Idioms that Begin with Prepositions

At

ü  At Any Rate: whatever happens or is happening

ü  At One's Disposal: available for one’s use

ü  At Fault: causing a problem or accident

ü  At First: in the beginning

ü  At Last: finally, after some delay (connotes a feeling of exhaustion after a long period of waiting)

ü  At A Loss: unsure of what to do or say; speechless

Behind

o   Behind The Scenes: influencing events secretly; unseen

Beside

ü  Beside The Point: irrelevant

By

ü  By Accident: not on purpose

ü  By All Means: by any possible method

ü  By Hand: without the use of machinery

ü  By Heart: from memory

ü  By Mistake: accidentally

ü  By Oneself: alone

ü  By The Way: incidentally (used to introduce a new, unrelated topic)

For

ü  For Good: permanently

ü  For A Living: as a profession

ü  For One Thing: because of one reason (out of several)

ü  For Sale: intended to be sold

ü  For Sure: definitely

ü  For Now/ For The Time Being: until some other arrangement/decision is made

ü  For A While: for a period of time

From

ü  From Scratch: from raw ingredients/materials; without anything pre-made

ü  From Time To Time: occasionally

In

ü  In Advance: before something begins; early

ü  In Any Case: whatever happens

ü  In Charge: in command; responsible for

ü  In Common: shared by two or more people

ü  In Danger: likely to be harmed (opposite: out of danger/out of harm’s way)

ü  In A Daze: unable to think clearly; confused

ü  In Debt: owing money (opposite: out of debt)

ü  In Demand: wanted by many people

ü  In The End: after everything is finished (describes a final outcome)

ü  In Fact: in reality; really

ü  In A Hurry: doing something quickly

ü  In Itself: without anything else

ü  In The Long Run: in the end; eventually

ü  In Mint Condition: perfect; as though brand-new

ü  In A Minute/Moment/Second: soon; quickly (used to tell how much longer it will be until something happens)

ü  In No Time: very soon; very quickly (used to tell how quickly something happened)

ü  In Season: (fruit or vegetables) ripe and available for sale at that time of year (opposite: out of season)

ü  In Trouble: blamed or punished for doing something wrong; in a difficult situation (opposite: out of trouble)

ü  In Vain: without success

ü  In The Wrong: responsible for an error; guilty

Inside

ü  Inside Out: with the inner side out

Of

ü  Of Course: certainly; as one would expect; as everyone knows

Off

ü  Off And On: (describes a situation that exists at some times, but not others, over a period of time)

On

ü  On Account Of: because of

ü  On The Air: in the process of broadcasting (on radio or television)

ü  On All Fours: (people) on hands and knees; (animals) on all four feet

ü  On Demand: when requested or demanded

ü  On Fire: burning; in flames (not burning as in turning black from staying in the oven too long)

ü  On Hand: available; in stock

ü  On The Lookout: watchful

ü  On The One Hand: (used to introduce the first side of an argument)

ü  On One's Own: alone; without assistance

ü  On The Other Hand: alternatively (used with “on the one hand” to introduce a contrasting side of an argument)

ü  On Purpose: deliberately

ü  On Sale: being sold at a reduced price

ü  On Second Thought: after thinking further

ü  On A Shoestring: with very little money

ü  On The Spur Of The Moment: spontaneously; on a sudden impulse

ü  On Time: at the correct time

ü  On The Verge Of: very close to (an achievement)

Out

ü  Out Of The Blue: unexpectedly

ü  Out Of Breath: panting from a shortage of oxygen (usually due to physical exertion)

ü  Out Of Character: different from a person's known character

ü  Out Of Order: not functioning

ü  Out Of The Ordinary: unusual

ü  Out Of Practice: unable to do something as well as one once could because of lack of recent practice

ü  Out Of The Question: not to be considered; not an option

ü  Out Of Shape: not in top physical condition because of lack of exercise (opposite: in shape)

ü  Out Of Sight: not able to be seen; hidden (opposite: in sight)

ü  Out Of Town: not in the city/town where one normally resides (opposite: in town)

ü  Out Of Tune: (of music/musical instruments) not at the correct pitch (opposite: in tune)

ü  Out Of Work: unemployed

To

ü  To A Certain Extent: partly

Under

ü  Under One's Breath: in a whisper; not intending to be heard

ü  Under The Circumstances: because of the current situation/circumstance

ü  Under Control: able to be controlled or influenced (opposites: out of control/out of hand)

ü  Under Fire: being shot at; being criticized

ü  Under The Impression That: having the idea/belief that

ü  Under The Influence Of: affected by (usually alcohol or drugs)

Up

ü  Up In The Air: uncertain (with regard to the outcome of a situation)

With

ü  With The Naked Eye: without the use of a lens

ü  With Regard/Respect To: concerning; about

ü  With A Vengeance: more than usual; angrily

Within

ü  Within Reason: that is reasonable