1723534562.png){kind=small}
Idioms and Phrases for IPMAT 2025
February 11, 2025
Overview: Discover practical techniques to learn Idioms and Phrases for IPMAT 2025. Refer to this guide to improve your skills with mnemonics, context insights, and free study resources.
Are you preparing for the IPMAT exam but don't know how to learn idioms and phrases?
Well, some simple techniques like mnemonics and contextual understanding can help you learn complex idioms and phrases in a matter of seconds.
Read through the post to thoroughly understand the idioms and phrases for IPMAT and IPM Aptitude Questions and Answers based on idioms.
Table of Contents
What are Idioms and Phrases?
An idiom is a phrase, saying, or group of words with a metaphorical (not literal) meaning that has become accepted in common usage.
Common Characteristics of Idioms
- They typically cannot be comprehended by merely translating every word.
- Their significances are often grounded in cultural context and historical background.
- They usually cannot be changed without altering their meaning.
- They are utilized in both formal and casual conversations.
Common examples of English idioms
- "Piece of cake" - something that's very easy to do
- "Beat around the bush" - to avoid talking about something directly
- "Hit the nail on the head" - to describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem
- "Cost an arm and a leg" - something that is very expensive
- "Spill the beans" - to reveal a secret
On the other hand, phrases are collections of words that function as a unit in a sentence.
However, it has no verb and no subject.
Common Characteristics of Phrases
- Lacks a subject-verb combination (for example, "in the morning")
- Functions as a single part of speech (example., noun, verb, adjective, adverb, or preposition)
- It cannot stand alone as a complete sentence
- It adds meaning to a sentence without forming a complete thought
- It may contain a headword with modifiers (e.g., "the tall building")
- It can be of different types (noun phrase, verb phrase, prepositional phrase, etc.)
How to Prepare for Idioms and Phrases for IPMAT 2025?
An idiom is a phrase whose meaning is different from the collective meaning of its constituent words.
Generally, 2-3 questions are asked about this topic.
To make the most of this section, you should strengthen your understanding of Idioms and phrases for IPMAT.
It is one area where students frequently struggle.
You cannot answer these questions unless you properly understand Idioms. Below are some of the best ways to learn Idioms.
1. Contextual Understanding
The best way to prepare for essential idioms and phrases for IPMAT exams is to understand the context or situation where a particular idiom is used.
Whenever you read an idiom and go through its meaning, try to link it with a specific problem or context in your knowledge so that whenever that word comes up again, you have a glimpse of the situation.
For example, "storm in a teacup" means something that is not very important but is given importance by many people.
You can link this to the wedding of a Bollywood star.
2. Mnemonics
In this method, we associate idioms with a mnemonic device to help us remember their definition and proper use. "Do a Devon Loch" means "fail when you're almost there.
For example, "Devon Loch, the horse that collapsed just before the finish line.” and “It was shocking how Nadal did a Devon Loch in the last minute of the match against Federer.”
3. Clustering
Learning idioms in groups or clusters, like clusters of idioms meaning almost the same but differing in intensity or referring to a similar situation, like Cut From The Same Cloth, Like Two Peas In A Pod, The Mirror Image Of, and Much Of The Muchness.
They all refer to similarities, basically how two things have similar attributes.
4. Visual Recognition
We, as humans, can recall those things that we have seen visually and for a longer length of time.
You will always recall phrases that make you think of anything aesthetically beautiful.
Interestingly, information and expertise given via those items would have been kept in our memory to this day.
As a result, visual learning is a valuable and successful technique.
You can refer to some of the best examples of learning idioms and phrases for IPMAT through IPMAT 2025 live classroom batches.
