English Idioms and Expressions
Idioms: Ambition and Determination-1,
from: 'at all costs'
to: 'explore all avenues'
- at all costs
- If you are determined to obtain or achieve
something at all costs, you want it regardless of the expense, effort or
sacrifice involved.
"The journalist was determined at all costs to get a report from the war zone."
- If you are determined to obtain or achieve
something at all costs, you want it regardless of the expense, effort or
sacrifice involved.
- avowed intent
- When someone makes a public declaration of
their objective or goal, this is their
avowed intent.
"The avowed intent of the new government is to reduce unemployment."
- When someone makes a public declaration of
their objective or goal, this is their
avowed intent.
- beard the lion in his den
- If you
go to visit someone important in the
place where they work, in order to challenge
him/her or obtain something,
you beard the lion in his den.
"If he continues to refuse my calls, I'll have to beard the lion in his den."
- If you
go to visit someone important in the
place where they work, in order to challenge
him/her or obtain something,
you beard the lion in his den.
- (have a) bee in your bonnet
- Someone who has a
bee in their bonnet has an idea which constantly occupies their thoughts.
"She's got a bee in her bonnet about moving to New York."
- Someone who has a
bee in their bonnet has an idea which constantly occupies their thoughts.
- beyond your wildest dreams
- If something is beyond your wildest
dreams, it is better than you imagined or hoped for.
"The research team received a grant from the government that was beyond their wildest dreams."
- If something is beyond your wildest
dreams, it is better than you imagined or hoped for.
- blood, sweat and tears
- A project or action which involves
blood, sweat and tears requires a lot of effort and hard work.
"His success wasn't due to luck; it was blood, sweat and tears all the way."
- A project or action which involves
blood, sweat and tears requires a lot of effort and hard work.
- have something on the brain
- If you have something on the brain,
you think or talk abut it all constantly.
"He never stops talking about golf. He has golf on the brain!"
- If you have something on the brain,
you think or talk abut it all constantly.
- (a) bridge too far
- A bridge too far is an action, goal or aim which is too ambitious and can potentially lead to difficulty or failure.
"Alex is clever, but in my opinion taking the higher exam would be a bridge too far for him.”
- A bridge too far is an action, goal or aim which is too ambitious and can potentially lead to difficulty or failure.
- buckle down
- If you buckle down, you apply
yourself with determination to hard work and
give it your full attention.
"If you want to pass your exams, you'll have to buckle down and do some serious work."
- If you buckle down, you apply
yourself with determination to hard work and
give it your full attention.
- dig in your heels
- If you dig in your heels, you
refuse to do something, especially if someone is trying to convince you to do so.
"My grandfather dug in his heels and refused to move to an apartment."
- If you dig in your heels, you
refuse to do something, especially if someone is trying to convince you to do so.
- eager beaver
- The term eager beaver refers to a person who is hardworking and
enthusiastic, sometimes considered overzealous.
"The new accountant works all the time - first to arrive and last to leave. He's a real eager beaver!"
- The term eager beaver refers to a person who is hardworking and
enthusiastic, sometimes considered overzealous.
- explore all avenues
- If you explore all avenues, you
try out every possibility in order to obtain a result or find a solution.
"We can't say it's impossible until we've explored all avenues."
- If you explore all avenues, you
try out every possibility in order to obtain a result or find a solution.
More Idioms:
Ambition-Determination ...
Alphabetical lists: