Browsing
Idioms starting with M
355 expressions
mad money
A sum of money, often relatively small in amount, kept in reserve to use for impulsive, fr…
made for each other
Well suited to be in a relationship with one another, especially as romantic or marital pa…
made in China
Cheaply manufactured; of poor or low quality, (especially) if made in East Asia.
made in Japan
Cheaply manufactured; of poor or low quality, especially if made in East Asia.
made in the shade
In a condition characterized by comfort, success, easy living, or general well-being.
made of sterner stuff
strong and determined (especially more so than someone else, to whom one is being compared…
magic asterisk
an unspecified future budget cut, especially an imaginary cut.
magic box
Television.
magic bullet
A simple remedy for a difficult or complex problem, especially a cure for a disease.
magic touch
An ability or skill to produce highly favorable results in an impressive way.
mail it in
To deliver a performance without commitment or effort, with lackluster results.
main character
A person who becomes a focal point of discussion on a social media platform (particularly …
main event
The most serious or important matter.
main man
One's closest male friend.
Main Street
Everyday working-class people and small business owners, especially with regard to their c…
make a better door than a window
To obstruct someone's view, especially as a result of thoughtlessness.
make a big thing out of
To call attention to or publicize; to make a fuss about, especially unnecessarily.
make a break for it
To attempt to escape; to flee; to run away.
make a career of
To do something habitually, especially in such a way as to acquire a reputation for it.
make a case
To argue for a set of facts or arguments in support of one side in a legal case.
make a case for
To present an argument in favor of.
make a clean breast
Often followed by of: to be honest about something; to confess.
make a difference
To carry out an action, the result of which is a significant change, or an altered circums…
make a fist of
To do (something) reasonably successfully.
make a go of
To succeed in (something); especially, to succeed in making a living.
make a grab
To try to take quickly.
make a killing
To win or earn a large amount of money.
make a leg
To make a deep bow with the right leg drawn back.
make a light
When driving, to pass a traffic light before it changes to a color that prohibits passage.
make a meal of
To spend more time and energy on some task than it warrants; to make something overly comp…
make a mockery of
To mock; to ridicule or imitate, often to express contempt.
make a monkey out of
To cause a person, group, or action to appear foolish or inferior; to subject someone or s…
make a mountain out of a molehill
To treat a problem as greater than it is; to blow something out of proportion; to exaggera…
make a move
To take action.
make a name for oneself
to gain fame, to become well-known.
make a night of it
To continue a pleasurable social activity for the whole evening or night.
make a noise in the world
To attract great notoriety.
make a pig of oneself
To eat to excess; to overeat; to gorge.
make a pig's ear of
To do badly; to make a mess of.
make a point
To argue or promote an idea.
make a run for it
To attempt to escape; to flee; to run away.
make a scene
To bring unnecessary attention to oneself, especially through a public expression of tumul…
make a show of oneself
To embarrass oneself or others in public.
make a silk purse of a sow's ear
To produce something refined, admirable, or valuable from something which is unrefined, un…
make a spectacle of oneself
To conspicuously embarrass oneself or others in public.
make a splash
To do something that attracts attention.
make a statement
To implicitly communicate an idea, often through one's fashion choices.
make a stick for one's own back
To make a decision that will have personally adverse consequences.
make a Virginia fence
To walk in a unstable manner due to being intoxicated.
make a virtue of necessity
To make the best of a difficult situation; to recast or portray an action or situation in …
make all the difference
To be a crucial or deciding factor; to have a very significant effect (often a positive on…
make amends
To repair a relationship; to resolve an argument or fight; to make reparations or redress.
make an appearance
To turn up to an event for a brief moment.
make an ass of
To cause (someone) to appear foolish.
make an example of
To punish someone so as to give a warning to others.
make an exhibition of oneself
To embarrass oneself or others in public by behaving foolishly.
make an honest woman
To marry (a woman), especially if there is an existing sexual relationship.
