Life and death are both natural and relevant to every person. Perhaps that’s why there are so many idioms related to them, using them as motifs and sources of inspiration. Today, we’d like to focus on some of these expressions. They are vivid and memorable, capable of enhancing your speech and helping you convey your ideas aptly. So, read on.

Life

In this section, we’d like to present 10 idioms all related to life, each either encouraging a particular way of thinking or wise action, or stating a timeless truth. Here is our selection.

Idiom	Meaning	Example
Make hay while the sun shines	take advantage of an opportunity while it is available or favorable	Sarah knew she had to make hay while the sun shines and finish her thesis /ˈθiːsɪs/ during summer break, when she had fewer distractions and more time to focus.
Don’t cry over spilled milk	don’t be upset about something that has already happened and cannot be changed	I accidentally deleted my project files, but there’s no use crying over spilled milk; I need to start over and redo it.
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket	don’t invest all of your resources, hopes, or efforts in a single venture, as it could lead to total loss if that venture fails	I’m diversifying my investments because I know it’s risky to put all my eggs in one basket.
Look before you leap	take careful consideration and evaluate the consequences before making a decision or taking action	Before accepting the job offer, I decided to look before I leap and research the company’s reputation and work culture.
You can’t have your cake and eat it too	one cannot have everything they want, especially if those things are contradictory or mutually exclusive	She wants to quit her job but still expects a promotion. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.
Haste makes waste	rushing through a task can result in mistakes that require more time and effort to fix than if the task had been done carefully and thoughtfully	I tried to finish the report quickly, but I made so many errors. Haste makes waste, indeed.
You reap what you sow /səʊ/	the consequences of your actions will eventually catch up with you	He cheated his colleagues, and now he’s facing distrust from everyone. You reap what you sow.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way	determination and perseverance can overcome obstacles or challenges	She was determined to learn a new language, and where there’s a will, there’s a way—she enrolled in classes and practiced daily.
The early bird catches the worm	be early or prompt in taking advantage of opportunities	He arrived at the sale right when it opened and found the best deals. The early bird catches the worm, after all.
Every cloud has a silver lining /ˈlaɪnɪŋ/	even in difficult or challenging situations, something positive or beneficial can be found	Losing the competition was disappointing, but every cloud has a silver lining—I made valuable connections and learned a lot.

Practice 1

Exercise 1. Click the link here and choose the right idiom to complete the sentences.

Death

In this section, allow us to present another 10 idioms related to death, dying, and being dead.

Idiom	Meaning	Example
To kick the bucket*	to die	After a long illness, the old man finally kicked the bucket peacefully in his sleep.
To bite the dust*	1) to die 2) to fail, or to be defeated or destroyed	1) The soldier bravely fought but eventually bit the dust in the final battle of the war. 2) His career bit the dust when he lost his job.
To meet your maker**	to die	After a lifetime of devotion to his faith, he was ready to meet his maker when the time came.
To push up daisies**	to be dead and buried	He’s been pushing up daisies for ten years now.
To go to the great beyond	to die	She went to the great beyond peacefully in her sleep.
To give up the ghost	1) to die 2) (of a machine) to stop working	1) The elderly cat gave up the ghost last night after a long and happy life. 2) The old car finally gave up the ghost on the side of the road.
To meet one’s end	to die	Please stop speeding, I don’t want to meet my end today!
To breathe one’s last	to die	After a long battle with cancer, she breathed her last surrounded by family.
Dead as a doornail*	completely dead	By the time they found him, he was as dead as a doornail.
Six feet under	buried in a grave	After he passed away, he was laid to rest six feet under in the family plot.

* Be extra careful with idioms like ‘dead as a doornail,’ ‘bite the dust,’ and ‘kick the bucket.’ They are very informal and can sound offensive and insensitive if used inappropriately — for example, in a setting with grieving people.

**’To meet your maker’ and ‘to push up daisies’ are humorous idioms, and so they can sound insensitive and hurtful if used inappropriately — in the wrong place or at the wrong time, with the wrong people. So, be careful.

Practice 3

Exercise 2. Click the link here and match the pictures with the idioms you associate them with.

Exercise 3. Click the link here and choose the right word to complete the text.

Would you like to enhance your vocabulary with more interesting idioms? Explore our blog’s Vocabulary category for similar content. Of course, don’t forget to subscribe so you won’t miss anything. When it comes to improving your vocabulary, remember that where there’s a will, there’s a way. 😉