Phrases Beginning With W

Phrases Beginning With W

English Phrases, proverbs, and expressions are an important part of everyday English. They come up all the time in both written and spoken English. Because Phrases 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 Phrases is fun, especially when you compare English Phrases to the Phrases in your own language.

List of Phrases Beginning With W

Phrases Beginning With W with Meaning and Example

Here’s a list of “Phrases Beginning With W” in English:

Walk a mile in someone’s shoes

• Meaning: To understand someone else’s perspective by experiencing their situation.
• Example: “Before criticizing, try to walk a mile in their shoes.”

Water under the bridge

• Meaning: Past events that are no longer considered important or worth discussing.
• Example: “We had our differences, but that’s all water under the bridge now.”

Wild goose chase

• Meaning: A futile or hopeless search for something unattainable.
• Example: “Looking for that document was a wild goose chase.”

Win-win situation

• Meaning: A scenario where all parties benefit.
• Example: “Negotiating a longer lease was a win-win situation for both the tenant and the landlord.”

Worth its weight in gold

• Meaning: Extremely valuable or beneficial.
• Example: “Her advice has been worth its weight in gold.”

Walking on eggshells

• Meaning: To be very cautious and careful about what you say or do.
• Example: “Ever since the argument, I’ve been walking on eggshells around him.”

Wolf in sheep’s clothing

• Meaning: Someone who appears harmless but is actually dangerous or deceptive.
• Example: “Be careful of that investor; he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

Wear your heart on your sleeve

• Meaning: To openly display your emotions.
• Example: “She always wears her heart on her sleeve, so you know how she feels.”

Wet behind the ears

• Meaning: Inexperienced or naive.
• Example: “He’s still wet behind the ears when it comes to managing a team.”

When pigs fly

• Meaning: Something that will never happen.
• Example: “I’ll start cooking dinner when pigs fly.”

Word of mouth

• Meaning: Information spread by people talking to each other.
• Example: “Most of our new clients come from word of mouth.”

Wake-up call

• Meaning: An event that alerts someone to a problem or reality.
• Example: “The failed project was a wake-up call for the company.”

Whistleblower

• Meaning: A person who exposes wrongdoing within an organization.
• Example: “The whistleblower revealed the company’s illegal practices.”

What goes around comes around

• Meaning: The consequences of one’s actions will eventually come back to them.
• Example: “He treated his employees poorly, and now he’s facing backlash. What goes around comes around.”

When in Rome, do as the Romans do

• Meaning: Adapt to the customs of the place you are visiting.
• Example: “I was unsure about eating with my hands, but when in Rome, do as the Romans do.”

Whole nine yards

• Meaning: Everything possible or available.
• Example: “They went the whole nine yards for their wedding, including a live band and fireworks.”

Warts and all

• Meaning: Including all the flaws and imperfections.
• Example: “She loves him, warts and all.”

Walking papers

• Meaning: Notice of dismissal from a job.
• Example: “He was given his walking papers after the company downsized.”

Wolf in sheep’s clothing

• Meaning: Someone who pretends to be harmless but is really dangerous.
• Example: “Be careful of that investor; he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

Wet blanket

• Meaning: A person who spoils the fun or dampens enthusiasm.
• Example: “Don’t invite him to the party; he’s such a wet blanket.”

Wake Up Call

• Meaning: An event or situation that alerts someone to a problem or reality, prompting them to take action or change their behavior.
• Example: “Failing my midterm exam was a wake-up call that I needed to study harder.”

Watched Pot Never Boils

• Meaning: Time seems to move slower when you are eagerly waiting for something to happen.
• Example: “If you keep checking the clock, the time will go by even slower. A watched pot never boils.”

What Goes Up Must Come Down

• Meaning: Anything that rises or increases will eventually fall or decrease; often refers to the cyclical nature of things.
• Example: “The stock market is soaring now, but what goes up must come down.”

What Am I, Chopped Liver?

• Meaning: A humorous or rhetorical question used to express feeling unappreciated or ignored.
• Example: “You praised everyone else’s work but didn’t mention mine. What am I, chopped liver?”

When The Rubber Hits The Road

• Meaning: The point at which a plan or idea is put to the test in a real situation.
• Example: “The strategy looks good on paper, but we’ll see what happens when the rubber hits the road.”

Wild Goose Chase

• Meaning: A futile or hopeless search for something unattainable.
• Example: “Trying to find my keys in the messy room was a wild goose chase.”

With a Grain of Salt

• Meaning: To view something with skepticism or not to take it too seriously.
• Example: “He’s known to exaggerate, so take his stories with a grain of salt.”

Wouldn’t Harm a Fly

• Meaning: Describing someone who is very gentle and incapable of causing harm to anyone.
• Example: “Despite his tough appearance, he wouldn’t harm a fly.”

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