50 Animal related idioms will help you strengthen your English tremendously. Animal idioms cover almost all the idioms for animals.
A cold fish
Meaning: an aloof unemotional person (تنہائی پسند شخص)
Sentence: Amjad rarely talks his colleagues. He’s cold fish.
Back the wrong horse
Meaning: support the wrong person. (غلط شخص کی حمایت)
Sentence: I was convinced he would win but I back the wrong horse!
Back up the wrong tree
Meaning: to make the wrong choice; to follow the wrong course (غلط راہ پر چلنا/ٹامک ٹوئی کرنا)
Sentence: The police are barking up the wrong tree if they think Asif stole the car.
Have ants in one’s pants
Meaning: be restless or excited (بے چین یا پر جوش ہونا)
Sentence: This child just can’t sit still: she must have ants in her pants.
Bat out of hell
Meaning: move very quickly (تیز قدموں سے چلنا)
Sentence: He grabbed the envelope and ran like a bat out of hell.
Eager beaver
Meaning: alert and energetic person (محنتی ، سر گرم یا جوشیلا شخص)
Sentence: The new accountant works all the time. He’s a real eager beaver!
Bee in one’s bonnet
Meaning: an occupying idea (سر پر سوار خیال / خبط)
Sentence: She’s got a bee in her bonnet about moving to Karachi.
Go to the dogs
Meaning: to deteriorate, to become bad (تباہ ہونا/بدحال ہونا)
Sentence: Many things in our city have gone to the dogs during the last ten years.
Have bats in one’s belfry
Meaning: to be a little bit crazy (سنکی یا خبطی ہونا)
Sentence: I think that our neighbor has bats in his belfry.
Take bull by the horns
Meaning: act decisively to deal with a problem (ڈٹ کر سامنا کرنا)
Sentence: When the argument turned into a fight, I took the bull by the horn and called the police.
Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: reveal a secret (رازافشاں کرنا/بلی تھیلے سے باہر نکالنا)
Sentence: We are planning a surprise party for Asha. Don’t let the cat out of the bag.
Like a cat on hot bricks
Meaning: nervous or restless (بے چین/پرشان)
Sentence: The week before the result were published. She was like a cat on hot bricks.
Rain cats and dog
Meaning: rain very heavily (زوروں کی بارش ہونا/موسلا دھار بارش ہونا)
Sentence: We‘ll have to cancel the picnic I’m afraid. It’s raining cats and dogs.
Chicken feed
Meaning: A meager amount (اونٹ کے منہ میں زیرہ/آٹے میں نمک کے برابر)
Sentence: I got the job during the holidays but the pay was chicken feed.
Chicken out of
Meaning: decided against something; stay away (حصہ نہ لینا /پرے پرے رہنا)
Sentence: He decided to join a karate class. But chickened out the last minute.
A cash cow
Meaning: regular source of income (مستقل ذریعہ آمدن)
Sentence: His latest invention turned out to be a real cash cow.
Till the cows come home
Meaning: for a long time or forever (ہمیشہ کے لیے /طویل عرصے کے لیے)
Sentence: you can ask till the cows come home but I’m not buying your scooter!
Shed crocodile tears
Meaning: shed falls tears or show insincere grief (مگر مچھ کے آنسو بہانا/ ٹسوے بہنا)
Sentence: The child wasn’t hurt. But she shed crocodile tears any way.
Eat crow
Meaning: admit your fault and apologies (غلطی ماننا اور معذرت کرنا)
Sentence: He had no option but eat crow and admit that this analysis was wrong.
Dog’s breakfast
Meaning: complete mass (بکھری ہوئی چیزوں / جہاں ہر چیز بے تر تیب ہو)
Sentence: The new secretary made a dog’s breakfast out of the filing system.
Like a dog with two tails
Meaning: extremely happy (انتہائی خوش)
Sentence: When Asim won the first prize, he was like dogs with two tails.
My dogs are barking
Meaning: my feet are hurting (میرے پاؤں میں درد ہے)
Sentence: I’ve been shopping all day. My dogs are barking!