Following are some of the examples of the idioms:
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
| Storm in a teacup | It is something that is not that important, but a lot of people are talking about it. | Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif’s wedding was a storm in a teacup. |
| It never rains, but it pours. | When something bad happens, other bad things usually happen simultaneously. | It never rains, but it pours. A lot of people suffered from COVID and also lost their jobs at the same time. |
| At the drop of a Hat | Immediately, without delay | As soon as the teacher enters, students stop doing whatever they are doing at the drop of a hat. |
| Back to square one | Having to start all over again | I failed to save my documents while working. Now I’m back to square one. |
| Barking up the wrong tree | This means you are working in the wrong direction to achieve your goal. | The political parties that lost the elections this year were not acting towards the right cause; they were barking up the wrong tree. |
| Blood is thicker than water. | The family bond is closer than anything else. | When you get into trouble, your family will usually bail you out, not your friends. After all, blood is thicker than water. |
| Cast Iron Stomach | Someone who has no problems, complications, or ill effects with eating or drinking anything. | Rahul eats a lot of chillies and spicy food that I can’t even think of. He has a cast iron stomach. |
| Chew someone out | To verbally scold someone | The coach has already chewed out two players for arriving late to practice. |
| Dead Ringer | 100% Identical or duplicate | Shweta is a dead ringer for her grandmother. |
| Drive someone up the wall | Irritating someone very much | My neighbour plays his drum at night, driving me up the wall. |
| Finger Licking Good | A very tasty food or meal | Mom's soup was so delicious that I had three bowls; it was finger-licking'' good. |
Following are some of the examples of the idioms with their themes:
| Theme | Idiom | Meaning | Example |
| Power | Rule with an iron fist | To exercise strict or authoritarian control over others; to govern or lead with absolute power and severity. | The dictator ruled the country with an iron fist, suppressing dissenting voices. |
| Horror | Skeletons in the Closet | Hidden or secret aspects of a person's past that are shameful or unsettling. | No one knew about his criminal record until the skeletons in his closet were revealed. |
| Laughter | In Stitches | To be laughing uncontrollably, often with great amusement or joy. | The children's silly antics had their parents in stitches as they watched from the sidelines. |
| Kindness | Bend over backwards | To make a great effort to help or accommodate someone. | Even though she was busy with her work, Emily bent over backwards to assist her colleague with the project. |
| Pity | Pathetic fallacy | Attributing human emotions or characteristics to inanimate objects or nature, often to reflect or evoke pity. | The stormy weather outside seemed to mirror Sarah's sorrowful mood, a perfect example of pathetic fallacy. |
| Hardships | Weather the storm | This idiom means to endure a challenging situation or hardship, often with patience and perseverance, until it passes. | It's important to stay strong and weather the storm together as a family during tough times. |
| Confidence | Full of oneself | Excessively self-confident or arrogant; having an inflated sense of one's importance or abilities. | Ever since he got promoted, he's been full of himself, acting like he's better than everyone else. |
| Work | Go the extra mile | To make an additional effort or exert more energy than is required or expected. | She always goes the extra mile to ensure her client's satisfaction with her work. |
Sample Idioms Based Questions for IPMAT 2025
Some essential idioms and phrases for IPMAT are based on the IPMAT 2025 exam pattern.
Directions: Some idioms are given below, together with their meanings. Choose the correct meaning of the idiom; if there is no correct meaning given, 'None of these' will be the answer.
Q1. The prices are going up by leaps and bounds.
- a. Gradually
- b. Rapidly
- c. irregularly
- d. Systematically
Answer: b. Rapidly.
Q2. His dealings are all above the board.
- a. Simple
- b. Friendly
- c. decent
- d. Open
Answer: d. Open.
Q3. To play foul
- a. To oppose others
- b. To do something wrong
- c. To tackle carelessly
- d. To play rough
Answer: b. To do something wrong.
Q4. in deep water
- a. To feel lonely
- b. To swim in a river
- c. to act like a coward
- d. In real trouble
Answer: d. In real trouble.
Q5. to be fair and square pays in the long run.
- a. Worthy
- b. Successfulc.
- c. Honest
- d. Honest means
Answer: c. Honest.
Q6. Flesh and blood can bear it no longer.
- a. In life
- b. At the top speed
- c.warning
- d. Human nature
Answer: d. Human nature.
Q7. to chew the end
- a. To be annoyed
- b. To ut the end
- c. start something new
- d. To think deeply
Answer: d. To think deeply.
Q8. Apple of discord
- a. A source of quarrel
- b. A selfish motive
- c. an auspicious day
- d. Almost too late
Answer: a. A source of quarrel.
Q9. A white elephant
- a. False tears of sorrow
- b. A very costly possession
- c. everyone
- d. A source of quarrel
Answer: b. A very costly possession.
Q10. At the eleventh hour
- a. A hypocrite
- b. Cast out
- c. at the last moment
- d. None of these
Answer: c. at the last moment.
Some Additional Questions on Idioms and Phrases for IPMAT
Q11. Choose the correct meaning of the idiom: "Hit the sack."
a) To go to sleep
b) To pack your belongings
c) To give up
d) To lose hope
Answer: a) To go to sleep
Q12. Identify the correct meaning of the phrase: "To burn the midnight oil."
a) To waste fuel
b) To work late into the night
c) To stay awake for fun
d) To overthink unnecessarily
Answer: b) To work late into the night
Q13. What does the idiom "Kick the bucket" mean?
a) To fail an exam
b) To pass away
c) To give up a habit
d) To start something new
Answer: b) To pass away
Q14. Choose the sentence that correctly uses the idiom "Throw in the towel":
a) He decided to throw in the towel and continue fighting.
b) After losing three matches, the team threw in the towel and accepted defeat.
c) She threw in the towel and tried even harder.
d) The teacher threw in the towel to celebrate her victory.
