Idioms have a special meaning that people understand through common use. When we want to say something is great, we often use idioms to make it more interesting.
In this article, we’ll explore idioms for great things, explain what they mean, and show you how to use them in sentences.
Something great is like a towering mountain, casting a shadow over the landscape and standing as a symbol of awe-inspiring magnificence. For more comparisons to describe something as great, you can check this link: Similes for great. And for a variety of metaphors related to greatness, you can explore this link: Metaphors for great.
What is an Idiom for Great?
Idioms for great things are fun and creative ways to express admiration or excitement about something outstanding.
These phrases can add color and enthusiasm to your conversations. Let’s break down the meaning of each idiom and provide examples of how to use them:
| Idiom | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| The bee’s knees | Something excellent or outstanding. | “That new movie everyone’s talking about is the bee’s knees; you should definitely watch it.” |
| The cat’s pajamas | Something or someone truly special and impressive. | “The dessert she made for the party was the cat’s pajamas; everyone loved it.” |
| The cream of the crop | The best of the best; the highest quality. | “Only the cream of the crop students are selected for the scholarship program.” |
| Top-notch | Of the highest quality; excellent. | “The service at that restaurant is always top-notch; I highly recommend it.” |
| A cut above | Superior or better than others. | “Her performance in the competition was a cut above the rest; she deserves the first prize.” |
| Out of this world | Exceptional and beyond ordinary; amazing. | “The view from the mountaintop was out of this world; I’ve never seen anything like it.” |
| A dime a dozen | Very common and easy to find. | “In the city, coffee shops are a dime a dozen; you can find one on almost every street.” |
| A sight for sore eyes | Something or someone pleasant or comforting to see. | “After a long day at work, my cozy home is always a sight for sore eyes.” |
| First-rate | Of the highest quality; excellent or outstanding. | “The hotel we stayed in was first-rate, with impeccable service.” |
| A whale of a time | To have a lot of fun or a great time. | “At the amusement park, we had a whale of a time riding all the roller coasters.” |
| A real McCoy | Something or someone genuine, not fake. | “This antique watch is a real McCoy; it’s worth a fortune.” |
| The best thing since sliced bread | Highly regarded and considered an amazing invention or development. | “Smartphones are often called the best thing since sliced bread because of all their features.” |
| Second to none | The best, with no equal; unrivaled. | “Her dedication to her work is second to none; she’s the most hardworking person I know.” |
| In a league of its own | Superior and incomparable to others. | “Their customer service is in a league of its own; it sets a new standard.” |
| Head and shoulders above | Significantly better or superior to something else. | “Her singing talent is head and shoulders above the other contestants.” |
| The icing on the cake | Something extra that makes an already good thing even better. | “Winning the lottery was amazing, but getting a surprise vacation was the icing on the cake.” |
| The crรจme de la crรจme | The very best; the highest quality. | “The crรจme de la crรจme of the art world attended the gallery opening.” |
| To be on cloud nine | To be extremely happy or delighted. | “After receiving the scholarship, she was on cloud nine for days.” |
| The cherry on top | Something extra that adds to the enjoyment or perfection of a situation. | “The fireworks display was the cherry on top of our unforgettable Fourth of July celebration.” |
| The pick of the litter | The best choice or selection from a group. | “Out of all the job offers, this one is definitely the pick of the litter; it offers the highest salary and benefits.” |
| A knockout | Something or someone extremely impressive or stunning. | “Her performance in the talent show was a knockout; everyone was in awe.” |
| To hit the jackpot | To achieve great success or find something highly valuable or lucky. | “Winning the lottery felt like hitting the jackpot; it was life-changing.” |
| To be in seventh heaven | To be in a state of extreme happiness or bliss. | “After their engagement, they felt like they were in seventh heaven; they couldn’t stop smiling.” |
| To be the bee’s knees | To be excellent or outstanding. | “Her artwork is the bee’s knees; it’s admired by art enthusiasts worldwide.” |
| To be a hotshot | To be someone who is very successful, skillful, or important. | “In the world of technology, he’s considered a hotshot; he’s launched several successful startups.” |
| To be the best thing since sliced bread | To be highly regarded and fantastic. | “The new electric car is the best thing since sliced bread; it’s eco-friendly and cost-effective.” |
Idioms for Great
1. The bee’s knees
Meaning: Something that is excellent, wonderful, or outstanding.
In a Sentence: “That new movie everyone’s talking about is the bee’s knees; you should definitely watch it.”
2. The cat’s pajamas
Meaning: Something or someone that is truly special and impressive.
In a Sentence: “The dessert she made for the party was the cat’s pajamas; everyone loved it.”
3. The cream of the crop
Meaning: The best of the best; the highest quality.
In a Sentence: “Only the cream of the crop students are selected for the scholarship program.”
4. Top-notch
Meaning: Of the highest quality; excellent.
In a Sentence: “The service at that restaurant is always top-notch; I highly recommend it.”
5. A cut above
Meaning: Superior or better than others.
In a Sentence: “Her performance in the competition was a cut above the rest; she deserves the first prize.”
6. Out of this world
Meaning: Exceptional and beyond ordinary; amazing.
In a Sentence: “The view from the mountaintop was out of this world; I’ve never seen anything like it.”
7. A dime a dozen
Meaning: Something that is very common and easy to find.
In a Sentence: “In the city, coffee shops are a dime a dozen; you can find one on almost every street.”
8. A sight for sore eyes
Meaning: Something or someone you’re happy to see because it’s a pleasant or comforting sight.
In a Sentence: “After a long day at work, my cozy home is always a sight for sore eyes.”