make baby Jesus cry
To provoke a negative reaction due to being offensive, unpleasant, immoral, etc.
make beautiful music together
To have a great romantic relationship with each other.
make believe
To pretend or imagine.
make biscuits
Of a cat, to knead with the front paws.
make bones about
To do, indicate, or say something vaguely and with hesitation.
make book
To gamble, either by placing or taking bets.
make bricks without straw
To accomplish a task without the proper materials or under unreasonable conditions; to do …
make do
To survive, get by (with), or use whatever is available (due to lack of resources).
make do and mend
Generally, to repair and reuse.
make ends meet
To have enough money to cover expenses; to get by financially; to get through the pay peri…
make every effort
To do one's utmost
make faces
Alternative form of make a face.
make for
To set out to go (somewhere); to move towards.
make fun of
To tease, ridicule or make jokes about, generally in a pejorative manner.
make game of
To ridicule; to make fun of.
make garden
To plant or maintain a garden, especially a vegetable garden.
make good
To achieve substantial success in life, often in business.
make good on
To fulfill or honor (a promise, prediction etc).
make ground
gain ground; make progress.
make happen
To realize, to cause or bring about a thing.
make hard work of
To do (something) in a way that makes it more difficult than it needs to be.
make haste slowly
To do things in a deliberate manner to reduce mistakes.
make hay while the sun shines
To act while an opportunity exists; to take action while a situation is favorable.
make head or tail of
To understand even minimally.
make headway
To progress; to move forward.
make heavy going of
to make heavy weather of
make heavy weather
To make progress only with difficulty.
make history
To do something that will be widely remembered for a long time.
make interesting
To make a bet out of; to bet money on.
make it interesting
To bet money: to lay a wager.
make it rain
To bring prosperity or work to an enterprise by selling, inventing or other productive or …
make it snappy
To do something quickly; to be quick about something.
make it up as one goes along
To improvise continuously.
make it up to
To pay back; to return someone a previous good deed.
make light of
To regard without due seriousness; to joke about.
make light work of
To manage something without difficulty.
make like a banana and split
To leave, depart.
make like a tree and leave
To leave, depart.
make love to the camera
To pose or act in a way that suggests genuine emotional involvement, while being filmed or…
make matters worse
To worsen an already difficult situation or unfavourable set of circumstances, typically b…
make mention of
To briefly refer to something; to mention.
make mincemeat out of
To defeat one's opponent easily and completely during a fight, contest, or debate.
make money
To make a profit from a particular activity.
make muffins
Of a cat, to knead with the front paws.
make news
To be published in the news media.
make no bones about
To do, indicate, or say something clearly and without hesitation, even if it may be unplea…
make noise
To scold, condemn, or criticize very harshly.
make one's bed and lie in it
To create a difficult situation whose unpleasant consequences one must now endure.
make one's bow
To debut, to bow.
make one's hand
To gain advantage or profit.
make one's mark
To make, or leave, a lasting impression, especially to achieve prominent success.
make one's way
To move forward, usually toward a destination or goal, physically or conceptually.
make oneself at home
To make oneself comfortable as if one were in one's own home.
make oneself clear
To have one's meaning fully understood.
make out like a bandit
To profit greatly; to get an excessively good deal
make over
To renovate or to convert to a different use, particularly houses, offices, or rooms withi…
make peace
To settle a dispute or disagreement.
make pigs and whistles of
To ruin (something); to make a severe mess of (something).
make quick work of
To accomplish a specified task easily and quickly.
make room
To rearrange or organize existing people, objects, furniture, belongings, etc., to create …
make sense
To be sensible, coherent, reasonable.
make shit of
To ruin or destroy.
make short work of
To do (a task) quicker or easier.
make someone's blood boil
To cause a person to feel angry or very annoyed, especially in situation in which one cann…
make someone's day
To make someone happy, or be a source of satisfaction, for the rest of the day.
