Idioms Beginning With K

Idioms Beginning With K

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.

List of Idioms Beginning With K

Idioms Beginning With K with Meaning and Example

Here’s a list of “Idioms Beginning With K” in English:

Keep a straight face

• Meaning: To remain serious and not show amusement.
• Example: Despite the joke, he managed to keep a straight face during the meeting.

Keep an eye on

• Meaning: To watch or monitor closely.
• Example: Please keep an eye on the children while they play outside.

Keep at arm’s length

• Meaning: To maintain a distance, either physically or emotionally.
• Example: She keeps her ex-boyfriend at arm’s length after their breakup.

Keep body and soul together

• Meaning: To earn enough money to survive.
• Example: He works three jobs just to keep body and soul together.

Keep one’s chin up

• Meaning: To stay cheerful in difficult circumstances.
• Example: Even during tough times, she keeps her chin up and stays positive.

Keep one’s fingers crossed

• Meaning: To hope for a positive outcome.
• Example: I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I get the job offer.

Keep one’s head above water

• Meaning: To manage to survive financially or emotionally.
• Example: With all the bills piling up, it’s hard to keep our heads above water.

Keep something under wraps

• Meaning: To keep something secret or hidden.
• Example: The company is keeping their new product under wraps until the launch date.

Keep the wolf from the door

• Meaning: To have enough money to avoid hunger or extreme poverty.
• Example: His part-time job helps keep the wolf from the door while he studies.

Kick the bucket

• Meaning: To die.
• Example: He always joked about what he would do before he kicked the bucket.

Kick up a fuss

• Meaning: To create a disturbance or complain loudly.
• Example: The neighbors kicked up a fuss about the noise from the construction site.

Kick the habit

• Meaning: To stop doing something, especially something harmful like smoking or drinking.
• Example: It took him years to kick the habit of smoking cigarettes.

Kill two birds with one stone

• Meaning: To accomplish two things with a single action.
• Example: By carpooling, she kills two birds with one stone—saving money and reducing emissions.

Knock on wood

• Meaning: To touch wood to avoid bad luck or to hope for continued good luck.
• Example: “I haven’t had a cold all winter, knock on wood!”

Know the ropes

• Meaning: To be familiar with the procedures or details of something.
• Example: It takes time to get to know the ropes of a new job.

Kangaroo Court

• Meaning: A mock court where the principles of law and justice are disregarded or perverted.
• Example: The trial was a kangaroo court with biased judges and no fair procedures.

Keep (Something) at Bay

• Meaning: To prevent something unpleasant from happening; to keep something away.
• Example: Regular exercise helps keep illness at bay.

Keep a Stiff Upper Lip

• Meaning: To remain brave and keep one’s emotions under control in a difficult situation.
• Example: Even though she was disappointed, she kept a stiff upper lip during the interview.

Keep an Eye Peeled

• Meaning: To watch carefully for something.
• Example: Keep an eye peeled for any suspicious activity while we’re away.

Keep It Under Your Hat

• Meaning: To keep something secret.
• Example: I trust you to keep it under your hat until I announce it officially.

Keep Someone at Arm’s Length

• Meaning: To avoid getting too close to someone; to maintain a certain distance.
• Example: She keeps her colleagues at arm’s length to maintain professionalism.

Keep Your Nose Clean

• Meaning: To stay out of trouble; to avoid doing anything wrong or illegal.
• Example: He’s been trying to keep his nose clean since the last incident.

Keep Your Powder Dry

• Meaning: To be prepared and ready for action.
• Example: We need to keep our powder dry until we know more about the situation.

Keeping One’s Nose to the Grindstone

• Meaning: To work hard and steadily.
• Example: She’s been keeping her nose to the grindstone to finish the project on time.

Kick Ass, Kick Butt

• Meaning: To do something with great energy, enthusiasm, or skill.
• Example: They kicked ass at the competition and won first place.

Kick the Can Down the Road

• Meaning: To postpone dealing with a problem; to defer action.
• Example: The government decided to kick the can down the road rather than address the budget deficit.

Kill a Fly With an Elephant Gun

• Meaning: To use excessive force or effort for a small problem or task.
• Example: Using a bulldozer to clear a small path is like killing a fly with an elephant gun.

Kill the Goose That Laid the Golden Egg

• Meaning: To destroy something that is profitable or advantageous.
• Example: By overcharging customers, they killed the goose that laid the golden egg of their business.

Kink in One’s Neck

• Meaning: A stiffness or pain in the neck.
• Example: Sleeping in an awkward position gave him a kink in his neck.

King of the Hill

• Meaning: Someone who is at the top or best in a particular field or competition.
• Example: He became the king of the hill after winning the championship.

Kiss and Make Up

• Meaning: To reconcile after an argument; to make peace.
• Example: After their fight, they kissed and made up, realizing they were better together.

Kith and Kin

• Meaning: Friends and family; one’s relatives and close associates.
• Example: The reunion brought together kith and kin from all over the country.

Knock Some Sense Into

• Meaning: To try to make someone realize the truth or accept reality.
• Example: I wish I could knock some sense into him about the dangers of smoking.

Knock Someone’s Socks Off

• Meaning: To greatly impress or surprise someone.
• Example: Her performance at the audition knocked everyone’s socks off.

Knock Up

• Meaning: To make someone pregnant; informal.
• Example: They weren’t expecting it, but they knocked up their first child sooner than planned.

Knockout

• Meaning: Something or someone that is extremely impressive, beautiful, or attractive.
• Example: Her dress at the gala was an absolute knockout.

Know (Something) Like the Back of One’s Hand

• Meaning: To be very familiar with something; to know it thoroughly.
• Example: She knows this city like the back of her hand after living here for ten years.

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