nutshell	簡而言之	In a nutshell, we need more funding and fewer deadlines.
47	take something with a grain of salt	不完全相信某事	Take his promises with a grain of salt — he never follows through.
48	the cream of the crop	群體中最好的	These students are the cream of the crop.
49	a tough cookie	一個強壯、有韌性的人	She’s a tough cookie — nothing gets her down.
50	a hot potato	沒人想處理的有爭議話題	Immigration is a hot potato in most Western democracies.
51	cool as a cucumber	在壓力下非常冷靜	She was cool as a cucumber during the interview.
52	bite off more than you can chew	承擔超過你能處理的	I bit off more than I could chew with four courses this semester.

天氣和自然

#	習語	含義	例句
53	under the weather	感覺略有不適	I’m a bit under the weather today — I think it’s a cold.
54	a storm in a teacup	對瑣事大驚小怪	The controversy over the new logo was just a storm in a teacup.
55	break the ice	在尷尬情況中開始對話	He told a joke to break the ice at the meeting.
56	tip of the iceberg	更大問題中可見的小部分	The cases we see are just the tip of the iceberg.
57	on cloud nine	極度快樂	She’s been on cloud nine since she got the job offer.
58	every cloud has a silver lining	每個壞情況都有正面的事情	I lost my job, but every cloud has a silver lining — I found a better one.
59	save it for a rainy day	在需要的時候儲蓄金錢	Don’t spend everything — save some for a rainy day.
60	weather the storm	在困難時期生存	The company weathered the storm of the recession.
61	the calm before the storm	麻煩前的平靜時期	Everything seems quiet now, but this could be the calm before the storm.

金錢和商業

#	習語	含義	例句
62	break the bank	非常昂貴	The new phone is nice, but it won’t break the bank — it’s quite affordable.
63	make ends meet	賺足夠的錢支付費用	Many families struggle to make ends meet in this economy.
64	go broke	失去所有金錢	The restaurant went broke after only six months.
65	worth every penny	完全值得那個價格	That cooking class was worth every penny.
66	a dime a dozen	非常普通且沒有價值	MBAs are a dime a dozen — you need real experience.
67	cut corners	跳過步驟廉價地做某事	The builder cut corners and now the roof leaks.
68	the bottom line	最重要的事實；利潤/虧損	The bottom line is that we need to increase revenue by 20%.
69	get the ball rolling	開始一個過程	Let’s get the ball rolling on this project today.
70	think outside the box	創意地思考	We need to think outside the box to solve this problem.
71	on the same page	同意；理解同一件事	Let’s have a meeting to make sure we’re all on the same page.
72	in the red / in the black	虧損 / 盈利	The company has been in the red for three quarters.
73	burn the midnight oil	工作到深夜	We burned the midnight oil to finish the proposal.
74	strike while the iron is hot	機會出現時迅速行動	Interest rates are low — strike while the iron is hot.

時間

#	習語	含義	例句
75	in the nick of time	及時；在最後可能的時刻	The ambulance arrived in the nick of time.
76	once in a blue moon	非常罕見地	I eat fast food once in a blue moon — maybe twice a year.
77	around the clock	一天24小時	The hospital operates around the clock.
78	time flies	時間過得很快	Time flies when you’re having fun.
79	better late than never	遲做比不做好	You finally apologized — better late than never.
80	kill time	做某事打發等待的時間	I killed time at the airport by reading a book.
81	against the clock	非常趕時間要在截止日期前完成	We’re working against the clock to launch by Friday.
82	at the drop of a hat	立即；毫不猶豫	She’ll help you at the drop of a hat.
83	a matter of time	某事必然會發生	It’s only a matter of time before they find out the truth.
84	on the spur of the moment	自發地	We decided on the spur of the moment to go to Paris.

成功和失敗

#	習語	含義	例句
85	hit the nail on the head	完全正確	You hit the nail on the head — that’s exactly the problem.
86	miss the boat	錯過機會	I missed the boat on buying Bitcoin in 2015.
87	back to square one	從頭再開始	The experiment failed, so we’re back to square one.
88	go the extra mile	做超出預期的	Good employees always go the extra mile.
89	pass with flying colors	出色地成功	She passed the final exam with flying colors.
90	a blessing in disguise	壞事結果是好事	Losing that job was a blessing in disguise.
91	the last straw	引起反應的最後一件事	Arriving late again was the last straw — they fired him.
92	burn bridges	永久破壞一段關係	Don’t burn bridges when you leave a job.