make someone's ears sad
To displease the ears of someone; to cause someone to hear music or sounds that are not to…
make someone's head spin
To cause someone to be dizzy.
make someone's jaw drop
To cause someone to be very surprised or alarmed.
make someone's skin crawl
To frighten or disgust.
make someone's teeth itch
To bother or unsettle a person; to put someone on edge.
make something of oneself
To become successful on one's own initiative.
make sport of
To make fun of someone or something.
make strange
To behave in a shy, uncommunicative, resistant manner when encountering an unfamiliar pers…
make the bald man cry
To masturbate.
make the best of
To derive what limited advantage one can (from an unpleasant outcome or situation).
make the best of one's way
To go by the best possible route.
make the cut
To succeed at something or meet a requirement; to be chosen out of a field of candidates o…
make the grade
To prove satisfactory; to be successful or worthy of merit.
make the most of
To realise the maximal value, worth, or potential of (something); to derive as much benefi…
make the running
To have a leading or influential position in a field or activity; to be more active than o…
make the weather
To be extraordinarily effective, especially when in a position of authority.
make the welkin ring
To celebrate or revel.
make the world go around
To play an essential role in causing the things in life to work as they should; to underli…
make time
To recover lost time, as by travelling faster than usual.
make time with
To court or flirt with someone, to make sexual advances towards someone.
make tracks
To leave or depart, especially hurriedly; to go away.
make tracks for
To head for.
make trial of
To check the quality, reliability, performance or genuineness of (something or someone).
make up one's mind
To decide; to reach a conclusion.
make up the numbers
To provide sufficient people to make an event worthwhile.
make waves
To cause a disturbance.
make yourself at home
An invitation to a guest in the speaker's home to treat the house as if it were theirs.
mama's boy
A male who has a very close bond with his mother, and may consequently be perceived as sof…
mama's girl
A woman or girl who has a very close bond with her mother.
man about town
A worldly, social man who frequents fashionable places.
man among men
A man who is accepted on the same terms, and as having the same worth, as other men in soc…
man down
To lose courage or cause to lose courage.
man in the street
Synonym of man on the street.
man of few words
A man who doesn't speak much; a habitually terse or taciturn man.
man of parts
A man who is talented in multiple areas of life.
man of the people
A man, usually a celebrity or political leader, who shows understanding of and sympathy fo…
man on the street
An ordinary member of the general public, especially one who lacks special expertise.
man the fort
To take care of a place or situation in another's absence.
man up
To be brave or tough enough to deal with something in a manner that is considered strong o…
manners maketh man
A person may be judged according to his behaviour towards other people
manoeuvre the apostles
To rob Peter to pay Paul; that is, to borrow money from one person to pay another.
many a time and oft
Frequently.
many happy returns
A greeting, usually for birthdays, in reference to the passing year; Happy birthday!
many moons ago
A (very) long time ago.
march to the beat of a different drum
To do things in one's own way regardless of societal norms and conventional expectations.
mare's fart
Something of no value, importance, or consequence whatsoever; a thing utterly not cared ab…
mark my words
Listen to me; used before or after a statement one wishes to emphasize, especially a predi…
mark one's own homework
To assume the role of evaluating one's doings when a disinterested party is required.
mark someone's card
To forcefully correct someone's behaviour.
marriage bed
Sexual activity between a married couple.
marriage penalty
A situation where a married couple pays more in taxes, typically income taxes, when filing…
marry off
To successfully arrange the marriage of someone, especially a relative.
marry the ketchup
To combine ketchup from half-empty bottles in a restaurant, in order to reduce the number …
Mary Celeste
A ship found empty of all people, in good condition, seemingly abandoned on the high seas;…
mass destruction
Killing of large numbers of people.
Master John Goodfellow
The penis.