9. First-rate
Meaning: Of the highest quality; excellent or outstanding.
In a Sentence: “The hotel we stayed in was first-rate, with impeccable service.”
10. A whale of a time
Meaning: To have a lot of fun or a great time.
In a Sentence: “At the amusement park, we had a whale of a time riding all the roller coasters.”
11. A real McCoy
Meaning: Something or someone that is genuine, not fake.
In a Sentence: “This antique watch is a real McCoy; it’s worth a fortune.”
12. The best thing since sliced bread
Meaning: Something highly regarded and considered an amazing invention or development.
In a Sentence: “Smartphones are often called the best thing since sliced bread because of all their features.”
13. Second to none
Meaning: The best, with no equal; unrivaled.
In a Sentence: “Her dedication to her work is second to none; she’s the most hardworking person I know.”
14. In a league of its own
Meaning: Superior and incomparable to others.
In a Sentence: “Their customer service is in a league of its own; it sets a new standard.”
15. Head and shoulders above
Meaning: Significantly better or superior to something else.
In a Sentence: “Her singing talent is head and shoulders above the other contestants.”
16. The icing on the cake
Meaning: Something extra that makes an already good thing even better.
In a Sentence: “Winning the lottery was amazing, but getting a surprise vacation was the icing on the cake.”
17. The crรจme de la crรจme
Meaning: The very best; the highest quality.
In a Sentence: “The crรจme de la crรจme of the art world attended the gallery opening.”
18. To be on cloud nine
Meaning: To be extremely happy or delighted.
In a Sentence: “After receiving the scholarship, she was on cloud nine for days.”
19. The cherry on top
Meaning: Something extra that adds to the enjoyment or perfection of a situation.
In a Sentence: “The fireworks display was the cherry on top of our unforgettable Fourth of July celebration.”
20. The pick of the litter
Meaning: The best choice or selection from a group.
In a Sentence: “Out of all the job offers, this one is definitely the pick of the litter; it offers the highest salary and benefits.”
21. A knockout
Meaning: Something or someone that is extremely impressive or stunning.
In a Sentence: “Her performance in the talent show was a knockout; everyone was in awe.”
22. To hit the jackpot
Meaning: To achieve great success or find something highly valuable or lucky.
In a Sentence: “Winning the lottery felt like hitting the jackpot; it was life-changing.”
23. To be in seventh heaven
Meaning: To be in a state of extreme happiness or bliss.
In a Sentence: “After their engagement, they felt like they were in seventh heaven; they couldn’t stop smiling.”
24. To be the bee’s knees
Meaning: To be excellent or outstanding.
In a Sentence: “Her artwork is the bee’s knees; it’s admired by art enthusiasts worldwide.”
25. To be a hotshot
Meaning: To be someone who is very successful, skillful, or important.
In a Sentence: “In the world of technology, he’s considered a hotshot; he’s launched several successful startups.”
26. To be the best thing since sliced bread
Meaning: To be a highly regarded and fantastic invention or development.
In a Sentence: “The new electric car is the best thing since sliced bread; it’s eco-friendly and cost-effective.”
Quizzes About The Idioms in The Article
Quiz 1:
- What does the idiom “The cream of the crop” mean?
- A. Something ordinary and unremarkable.
- B. The best of the best; the highest quality.
- C. A small amount of cream.
- D. A cream-based dessert.
Quiz 2:
- When someone is described as “top-notch,” what does it mean?
- A. Mediocre and unimpressive.
- B. Of the highest quality; excellent.
- C. In need of improvement.
- D. Unremarkable and forgettable.
Quiz 3:
- Finish the sentence: “The fireworks display was the __ of our unforgettable Fourth of July celebration.”
- A. Worst part
- B. Icing on the cake
- C. Start of the show
- D. Reason for disappointment
Quiz 4:
- What does the idiom “A sight for sore eyes” imply?
- A. Something unpleasant to look at.
- B. A pleasant or comforting sight.
- C. Something too beautiful to see.
- D. A blurry vision.
Quiz 5:
- When is someone said to be “on cloud nine”?
- A. When they are sad and upset.
- B. When they are feeling ordinary.
- C. When they are in a state of extreme happiness or delight.
- D. When they are daydreaming.
Quiz 6:
- What does the expression “To be a hotshot” mean?
- A. To be someone who is very cold and unfeeling.
- B. To be someone who is highly successful, skillful, or important.
- C. To be someone who is unimpressive and lacks ambition.
- D. To be someone who is always in a hurry.
Quiz 7:
- What does the idiom “The cherry on top” signify?
- A. An unnecessary addition.
- B. Something extra that adds to the enjoyment or perfection of a situation.
- C. The best part.
- D. A small and insignificant detail.
Quiz 8:
- What is meant by the phrase “Second to none”?
- A. In second place.
- B. The best, with no equal; unrivaled.
- C. A close second.
- D. Not as good as the first choice.
Quiz 9:
- When should you use the expression “A real McCoy”?
- A. When referring to someone who is pretending to be someone else.
- B. When describing something genuine and not fake.
- C. When talking about an unusual pet.
- D. When discussing a fictional character.
Quiz 10:
- Finish the sentence: “The new electric car is considered __; it’s eco-friendly and cost-effective.”
- A. A terrible invention
- B. The worst thing ever
- C. The best thing since sliced bread
- D. A disappointing development
Answers:
- B
- B
- B
- B
- C
- B
- B
- B
- B
- C
Conclusion
Idioms for great things are a fun and colorful way to express admiration and excitement about something outstanding. By using these expressions, you can add enthusiasm and creativity to your conversations.