Answer: b) After losing three matches, the team threw in the towel and accepted defeat.
Q15. What does the idiom "Bite the bullet" mean?
a) To act bravely in a difficult situation
b) To take revenge
c) To start a fight
d) To regret something
Answer: a) To act bravely in a difficult situation
Q16. Choose the correct meaning of the phrase: "The ball is in your court."
a) You are responsible for making the next decision
b) You are playing well
c) You are losing an argument
d) You have an advantage
Answer: a) You are responsible for making the next decision
Q17. Which sentence best explains the idiom "A piece of cake"?
a) The exam was so difficult that it felt like a piece of cake.
b) Solving that math problem was a piece of cake for her.
c) The bakery sells the best piece of cake in town.
d) He won the competition because of a piece of cake.
Answer: b) Solving that math problem was a piece of cake for her.
Q18. Choose the correct meaning of the idiom: "Cost an arm and a leg."
a) Very expensive
b) Incredibly cheap
c) A painful experience
d) A lucky escape
Answer: a) Very expensive
Q19. Identify the correct sentence using the phrase "Under the weather."
a) She couldn’t come to work because she was feeling unwell.
b) He stayed outside for hours and was literally under the weather.
c) The weather forecast predicted he would be under the weather.
d) The pilot flew under the weather during turbulence.
Answer: a) She couldn’t come to work because she felt under the weather.
Q20. Which idiom means "to stop delaying and take action"?
a) Hit the books
b) Break a leg
c) Cut to the chase
d) Let the cat out of the bag
Answer: c) Cut to the chase
These questions on Idioms and Phrases for IPMAT 2025 are enough to understand how you should approach this section.
Questions from Idioms and Phrases for IPMAT Previous Year Papers
Following are the idioms and phrases questions asked in the IPMAT question paper:
Q1. If you ask me to give you a rough estimate for the cost of the project, ___________, I would say thirty lakhs.
- (a) off-the-mark
- (b) off-the-grid
- (c) off-the-cuff
- (d) off-the-mike
Answer: a) off-the-mark
Q2. The nasty comments made by strangers on the social media platforms about the actor made him__________.
- (a) ill at heart
- (b) ill and ache
- (c) ill in heart
- (d) ill at ease
Answer: d) ill at ease
Q3. The new car has disappointed its buyers in many ways, and good mileage is it's only ___________.
- (a) saving grace
- (b) saving face
- (c) saving praise
- (d) saving case
Answer: b) saving face
Q4. Meena is very arrogant and class-conscious; she refuses to acknowledge Sunil because she feels he is a man ___________.
- (a) of no importance
- (b) of great importance
- (c) of less importance
- (d) of some importance
Answer: a) of no importance
Q5. Some big shots know how to escape the law even after they violate it. It is, however, the ___________ who are more often apprehended and punished.
- (a) small fry
- (b) tiny shots
- (c) tiny fish
- (d) small fish
Answer: a) small fry
Q6. A few brands tailor their pants in such a way that it is easy for people with prosthetic legs to put them on. This is how they__________.
- (a) go to the extra level
- (b) go to the extreme level
- (c) go the extra mile
- (d) go the entire mile
Answer: c) go the extra mile
Learn more about the Important topics for the IPMAT exam to ace your preparations. Mastering idioms and phrases for IPMAT is essential for excelling in the exam.
By adopting strategic learning methods and utilizing available resources, candidates can significantly enhance their understanding and recall of idiomatic expressions. This not only boosts exam performance but also sharpens language skills in a broader sense.
Key Takeaways:
- Contextual Understanding: Relate idioms for IPMAT to real-life scenarios to improve recall and comprehension.
- Mnemonics: Use mnemonic devices to memorize the meanings of complex idioms more effectively.
- Visual Learning: Incorporate visual cues in your study routine to make learning stick.
- Clustering: Group similar idioms together to learn them as thematic sets, enhancing memory retention.
- Practice with Resources: Utilize free booklets and live classes to practice and reinforce learning continuously.
- Idioms and Phrases for IPMAT is one of the easiest and scoring sections if approached well.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best strategy to learn Idioms and phrases?
How can I improve my IPMAT score in the coming few months?
Which online coaching is the best for IPMAT 2025 preparation?
What is the IPMAT 2025 exam pattern?
How should I prepare for the IPMAT 2025 verbal ability section?