Master of the Universe
A powerful person.
master plan
A comprehensive document that sets out an overall strategy; the strategy itself.
match made in heaven
A relationship, such as a marriage, that is happy and successful, sometimes because the pa…
match made in hell
A relationship that is likely to be unhappy or unsuccessful because the two partners are v…
matter at hand
The current issue, which requires immediate attention.
matter of course
A natural or logical outcome; perforce.
matter of life and death
An extremely urgent matter.
matter of time
An inevitable result; something that is bound to happen.
maximum attack
To drive as fast as possible, particularly in motor racing.
may as well
Used to express reluctance, to express that if one hypothetical or possible action happene…
may the Force be with you
Used to wish someone luck with a difficult endeavor.
may the Force be without you
Synonym of may the Force not be with you.
may the Force not be with you
Used to wish someone bad luck.
me three
An expression of support to a position that has already been proposed and seconded after s…
meal ticket
Someone or something that provides income or livelihood, especially as an exploited source…
mean business
To be serious, especially where achieving a specific end against opposition is concerned.
mean streak
A defect in character characterized by persistent nastiness, viciousness, or malevolence.
mean the world to
To be loved or cared about a great deal by.
meant to
supposed to, obliged to, ought to
measure swords with
To match one's abilities against an antagonist's.
measure the drapes
To make premature or unwarranted preparations for victory, especially election to public o…
measure up
To meet expectations; to be as good as.
meat market
A place where one goes for a casual sexual encounter, such as a bar (establishment) or nig…
meat on one's bones
An amount of flesh on one's body that prevents one from being very thin.
meat on the bones
A substantial addition to or augmentation of the content of something, especially somethin…
meat rack
A place where people can meet looking for sexual partners.
meat sweats
Excessive perspiration resulting from eating large quantities of meat.
media darling
A celebrity who is especially popular and who receives frequent and very favorable attenti…
meet a sticky end
To die unpleasantly due to one's actions.
meet halfway
To compromise; to achieve a mutual accommodation.
meet one's maker
To die or to pass into the afterlife.
meeting of the mindless
A serious disagreement, especially one resulting from a gathering in which discussion or n…
meeting of the minds
An agreement, especially one resulting from a gathering in which discussion or negotiation…
melon head
A dimwit, a fool
melt in the mouth
Deliciously soft and creamy, creating a melting sensation when eaten, and therefore needin…
melt into
To disappear gradually into.
member for Barkshire
A person who has a cough which causes them to sound as if they are barking.
memory lane
An imaginary path along which one can take a nostalgic or sentimental journey through one'…
mend fences
To repair damage to a friendship or relationship after a disagreement or other mishap.
mend one's ways
To recognise one's failings and attempt to remedy them.
mental gymnast
Someone who excels at mental gymnastics; a person who thinks creatively and effortlessly.
merchant of death
One who engages in the unlawful distribution or supply of substances or objects with poten…
mercy fuck
An act of sexual intercourse performed out of pity for the other person's inadequate sex l…
mercy sake's alive
A mild oath.
mere mortal
An ordinary person, without special expertise or status.
Merry Andrew
A person who clowns publicly; a buffoon; an entertainer's assistant.
merry dance
A useless waste of time resulting from a deception.
merry men
A group of assistants, subordinates, or lackeys
mess of pottage
Something of trivial value, especially of immediate value.
method to one's madness
A well-thought-out reason for an individual's seemingly illogical behavior.
Mexican breakfast
A breakfast consisting of a cigarette and a glass of water.
mic drop
An instance of dropping the mic.
Midas touch
The ability to achieve financial reward (or, more generally, success) from one's actions e…
middle of nowhere
A very remote or secluded area; a nondescript place lacking population, interesting things…
middle of the road
The middle; the average.
might as well
Used to express somewhat reluctant assent, saying that if one situation exists (or because…
mile a minute
Very quickly.
milieu control
tactics that control environment and human communication through the use of peer pressure …
milk drinker
Someone who lacks experience or courage.
milk of human kindness
Compassion shown to other people.
milk the clock
To use as much time as one can in order to gain a benefit.
