Woven into the warp and weft of our words, idioms provide a window into the whims, wisdom, and wonders of past worlds. Wading deeper into the alphabet’s waters, we alight on the letter “W”, a wellspring of wondrous idiomatic expressions waiting to be unveiled.
From “wild goose chase” to “wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve”, the letter “W” wraps us in a whirlwind of witty and whimsical sayings, each one whispering tales of worlds gone by. Written for word-lovers, scholars, and those with a penchant for wandering through the warrens of language, this exploration will whisk readers away on a journey of discovery. Walk with us through the winding paths of “W” idioms, as we unwrap their origins, interpret their meanings, and celebrate the wealth of wisdom they have wielded in our daily discourse.
Idioms Beginning With Letter W
Whisking our way through the wondrous world of English idioms, we wind up at the whimsical whirlwind represented by the letter ‘W’. Wrought with wisdom, wit, and wonder, ‘W’ wields a wealth of words that weave into our daily dialogues, offering a window into the worldviews of bygone eras. Without further ado, let’s wade into this wellspring and unwrap the wealth of ‘W’ idioms.
- Wear One’s Heart on One’s Sleeve
- Meaning: To openly display or show one’s emotions.
- Example: “She always wears her heart on her sleeve, so you know exactly how she feels.”
- Wet Behind the Ears
- Meaning: Inexperienced; immature or naive.
- Example: “He’s just out of college and still wet behind the ears, but he’s eager to learn.”
- Wild Goose Chase
- Meaning: A pointless, futile effort or pursuit.
- Example: “Looking for that old book in the attic was a wild goose chase; it wasn’t there.”
- When Pigs Fly
- Meaning: Something that will never happen or is impossible.
- Example: “He’ll clean his room without being told? Yeah, when pigs fly!”
- Walk on Eggshells
- Meaning: To act with great caution or care, usually to avoid offending someone.
- Example: “Ever since their argument, he’s been walking on eggshells around her.”
- Whole Nine Yards
- Meaning: Everything possible or available; the full measure.
- Example: “When he throws a party, he goes all out—gourmet food, top-tier entertainment, the whole nine yards.”
- Warts and All
- Meaning: Including all negative characteristics or aspects.
- Example: “She showed me the early drafts of her book, warts and all.”
- Water Under the Bridge
- Meaning: Past events or situations that are no longer important or troubling.
- Example: “I know we had our differences, but that’s all water under the bridge now.”
- Wring One’s Hands
- Meaning: To express distress or despair.
- Example: “She wrung her hands as she waited for the test results.”
- With Flying Colors
- Meaning: With great or total success.
- Example: “She passed the final exam with flying colors.”
- Walk a Tightrope
- Meaning: To be in a situation where one must be very cautious.
- Example: “Balancing work and parenting during the pandemic felt like walking a tightrope.”
- White Elephant
- Meaning: A possession that is more of a burden than a benefit, especially due to maintenance costs or difficulty in disposal.
- Example: “The old mansion became a white elephant for the family, draining resources without providing any value.”
- When the Chips are Down
- Meaning: When a situation is urgent or difficult.
- Example: “She’s someone you can rely on when the chips are down.”
- Wear the Pants
- Meaning: To be the dominant or decision-making person in a situation or relationship.
- Example: “In their relationship, it’s clear who wears the pants.”
- Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
- Meaning: Someone who appears friendly or harmless but is really hostile.
