Learning idioms is one of the easiest ways to sound more natural and confident in English. Native American speakers use idioms in everyday conversations without even realizing it. These expressions & idioms add emotion, humor, and clarity to their speech. And that’s why English learners must understand them too.
Some common idioms with letter E are – Early bird, End of the Line, Eleventh Hour, Eye for an Eye, Easy as Pie etc. On this page, you’ll find all important idioms starting with E. Each idiom includes a simple meaning and an easy example. So, you can use them in daily conversations, writing tasks, and even English exams like IELTS and TOEFL.
We regularly update this page to add more commonly used American idioms, exam-friendly idioms, and conversational phrases used by native speakers.
List of Idioms Starting With E
Eagle-Eyed
Meaning: Having very sharp vision or noticing small details
Example: The editor was eagle-eyed when spotting typos.
Early Bird
Meaning: Someone who rises early or arrives before others
Example: The early bird gets the worm.
Early Bird Special
Meaning: A discount or deal offered to customers who arrive early
Example: We took advantage of the early bird special at the restaurant.
Easy as Pie
Meaning: Very simple or easy to do
Example: The test was easy as pie.
Eat Crow
Meaning: Admit one was wrong and accept humiliation
Example: He had to eat crow after his prediction failed.
Eat Humble Pie
Meaning: To acknowledge one’s mistake and apologize
Example: She had to eat humble pie after her rude comments.
Eat Someone’s Lunch
Meaning: Defeat someone thoroughly, especially in competition
Example: The new startup is eating the big company’s lunch.
Eat Your Heart Out!
Meaning: A phrase telling someone to be jealous
Example: I got front-row tickets — eat your heart out!
Eighty-Six
Meaning: To cancel, discard, or eject someone
Example: The bartender eighty-sixed the rowdy customer.
Elephant in the Room
Meaning: An obvious problem no one wants to address
Example: The budget crisis is the elephant in the room.
Elevator Music
Meaning: Bland, background music
Example: The lobby was filled with boring elevator music.
Elevator Pitch
Meaning: A short persuasive presentation
Example: She delivered her startup idea in a quick elevator pitch.
Eleventh Hour
Meaning: At the very last moment
Example: They reached an agreement at the eleventh hour.
End of One’s Rope
Meaning: Running out of patience or energy
Example: After days without sleep, I was at the end of my rope.
End of the Line
Meaning: The conclusion of something
Example: When the funding dried up, it was the end of the line for the project.
Enough Rope to Hang Oneself
Meaning: Enough freedom for someone to make mistakes
Example: The boss gave him enough rope to hang himself on the project.
Even Steven
Meaning: Equally balanced; tied
Example: After the trade, they were even steven.
Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining
Meaning: Something good can come from a bad situation
Example: Losing the job was tough, but every cloud has a silver lining.
Every Dog Has His Day
Meaning: Everyone gets a chance at success eventually
Example: Don’t worry — every dog has his day.
Every Man and His Dog
Meaning: Everyone; a large number of people
Example: Every man and his dog showed up at the sale.
Every Man for Himself
Meaning: Acting only for your own benefit, with no regard for others
Example: When the fire alarm rang, it was every man for himself.
Excused Boots
Meaning: Exempt from a duty or responsibility
Example: Because of his injury, he was excused boots during training.
Eye Candy
Meaning: Attractive but superficial
Example: The new movie is pure eye candy with little plot.
Eye for an Eye
Meaning: Justice where punishment equals the crime
Example: He wanted an eye for an eye after being cheated.
Eye of the Storm
Meaning: The calm center of chaos
Example: She remained calm in the eye of the storm.
Eyes Bigger Than One’s Stomach
Meaning: Taking more food than one can eat
Example: His eyes were bigger than his stomach at the buffet.
Eyes in the Back of One’s Head
Meaning: Being very aware of what’s happening around
Example: Teachers seem to have eyes in the back of their heads.
Earn One’s Keep
Meaning: To work hard enough to justify one’s place or wages
Example: She earns her keep by helping with all the household work.
Ease Off
Meaning: To reduce pressure, intensity, or effort
Example: The traffic finally eased off after 9 PM.
Ease Up
Meaning: Become less severe or intense
Example: The rain should ease up in an hour.
Eat Like a Bird
Meaning: Eat very little
Example: She’s so health-conscious that she eats like a bird.
Eat Like a Horse
Meaning: Eat a lot
Example: After practice, the players ate like horses.
Eat One’s Words
Meaning: Take back what one said
Example: He had to eat his words when the plan succeeded.
Egg on One’s Face
Meaning: Feel embarrassed or foolish
Example: The company had egg on its face after the failed launch.
Egg Someone On
Meaning: Encourage someone to do something risky
Example: His friends egged him on to try the stunt.
Elbow Grease
Meaning: Hard physical effort
Example: With a little elbow grease, the old table looked new again.
Elbow Room
Meaning: Enough space to move
Example: The hall was crowded and we barely had any elbow room.
End All, Be All
Meaning: The most important thing
Example: Winning isn’t the end all, be all of life.
End in Smoke
Meaning: Result in nothing; fail
Example: All his big plans ended in smoke.
End with a Bang
Meaning: Finish in an exciting or impressive way
Example: The festival ended with a bang—fireworks lit up the sky.
Enough is Enough
Meaning: No more can be tolerated
Example: After hours of noise, she finally said, “Enough is enough!”
Escape by the Skin of One’s Teeth
Meaning: Barely escape danger
Example: We caught the train by the skin of our teeth.
Everybody and His Brother
Meaning: Many people; almost everyone
Example: Everybody and his brother came to the carnival.
Everything but the Kitchen Sink
Meaning: Nearly everything imaginable
Example: They packed everything but the kitchen sink for the picnic.
Eyes on the Prize
Meaning: Stay focused on the goal
Example: Keep your eyes on the prize—exam success.
Eye-Opener
Meaning: Something surprising that teaches you something
Example: The workshop was an eye-opener for all new employees.
Eye to Eye
Meaning: Agree completely
Example: They finally saw eye to eye on the project plan.
Eye Up (Someone/Something)
Meaning: Look at with interest or curiosity
Example: She eyed up the dress in the shop window.
Next Letter: Explore Idioms Beginning with F.
Which idioms starting with E are used most in IELTS?
The most common IELTS-friendly E idioms are:
Every cloud has a silver lining – useful for speaking answers about problems & optimism
End of the line – good for describing change or finality
Eye of the storm – useful in describing pressure situations
Early bird – fits lifestyle and routine questions
Easy as pie – good for informal speaking parts
Elephant in the room – excellent for Task 2 essays about ignored issues
Browse the full A–Z Idioms Collection to explore hundreds of idioms with meanings and examples, arranged alphabetically for quick learning.