情感和感受

#	習語	含義	例句
93	over the moon	極度快樂	She was over the moon when she got accepted to Harvard.
94	down in the dumps	感到悲傷和沮喪	He’s been down in the dumps since his girlfriend left.
95	on edge	緊張不安	Everyone’s been on edge since the layoffs were announced.
96	lose your cool	變得憤怒	He lost his cool when the waiter spilled wine on his suit.
97	have mixed feelings	既有正面又有負面的感受	I have mixed feelings about moving abroad.
98	blow off steam	釋放壓力或挫折感	I go to the gym to blow off steam after a long day.
99	wear your heart on your sleeve	公開表達情感	She wears her heart on her sleeve — you always know how she feels.
100	have a change of heart	改變你的意見或決定	He was going to reject the offer, but he had a change of heart.

工作和努力

#	習語	含義	例句
101	pull your weight	做你公平的份額	Everyone needs to pull their weight on this project.
102	a dead-end job	沒有前途的工作	She quit her dead-end job and went back to school.
103	climb the career ladder	職業上的晉升	She climbed the career ladder faster than anyone in the company.
104	call it a day	停止當天的工作	We’ve done enough — let’s call it a day.
105	throw in the towel	放棄	After three failed attempts, he threw in the towel.
106	bite the bullet	勇敢面對困難情況	I bit the bullet and told my boss I was leaving.
107	in a rut	卡在無聊的例行活動中	I feel like I’m in a rut — every day is the same.
108	cut to the chase	直說最重要的事	Let’s cut to the chase — how much will it cost?

溝通和說話

#	習語	含義	例句
109	beat around the bush	避免直接說某事	Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.
110	actions speak louder than words	你做的比你說的更重要	He promised to change, but actions speak louder than words.
111	easier said than done	實際上難以做到	Losing weight is easier said than done.
112	keep someone in the loop	保持某人了解情況	Please keep me in the loop about any changes.
113	off the record	不對公眾知道	Off the record, I think the CEO is going to resign.
114	a slip of the tongue	意外說出的話	I called my teacher “Mom” — it was a slip of the tongue.
115	long story short	總結	Long story short, we missed the flight and had to stay overnight.

顏色

#	習語	含義	例句
116	out of the blue	意外地	She called me out of the blue after 10 years.
117	see red	變得非常憤怒	I saw red when I found out they’d lied.
118	a red flag	警告信號	His lack of references was a major red flag.
119	green with envy	非常嫉妒	She was green with envy when her colleague got promoted.
120	give the green light	給予許可	The council gave the green light for the new building.
121	grey area	不清楚或模糊的情況	The law on this issue is a grey area.
122	paint the town red	外出慶祝	It’s your birthday — let’s paint the town red!
123	a white lie	為了避免傷害某人而說的無害謊言	I told her the dress looked nice — it was just a white lie.
124	golden rule	最重要的原則	The golden rule of cooking: taste as you go.

旅行和移動

#	習語	含義	例句
125	hit the road	離開；開始旅程	It’s getting late — time to hit the road.
126	at a crossroads	面對重大決定	I’m at a crossroads in my career.
127	off to a flying start	開始得非常好	The new business is off to a flying start.
128	on the right track	正確地進展	Your essay is on the right track.
129	pave the way	為某事發生創造條件	Her research paved the way for modern vaccines.
130	bridge the gap	減少差異	Education can bridge the gap between rich and poor.

運動和競爭

#	習語	含義	例句
131	a level playing field	所有人平等的條件	We need a level playing field so small businesses can compete.
132	drop the ball	犯錯或未能做某事	The marketing team really dropped the ball on this campaign.
133	move the goalposts	在某人開始後改變規則	Every time I meet their requirements, they move the goalposts.
134	the ball is in your court	輪到你採取行動了	I’ve made my offer — the ball is in your court now.
135	step up your game	提高你的表現	If you want the promotion, you need to step up your game.
136	neck and neck	競爭中非常接近	The two candidates are neck and neck in the polls.