- Example: “Be wary of him; he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
List of idioms Starting with W
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Waiting In The Wings | Ready To Assume Responsibilities But Not Yet Active, Ready To Become A Successor |
| Waka-Jumping | Change Political Parties Said Of Politicians Themselves |
| Wake Up And Smell The Coffee | Stop Deluding Yourself |
| Wake Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed | Be Grumpy Or Ill-Humored. Generally Used In Past Tense |
| Walk On Eggshells | To Have To Act Very Sensitively In Order To Avoid Offending Someone |
| Walk The Plank | Be Forced To Resign A Position |
| Wandering Eye | A Tendency To Look At And Desire Women Or Men Other Than One’S Committed Romantic Partner |
| Wash Your Hands Of Something | Decline To Take Further Responsibility, Refuse To Be Involved With Something Anymore |
| Waste Not, Want Not | Don’T Waste Things And You’Ll Always Have Enough |
| Water Under The Bridge | Something In The Past That’S No Longer Worth Worrying About |
| Watering Hole | A Place Where Alcoholic Beverages Are Served, A Bar |
| We Need To Come Up With A Road Map | We Need To Make A Plan |
| We See Eye To Eye | We Agree |
| We Took The Temperature Of The Group | Checked The Overall Opinion Of A Person Or Group Of People About Something |
| We’Ll Cross That Bridge | When We Come To It We’Ll Deal With That Problem If And When It Comes Up |
| We’Ll Cross That Bridge When We Come To It | To Wait To Worry About One Problem At A Time |
| Weather The Storm | Go Through Something Difficult |
| Weekend Warrior | Someone Who Has An Office Job But Enjoys Contact Sports On Weekends, A Member Of A Military Reserve Force Whose Exercises Are Typically On Weekends |
| Well Begun Is Half Done | Getting A Good Start Is Important |
| Welsh Welch On A Deal | Not Observe The Terms Of An Agreement |
| Wet Behind The Ears | Doesn’T Have Very Much Experience, Isn’T Very Skilled |
| Wet Blanket | Someone Who Dampens A Festive Occasion |
| Wet Your Whistle | Drink Something |
| What Do You Make Of | What Is Your Evaluation Of This Person? |
| What Goes Around Comes Around | The Kind Of Treatment You Give To Others Will Eventually Return To You, Things Go In Cycles |
| What’S Good For The Goose Is Good For The Gander | What’S Ok For A Man Is Ok For A Woman, Too |
| When Hell Freezes Over | Never |
| When In Doubt, Leave It Out | When Unsure About Something, Omit It. |
| When In Rome, Do As The Romans Do | When You Are Visiting Another Place, You Should Follow The Customs Of The People In That Place |
| When It Rains It Pours | Everything Is Going Wrong At Once |
| When Pigs Fly | Never |
| When The Chips Are Down | When A Situation Becomes Urgent Or Difficult |
| When Things Heat Up Between People | When A Relationship Becomes Romantic |
| Where When The Rubber | Meets The Road In Reality, Where An Idea Meets A Real-World Test |
| Where I Stand | Your Opinion, Point Of View |
| Where There’S A Will, There’S A Way | If You Have A Strong Desire To Accomplish Something, You Will Achieve It Even In The Face Of Considerable Odds. |
| Where There’S Smoke, There’S Fire | If There Is Typical Evidence Of Something, The Most Likely Explanation Is That It Is Actually Occurring. |
| Whisper Sweet Nothings | Speak Meaningless Romantic Utterances |
| Whistle In The Dark | To Be Unrealistically Confident Or Brave, To Talk About Something Of Which One Has Little Knowledge |
| Whistle Past The Graveyard | Remain Optimistic Despite Dangers, Be Clueless |
| Whistling Dixie | Being Unrealistically Optimistic |
| White Elephant | An Unwanted Item That Is Difficult To Sell Or Dispose Of |
| Who’S She, The Cat’S Mother | Why Does She Have Such A High Opinion Of Herself? |
| Wild Goose Chase | An Impossible Or Futile Search Or Task |
| Window Dressing | A Misleading Disguise Intended To Present A Favorable Impression |
| Window Shop | To Look At Merchandise In A Store Without Intending To Buy It |
| Witch Hunt | An Organized Attempt To Persecute An Unpopular Group Of People And Blame Them For A Problem. |
| With Bells On | Eagerly, Willingly, And On Time. |
| Wolf In Sheep’S Clothing | A Person Who Pretends To Be Nice But Is Not |
| Work One’S Fingers To The Bone | Work Very Hard Over An Extended Period |
| Worn To A Frazzle | Exhausted, Completely Worn Out |
| Wouldn’T Be Caught Dead | Would Absolutely Not Allow Myself To Do This |
| Wouldn’T Hurt A Fly | A Person That Is Inoffensive And Harmless |
| Wrap Your Head Around Something | Understand Something Complicated |
| Writing Handwriting On The Wall | Hints Of Coming Disaster |
In Retrospection
Wandering through the ‘W’ idioms, we witness a wide-ranging tapestry woven with wisdom, wit, and whimsy. These idioms, while often wielded without a second thought, whisk us away to worlds of yesteryears, enriching our conversations with nuanced wisdom. For word-lovers wishing to widen their linguistic horizons, the ‘W’ idioms are a worthy treasure trove. With such wondrous words at our fingertips, why wouldn’t we want to wield them? So, wade into the world of ‘W’ and watch your language skills wax poetic. Let’s celebrate the wonders of ‘W’!
Idioms That Start With
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