Miller of Dee
Someone who lives independently and unattached to others, especially for selfish reasons.
milling machine
A machine tool in which a rotating cutter is moved against the workpiece (or vice versa) i…
mince words
To restrain oneself when speaking by withholding some comments or using euphemisms in orde…
mind how you go
A phrase used at parting.
mind one's language
To be careful to speak properly, especially concerning the avoidance of swear words.
mind one's own business
To concern oneself only with what is of interest to oneself and not interfere in the affai…
mind one's P's and Q's
Alternative spelling of mind one's p's and q's.
mind one's ps and qs
To be very careful to behave correctly.
mind the store
To take active responsibility for a group or process, especially within an organization.
mind you
Used to introduce a qualification or contrastive statement, especially when toning down or…
mind's ear
The mental faculty or inner sense with which one produces or reproduces imagined or recall…
mind's eye
The ability to picture an image mentally through imagination.
miners' canary
Any thing, especially an organism, whose demise or distress provides an early warning of d…
mines and minerals
The legal title to geological resources in the subsurface of a piece of land, usually by r…
minor miracle
An improbable, unexpected, or surprising achievement or other occurrence that is fortunate…
mint condition
The condition of newness or perfection, as if just freshly minted.
Miss Right
A perfect, ideal or suitable female companion, especially a wife.
miss the forest for the trees
Alternative form of cannot see the forest for the trees.
miss the memo
To be unaware of the current state of affairs.
miss the wood for the trees
Alternative form of cannot see the forest for the trees.
miss the woods for the trees
Alternative form of cannot see the forest for the trees.
missing stair
A member of a community who is widely but privately known within that community for abusiv…
mission creep
Gradual unplanned expansion of the objectives, scope, and/or cost of a project, especially…
mistake windmills for giants
To perceive ordinary, nonthreatening objects or situations as significant dangers or adver…
Mister Right
A perfect, ideal or suitable male companion, especially a husband.
Mister Wrong
A completely unsuitable mate or husband.
mists of time
Any time so long ago that history is no longer clear, as though lost in a mist or fog.
mix apples and oranges
To mix or confuse two completely different objects or ideas.
mix it up
To compete vigorously, to quarrel, or to fight physically.
mix up
A confusion or reversal.
mixed bag
Something tending to have both good and bad results or characteristics; something having a…
mixed blessing
Something that has both good and bad features.
mixed herbs
A common mix of different dried herbs for general culinary use, containing some or all of …
mixed message
Any communication that is contradictory, inconsistent, or unclear, especially in its motiv…
mixed picture
A situation in which both negatives and positives are found.
modest proposal
An idea which is especially extreme, unorthodox or distasteful, often put forward in jest.
molehill mountaineer
A person who habitually exaggerates or overemphasizes minor issues.
moment in the sun
A brief instance in which an otherwise obscure, unremarkable, or humble person draws atten…
moment of truth
A deciding instant; the time when a test determines or makes it apparent whether something…
mommy brain
A state in which a new mother is forgetful, absent-minded, or easily distracted.
Monday-morning quarterback
To criticize with hindsight.
money for jam
Money made very easily.
money for old rope
Money earned with little effort.
money is no object
No price cost is too great to achieve a certain objective; all efforts will be expended.
money pit
A possession or financial commitment, especially a building or vehicle, that creates subst…
money's worth
Satisfaction.
monkey around
To act foolishly.
monkey business
Activity that is mischievous, stupid, or time-wasting.
monkey paw
Alternative form of monkey's paw.
monkey up
To bungle or mess up something.
monkey wrench
To introduce problems, to create unexpected trouble, to sabotage.
monkey's paw
A situation in which a wish or desire has been fulfilled, but at significant cost or with …
Monopoly money
Money that does not exist; referring to fraudulent record keeping.
month in, month out
During every month; continuously.
month of Sundays
A very long time; a period regarded as too long.
moonlight and roses
A very pleasant, sentimental, or romantic situation or atmosphere.
