Top 101 Common GMAT Idioms and How to Learn Them
If you’ve started studying for the Verbal section of the GMAT, you’ve probably seen a lot of discussion online and elsewhere about idioms. GMAT idioms can be tricky at times, particularly for test-takers whose native language isn’t English.
Luckily, you don’t need to memorize every idiom under the sun in order to do well in GMAT verbal. In this article, I’ll give you a list of the top 101 most common GMAT idioms and how they’re used, as well as some effective strategies for studying idioms that all test-takers can easily integrate into their GMAT prep.
First, let’s discuss what exactly an idiom is.
What is a GMAT Idiom?
An idiom is a commonly used set of words that have a unique meaning in combination, a meaning that isn’t necessarily obvious based on the individual words.
Take the expression “believe in,” for example. If you say that you “believe in alternate dimensions,” the meaning conveyed is that you believe that alternate dimensions exist. You’re not saying that you “believe” while physically being “in” alternate dimensions.
In other words, the meaning of the phrase “believe in” can’t be derived from the literal meaning of each word in the phrase. The whole is something other than the sum of its parts.
Another example is the GMAT idiom “prevent from.” If you had never seen that expression used, would you know to combine “prevent” with “from”? Probably not. “Prevent” means “ensure that something does not occur,” while “from” is normally used to indicate where something began. So, putting the two words together is not necessarily intuitive.
Why Study Idioms to Prepare for the GMAT?
Idioms frequently appear in GMAT Verbal passages and are tested in GMAT Sentence Correction questions because idioms are an integral part of the English language. In fact, you probably often use common GMAT idioms in conversation, without even realizing you’re doing so.
Meanwhile, as we just saw in our examples “believe in” and “prevent from,” idiomatic expressions sometimes use words in unexpected ways that we would not likely guess were correct had we not seen those idioms before.
So, now that we know why it’s important to study idioms for the GMAT, let’s look at how idioms are tested on the GMAT.
How Are Idioms Tested on the GMAT?
Although you may come across idiomatic expressions in Reading Comprehension and Critical Reasoning passages, you will be tested on the use of idioms in GMAT Sentence Correction. In Sentence Correction questions, idioms may be used to test your understanding of the logic of what a sentence is saying and your ability to pick up on redundant meanings and wordiness or awkward phrasing in sentences. So, knowing common GMAT idioms is yet another aspect of being able to efficiently analyze and accurately interpret sentences in Sentence Correction questions.
How Much Should I Study Idioms for GMAT Sentence Correction?
In general, learning GMAT idioms tends to present a bit more of a challenge for non-native English speakers. However, native speakers of English sometimes make the mistake of assuming that because English is their first language, they don’t need to study GMAT idioms.
The truth is, native English speakers often misuse common GMAT idioms, so every GMAT test-taker should make brushing up on idioms part of GMAT study. The question is, how big a part of GMAT prep should studying idioms be?
If English is not your first language, you should be prepared to put in some extra study time of idioms for GMAT Sentence Correction. However, even for non-native English speakers, dedicated study of idioms does not have to be a daily task. Yes, all GMAT students should do some dedicated study of idioms (we’ll discuss how to do that study next). But, since idioms are so common in the English language, you will encounter them even when you’re not studying them specifically. So, noticing idioms in the things you read and as you’re doing your GMAT Verbal prep, will help you learn their proper use.
Remember, there are MANY concepts to learn for GMAT Verbal, and even just for Sentence Correction. So, you need to take a balanced approach to learning Verbal concepts and content (not to mention GMAT Quant). Recognizing and properly employing idioms is only one small piece of a very large puzzle.
I see many GMAT students get carried away with studying idioms, as if poring over lists of hundreds of idioms is a secret “hack” for mastering Sentence Correction. As Lawrence Rudner, GMAC’s vice president of research and development, has stated, Sentence Correction question writers seek to create “a GMAT exam that doesn’t test simply a person’s ability to memorize grammatical rules or recognize idioms for their colloquial meanings, but a test that rewards reasoning regardless of the test taker’s background.”
So, you can’t rely on memorization alone to perform well in GMAT Sentence Correction. As we saw in Mr. Rudner’s statement above, performing well in GMAT Sentence Correction requires a more nuanced analysis than simply identifying key phrases or rules in isolation allows. For this reason, and particularly if you are a native English speaker, idiom memorization should generally be a supplement to your GMAT diet, not a main dish.
Of course, you will need to do some specific study of common GMAT idioms. So, let’s discuss the most effective and efficient strategies for learning idioms.
How to Learn Idioms for GMAT Sentence Correction
While no one can predict which idioms will appear on any given GMAT, there are some idioms that tend to appear more often than others on the GMAT, so it’s important to know what those idioms are and commit them to memory. Let’s talk about the best way to learn GMAT idioms.
Make GMAT Idiom Flashcards for the Most Common GMAT Idioms
At the end of this article, you’ll find a list of the top 101 most common GMAT idioms. These are the idioms you want to be able to quickly recognize and properly use in GMAT Sentence Correction. So, you’ll need to memorize that list of idioms, and the easiest way to do so is to create flashcards.
On the front of an index card, write an idiom, on the back of the card, write an example sentence and any other relevant notes that you find relevant. Make one index card for each of the most common GMAT idioms on our top 101 list. Alternatively, you can use a flashcard app to make digital flashcards. Use whichever method works best for you.
I can’t emphasize enough what fantastic tools flashcards, whether written or digital, are for learning idioms. First, they’re incredibly convenient and can be accessed pretty much at any time. If you are someone who commutes to and from work by public transportation, for example, your commute is a great opportunity to review your idiom flashcards. If you’re waiting in line at a store, whip out your flashcards and do some quick studying.
In addition to being usable on the go, flashcards are great because you can use them to track which idioms you know well and which you don’t. As you commit idioms to memory, simply add them to a separate pile of idioms you’ve mastered. Then you can be sure that you focus your practice on the idioms you haven’t yet mastered. Of course, you can review the “mastered” pile once in a while just to ensure that nothing has slipped through the cracks.
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