Learning is a continuous journey that shapes our lives and broadens our perspectives. Idioms related to learning can vividly express the process and experience of acquiring knowledge. Here are 20 idioms that describe learning, each with a short meaning and an example sentence.
Idioms That Describe Learning
1. Learn the ropes
Meaning: To learn how to do a particular task.
Example: It took him a month to learn the ropes.
2. Hit the books
Meaning: To study hard.
Example: She needs to hit the books for her exams.
3. Pick someone’s brain
Meaning: To ask someone knowledgeable for advice.
Example: I picked her brain about career choices.
4. Crack the books
Meaning: To begin studying.
Example: He finally decided to crack the books tonight.
5. Go back to the drawing board
Meaning: To start over after a failure.
Example: The plan failed, so it’s back to the drawing board.
6. Learn by heart
Meaning: To memorize something.
Example: She learned the poem by heart.
7. Learn the hard way
Meaning: To learn through difficult experiences.
Example: He learned the hard way about trusting strangers.
8. Teach an old dog new tricks
Meaning: It is challenging to teach someone new skills or habits.
Example: It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks.
9. Bookworm
Meaning: A person who loves reading and studying.
Example: He’s a bookworm, always seen with a book.
10. Knowledge is power
Meaning: Being knowledgeable makes one more powerful.
Example: She believes that knowledge is power in life.
11. Brush up on
Meaning: To improve knowledge or skill in a particular area.
Example: I need to brush up on my French before traveling.
12. Figure something out
Meaning: To understand or solve something.
Example: She figured out how to fix the computer.
13. Get the hang of it
Meaning: To learn how to do something new.
Example: He got the hang of skiing quickly.
14. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: To study or work late into the night.
Example: She burned the midnight oil before the finals.
15. Put one’s thinking cap on
Meaning: To think seriously about something.
Example: Put your thinking cap on and solve this puzzle.
16. Know something inside out
Meaning: To know something very thoroughly.
Example: She knows the subject inside out.
17. Pick up
Meaning: To learn or acquire knowledge or skills.
Example: She picked up Spanish during her trip.
18. In the dark
Meaning: To be uninformed or unaware.
Example: He’s still in the dark about the changes.
19. Mind like a sponge
Meaning: Able to learn and remember information quickly.
Example: Children have minds like sponges, absorbing everything.
20. Sharpen one’s skills
Meaning: To improve or refine one’s abilities.
Example: He attended workshops to sharpen his skills.