moonlight flit
An act of secretly leaving premises without paying the rent, supposedly at night by the li…
moral bankruptcy
The state or condition of being morally bankrupt; unethicality.
moral high ground
A position or point of view which is ethically superior or more reputable, in comparison t…
moral low ground
A position or point of view which is unethical or less reputable, in comparison to others …
moral of the story
The key lesson or message that an incident, situation or other happening conveys; a genera…
morally bankrupt
Having no morals, unethical.
more cry than wool
Dramatic assertions that are backed by little evidence.
more equal
Ostensibly equal, but more privileged in reality.
more often than not
Usually; more than half the time; more likely to be the case than not to be the case.
more than meets the eye
More than what is apparent or readily noticeable.
more than one bargained for
An unexpected and (usually) unwanted result of a decision or action.
more than you can shake a stick at
Alternative form of more than one can shake a stick at.
more's the pity
It is a pity; it is unfortunate.
morning person
A person who wakes up, without difficulty, early each morning and is alert and active duri…
most an end
generally; most often
mother hen
An outspoken and overprotective woman or person dealing with others' affairs; especially, …
Mother Hubbard
Empty.
mother lode
Any source of valuable or useful material.
mother of all
Used before a plural noun to form a compound noun having the sense of: the greatest or lar…
motion of someone's ocean
The way someone moves during sex.
mouth breather
A person who is boorish, stupid, or otherwise unattractive.
mouth of a sailor
The characteristic of regularly using vulgar language, especially strong profanities; a pe…
mouth the words
To speak insincerely.
mouthful of marbles
An indistinct, muffled or garbled manner of speaking.
move furniture
To engage someone physically; to brawl.
move heaven and earth
To do whatever is necessary, including extreme or unusual actions; to go to extremes.
move house
To change one's place of residence.
move on
To continue; to proceed; to go on.
move one's body
To dance.
move out
To leave one's present location; to leave somewhere for another place.
move someone to tears
to cause to cry
move the goalposts
To alter the terms of an agreement or an agreed target, or the rules of a negotiation whil…
move the needle
To change a situation to a noticeable degree; to make an appreciable difference.
move the yardsticks
To make progress, as used in political and corporate venues to express proactive actions.
move through the gears
To gradually increase speed or output.
move up in the world
To improve one's social or financial position.
movie jail
A state of derailment of a career or limited opportunities to which a film industry profes…
much ado about nothing
A lot of fuss or bother about something trivial.
much less
Let alone; to say nothing of.
much of a muchness
Of two or more things, having little difference of any significance between them.
mud fence
Something proverbially unattractive or ugly.
mud monkey
Refers to a person or a builder using earth, mud, or clay as its main material.
muddle along
To live or work in an unorganized and unplanned way.
muddy the waters
To make something unclear and difficult to understand.
muddy up
To confuse (an issue or situation); to obscure or obfuscate (an issue or situation).
mug's game
A foolish, profitless, or hopeless undertaking.
mugged by reality
Of a person, having experienced a sudden, harsh, confrontation with the truth or reality o…
mukluk telegraph
The spread of information and gossip by word of mouth in rural Alaska.
mum's the word
Indicates that something is a secret and not to be divulged.
murder will out
Secrets or hidden crimes will eventually be exposed or discovered; nothing that is secret …
murderers' row
A team with an exceptionally talented group of players, or that group of players.
mush up
to cause to become mushy; to crush into a paste
music to someone's ears
A spoken expression or a sound which is pleasing; specifically, some good news, or welcome…
mutual admiration society
A group of two or more people, in a workplace or other social environment, who routinely e…
my bad
My fault; mea culpa.
my eye
Expression of disapproval, disregard, disdain, disgust, or disbelief.
my foot
Indicates disapproval, disregard, disdain, disgust or disbelief.
my skull's afly
I'm awake; I'm alert; I know what's happening.
my way or the highway
Your only options are to either do as I say or leave.
my word
An expression of surprise.