Why is idioms and phrases important for exams like AFCAT, NDA, and CDS?

idioms and phrases is crucial because they help improve vocabulary. It makes easier to answer related questions accurately and efficiently in competitive exams.

How can candidates effectively learn idioms and phrases for AFCAT, NDA, and CDS exams?

Candidates can effectively learn idioms and phrases by understanding their meanings through examples and comparing them with similar expressions in their native language.

Idioms and Phrases for AFCAT, NDA, CDS Exam

Table of Contents

Idioms and Phrases is a topic that is often remembered in the studies of students, whether it is a primary student or a graduation student, or a competitive exam student. Idioms and Phrases is a section for everyone. If we talk about NDA, CDS and AFCAT exams, then this is also an important section in them. Idioms and Phrases are an important part of the English section in competitive exams like NDA, CDS and AFCAT. Idioms and Phrases help to improve vocabulary and provide a better understanding of common English expressions. Since the meanings of idioms often differ from the literal meanings of their individual words, it is necessary to learn and practice them. A strong understanding of idioms enhances language skills and makes it easier to solve related questions in idioms and phrases exams.

Idioms and Phrases for AFCAT, NDA, CDS Exam

The frequent occurrence of idioms and phrases in exams like NDA, CDS, and AFCAT highlights their importance in competitive exam preparation. Mastering these can significantly boost your score. Understanding idioms through examples or by comparing them with similar expressions in your native language makes learning simpler and more effective. This article presents a collection of idioms and phrases commonly featured in competitive exams like NDA, CDS, and AFCAT. Candidates are encouraged to study these idioms and phrases thoroughly to strengthen their vocabulary and enhance their performance in the upcoming exams.

AFCAT, NDA, CDS Exam Idioms and Phrases

Idioms and phrases are essential components of the English section in exams like AFCAT, NDA and CDS. These expressions test the candidate’s understanding of language nuances and vocabulary. Gaining knowledge in idioms helps candidates in comprehension, communication skills and efficiency in answering exam questions. Below are some idioms and phrases that will help you in your exam.

Idioms and Phrases	Meaning
A bolt from the blue	Something unexpected
Call a spade a spade	Speak frankly and directly
Beating around the bush	Avoiding the main topic
At daggers drawn	Bitterly hostile
Kill two birds with one stone	Achieve two results with one effort
At arm’s length	To keep at a distance
Cry over spilled milk	Complaining about a loss or failure from the past
To eat humble pie	To apologize humbly under humiliating circumstances
Feather one’s own nest	Make money unfairly
Turn a deaf ear	Ignore or disregard
Smell a rat	Suspect something foul
Bark up the wrong tree	Accuse or blame the wrong person
A hard nut to crack	A difficult problem
At sixes and sevens	In a disorganized or chaotic state
Take one to task	Rebuke
Out of the question	Impossible
By fits and starts	In short periods, not regularly
A thorn in the flesh	A constant source of annoyance
On tenterhooks	In a state of suspense or anxiety
A wee bit	A little
Throw out of gear	Disturb the functioning of something
Cross one’s t’s and dot one’s i’s	Be precise and careful
Burn the midnight oil	Study or work hard
At home	Comfortable
Rain cats and dogs	Rain heavily
Let the cat out of the bag	Reveal a secret
To play ducks and drakes	To act foolishly
Die in harness	Die while in service
Tooth and nail	With all one’s power
Keep one at bay	Keep someone at a distance
Bring to light	Disclose
Gain ground	Become popular
Burn one’s boats	Commit irreversibly
In high spirits	Very happy
Alpha and omega	The beginning and the end
A man of straw	A man of no substance
Like a fish out of water	In an unfamiliar or uncomfortable situation
A brown study	Daydreaming
By leaps and bounds	Rapidly
At sea	Confused and lost
To cut a sorry figure	Make a poor impression
Add fuel to the fire	Aggravate the situation
To burn one’s fingers	Suffer from interfering in someone else’s affairs
A big gun	An important person
Once in a blue moon	Something that happens very rarely
An axe to grind	A personal interest or agenda
Make up one’s mind	Decide
To move heaven and earth	Make a supreme effort
The pros and cons	Consider both advantages and disadvantages
To bell the cat	Face a risk
Make a clean breast of it	Confess

Idioms and Phrases MCQ

This MCQ set focuses on common idioms and their meanings, helping aspirants improve their vocabulary and enhance their performance in exams like NDA, CDS, and AFCAT.

Directions (1-10): Choose the correct meanings of the given idioms.

Q1. Bear the palm

(a) To face the consequences

(b) To meet death

(d) To win

Q2. To give the devil his due

(a) To punish the wrong person

(b) To give credit to even a notorious person

(d) To stand in the way of the devil

Q3. To have a finger in every pie

(a) To Fight with everybody

(b) To be involved in a large and varied number of activities or enterprises

(d) To leave every job unfinished

Q4. To make up one’s mind

(a) To be prepared for unfavorable outcomes

(b) To make a decision; decide

(d) To psyche oneself into believing that the task at hand is not impossible

Q5. To Have bitten off more than you can chew

(a) To eat voraciously and then fall sick

(b) To behave disrespectfully towards elders and then repent the act

(d) To have missed a golden opportunity and after that willing to put twice the effort to recover the loss

Q6. Out of print

(a) Not able to print due to being short on paper

(b) A book no longer available from the publisher

(d) All publishers refuse to publish your book

Q7. To hit the nail on the head

(a) To take out frustration by beating a person

(b) To make a wrong decision

(d) To unwittingly fall into a trap

Q8. On thin ice

(a) To keep failing after repeated efforts

(b) To endure a harsh winter

(d) In a precarious or risky situation

Q9. To heave a sigh of relief

(a) To become very tired with routine or boring work

(b) To suddenly feel very happy because something unpleasant has not happened or has ended

(d) To Feel silent anger over real or perceived injustice

Q10. To be on cloud nine

(a) To be extremely happy

(b) To feel lucky

(d) To make one last attempt

Solutions

S1. Ans.(d)

Sol. Bear the palm: to win.

S2. Ans.(b)

Sol. To give the devil his due: if someone or something generally considered bad or undeserving has any redeeming features these should be acknowledged.

S3. Ans.(b)

Sol. To have a finger in every pie: be involved in a large and varied number of activities or enterprises.

S4. Ans.(b)

Sol. To make up one’s mind: to make a decision.

S5. Ans.(c)

Sol. To Have bitten off more than you can chew: To take on more responsibility than one can handle.

S6. Ans.(b)

Sol. Out of print: no longer available from the publisher.

S7. Ans.(c)

Sol. To hit the nail on the head: to find exactly the right answer.

S8. Ans.(d)

Sol. On thin ice: in a precarious or risky situation.