Donkey’s work
Meaning: unpleasant or boring work (آسان کام)
Sentence: I do the donkey work, my boss gets the credit!
Sitting duck
Meaning: an easy target, a person who is easy to deceive. (سادہ لوح/ آسان شکار)
Sentence: The young was a sitting duck for the photographer.
Fly in the ointment
Meaning: hindrance, problem (کوئی رکاوٹ یا مسئلہ)
Sentence: Ali’s poor English was a fly in the ointment when he applied for the job.
Sly as a fox
Meaning: cunning and clever (لومڑی جیسا چالاک / عیار)
Sentence: Be wary of that insurance salesman. He’s sly as a fox.
Knee-high to the grasshopper
Meaning: very young or a child (بچہ)
Sentence: Look how tall you are! Last time I saw you. You were knee-high to a grasshopper.
Flog a dead horse
Meaning: waste energy on a lost cause (گڑے مردے اکھاڑنا)
Sentence: Ali is beating a dead horse trying to get his money back from Assad.
Straight from horse’s mouth
Meaning: information from direct source (باخبرترین ذریعے سے/ براہ راست متعلقہ شخص سے)
Sentence: I got it straight from the horse’s mouth. Sami told me that he was going to resign.
Lion’s share
Meaning: largest portion or the best part (بڑا یا بہترین راستہ)
Sentence: The lion’s share of our country’s budget goes for defense.
Monkey business
Meaning: deceitful practice; something wrong(گڑبڑ/دھوکا بازی)
Sentence: The result seem suspicious. I think there’s some monkey business going on.
Quiet as a mouse
Meaning: completely quiet(با لکل خاموش)
Sentence: The burglar was quiet as a mouse as he moved around the house.
Stubborn as a mule
Meaning: very obstinate and stubborn(انتہائی ضدی یا ڈھیٹ)
Sentence: His friends advised him to accept the offer. but Ali is stubborn as a mule!
Stool pigeon (مخبر)
Meaning: informer
Sentence: I don’t trust Javed. He’s a stool pigeon for the management.
Smell a rat
Meaning: suspect that something is wrong(گڑبڑ محسوس کرنا)
Sentence: The profit announced are abnormally low. I smell a rat.
Snake in the grass
Meaning: a treacherous or deceitful person (آستین کا سانپ/ چھپا دشمن)
Sentence: I thought I could trust my colleague but he turned out to be a snake in the grass.
Paper tiger
Meaning: less powerful than it appears(کاغذی شیر/ دکھاوے کا بہادر)
Sentence: He threatens to take strong action but he’s just another paper tiger.
Whale of a time
Meaning: enjoy a lot (خوب لطف اٹھانا)
Sentence: We had a whale of a time at the party last night.
Wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning: look harmless bur really very dangerous.( بھیڑ کی کھال میں بھیڑیا / چھپادشمن )
Sentence: Be careful. He looks kind but in fact he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Donkey’s years
Meaning: a very long time (طویل عرصہ)
Sentence: He Knows the town inside out .He’s been living here for donkey’s year.
Meaning: suspect that something is wrong(گڑبڑ محسوس کرنا)
Sentence: The profit announced are abnormally low. I smell a rat.
Snake in the grass
Meaning: a treacherous or deceitful person (آستین کا سانپ/ چھپا دشمن)
Sentence: I thought I could trust my colleague but he turned out to be a snake in the grass.
Paper tiger
Meaning: less powerful than it appears(کاغذی شیر/ دکھاوے کا بہادر)
Sentence: He threatens to take strong action but he’s just another paper tiger.
Whale of a time
Meaning: enjoy a lot (خوب لطف اٹھانا)
Sentence: We had a whale of a time at the party last night.
Wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning: look harmless bur really very dangerous.( بھیڑ کی کھال میں بھیڑیا / چھپادشمن )
Sentence: Be careful. He looks kind but in fact he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Donkey’s years
Meaning: a very long time (طویل عرصہ)
Sentence: He Knows the town inside out .He’s been living here for donkey’s year.
