Idioms and Expressions: Middle School: Idioms and Expressions, List 4

This list includes expressions from languages other than English, and much more.
10 words 185 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. at large
    having escaped, especially from confinement
    We are also working to determine any accomplices or known associates who may still be at large. Love, Hate & Other Filters
  2. in the long run
    after a very lengthy period of time
    The efforts required to bond with young families aren’t on many lists of fun ways to spend an evening, but so often it’s worth it in the long run. Washington Post (Oct 21, 2015)
  3. vice versa
    with the order reversed
    If something is not alive, then it’s dead, and vice versa. The Sense of Style
  4. bottom line
    the crucial or decisive point
    The bottom line is, if you stay home, your message stays home with you. Proud
  5. status quo
    the existing state of affairs
    People tended to reconcile themselves to the status quo, declaring that ‘this is how it always was, and this is how it always will be’. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
  6. prima donna
    a vain and temperamental person
    In a field known for prima donnas, Noseda appears to be widely loved. Washington Post (Jan 7, 2016)
  7. full-fledged
    having gained complete status
    By the end of senior year, he was finally single, and our friendship evolved into full-fledged coupledom. Americanized
  8. on the fence
    characterized by uncertainty or indecision
    I’m on the fence as to what your plan of action should be. The Guardian (Feb 5, 2017)
  9. eleventh hour
    the latest possible moment
    It was scrapped this week at the eleventh hour when the government removed it from parliament moments before it was due to be voted into law. BBC (May 27, 2011)
  10. long-winded
    using or containing too many words
    “Get to the point,” they say in the middle of a particularly long-winded tale. New York Times (Aug 29, 2020)
Created on Tue Jun 03 13:38:18 EDT 2025

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.