決定和選擇

#	習語	含義	例句
137	on the fence	猶豫不決	I’m still on the fence about which university to choose.
138	take the plunge	做出大膽的決定	After years of thinking about it, she took the plunge and moved abroad.
139	play it safe	避免冒風險	He played it safe and chose the stable job.
140	weigh the pros and cons	考慮優缺點	I need to weigh the pros and cons before deciding.
141	think twice	仔細重新考慮	Think twice before posting personal information online.

常見習語（綜合）

#	習語	含義	例句
142	break a leg	祝你好運（在表演前使用）	You’re on stage in five minutes — break a leg!
143	hang in there	不要放棄；保持堅強	I know it’s hard, but hang in there — it will get better.
144	hit the ground running	以巨大的能量和速度開始某事	She hit the ground running on her first day.
145	water under the bridge	不再重要的過去事件	We argued years ago, but that’s water under the bridge now.
146	keep your eye on the ball	保持專注於你的目標	Don’t get distracted — keep your eye on the ball.
147	the best thing since sliced bread	非常好且創新的東西	My new coffee machine is the best thing since sliced bread.
148	have a lot on your plate	非常忙碌	I can’t help right now — I have a lot on my plate.
149	make a mountain out of a molehill	誇大一個小問題	You lost one mark on the test — don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.
150	cut someone some slack	對某人不那麼嚴格	She’s new to the job — cut her some slack.
151	read the room	感受群體的氣氛	He told a joke at the funeral — he clearly couldn’t read the room.
152	the writing on the wall	某件壞事將要發生的明顯跡象	The writing was on the wall — the company was going to close.
153	go viral	在網絡上快速傳播	The video went viral and reached 50 million views.
154	a game changer	顯著改變情況的事情	AI has been a game changer for the medical industry.
155	Rome wasn’t built in a day	重要的事情需要時間	Learning a language is slow — Rome wasn’t built in a day.

按難度分類的習語

初學者友好（A2–B1）

從這些開始——它們是最常用的，最容易理解的：

a piece of cake, break the ice, in a nutshell, hit the road, once in a blue moon, under the weather, 24/7, keep your fingers crossed, the bigger picture, time flies, better late than never, a no-brainer, from scratch, call it a day, the last straw, on cloud nine, go viral, get the hang of, the ball is in your court, hang in there

中級（B1–B2）

這些需要更多語境才能正確使用：

a blessing in disguise, the elephant in the room, hit the nail on the head, kill two birds with one stone, bite the bullet, burn the midnight oil, on the same page, cut corners, think outside the box, a double-edged sword, back to square one, cost an arm and a leg, go the extra mile, spill the beans, the tip of the iceberg

高級（B2–C1）

這些不那麼頻繁，但展示了精煉的英語：

a wolf in sheep’s clothing, penny-wise pound-foolish, can’t see the forest for the trees, pull the wool over someone’s eyes, have your cake and eat it too, move the goalposts, burn your boats, leave no stone unturned, come full circle, go out on a limb

練習詞彙

將這25個與慣用語言常相關的單字添加到你的 Linglify 字典進行間隔重複。

affordable

形容詞

英語習語：500+常見表達附含義和例句

什麼是習語？

習語 vs. 片語動詞 vs. 搭配詞

身體部位

動物

食物和飲料

天氣和自然

金錢和商業

時間

成功和失敗

情感和感受

工作和努力

溝通和說話

顏色

旅行和移動

運動和競爭

決定和選擇

常見習語（綜合）

按難度分類的習語

初學者友好（A2–B1）

中級（B1–B2）

高級（B2–C1）

練習詞彙

如何有效地學習習語

1. 按主題組學習，而不是隨機清單

2. 主動學習：用它們造關於你生活的句子

3. 從50個開始，而不是500個

4. 在媒體中注意習語

5. 使用間隔重複

6. 不要強行使用習語

接下來閱讀什麼

常見問題

英語中有多少習語？

習語和諺語有什麼區別？

我可以在正式寫作中使用習語嗎？

習語在語言之間可以翻譯嗎？

我需要多少習語才能通過IELTS？

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