Native English Expressions | Ep.25
Do you feel lost when listening to native speakers? It’s likely because textbook English isn’t enough. Welcome to Native Expressions Ep.25.
Real conversations are full of idioms, phrasal verbs, and cultural nuances. This series curates authentic expressions directly from podcasts and YouTube videos to help you sound more natural and confident.
Native Expressions Ep.25 | 1 – 10
decent
- : respectable. honest and having good moral standards.
- Being a decent person means doing the right thing even when no one is watching.
bleep
- : censor. to replace an offensive word in a recording with a short electronic sound.
- The talk show was so chaotic that the editors had to bleep several parts of the interview.
gross
- yucky. very unpleasant or disgusting to look at, taste, or think about.
- Some people find the smell of blue cheese gross, but others think it is delicious.
let something go
- release. to stop worrying about something or to stop talking about it.
- If you want to feel truly free, you must learn to let go of things you cannot control.
feisty
- lively. having a lot of energy and being ready to argue or fight.
- The small puppy felt very feisty and tried to bark at the much larger dog.
vet
- : doctor. a professional who treats sick or injured animals.
- My dog is so smart that he starts hiding under the bed the moment I even whisper the word vet.
lord it over
- : dominate. to act as if you are better or more powerful than others.
- Just because you won the board game doesn’t mean you have to lord it over us for the rest of the week.
naughty
- : bad. behaving poorly or being slightly offensive in a playful way.
- She felt a bit naughty after staying up all night watching movies instead of studying for her exam.
contempt
- : disrespect. a feeling that something is not important or does not deserve respect.
- True innovators often have a healthy contempt for the way things have “always been done.”
be horrified
- shocked. to feel very shocked or disgusted by something.
- She was horrified by the idea of putting pineapple on a perfectly good pizza.
Native Expressions Ep.25 | 11 – 20
work out
- exercise. to do physical activity to make the body strong and healthy.
- He started working out every morning just to have an excuse to eat more chocolate.
to the next level
- improve. to make something much better or more advanced than before.
- You can take your communication skills to the next level by listening more than you talk.
news flash
- update. a short phrase used to share an important or surprising fact.
- News flash: you don’t need to be perfect to start being amazing today.
addicted
- hooked. unable to stop doing or using something that you like.
- He is completely addicted to buying new pens even though he only uses his favorite one.
creepy
- scary. making you feel nervous or uncomfortable in a strange way.
- It is a little creepy when you realize your phone knows exactly what you were just thinking about.
bring something up
- mention. to start talking about a specific subject or topic.
- It is usually a good idea not to bring up work while you are enjoying a nice dinner.
vibe
- feeling. the atmosphere or mood of a place, situation, or person.
- I really love this small coffee shop because it has such a relaxing vibe.
be sure about
- certain. to feel completely confident that something is true or right.
- Are you sure about going for a long walk in those uncomfortable shoes?
the very idea
- thought. used to emphasize that even thinking about something is extreme.
- Some people find the very idea of waking up before noon on a Sunday quite painful.
fair enough
- acceptable. used to say that you understand and accept someone’s reason or point.
- If you need to stay home and rest instead of going out, fair enough.
Native Expressions Ep.25 | 21 – 30
complaining
- grumbling. expressing pain or dissatisfaction about something.
- She spent the whole movie complaining about how the book was much better.
be supposed to
- expected. to be intended or required to do something.
- You are not supposed to have all the answers yet; life is a journey of discovery.
except for
- excluding. used to show that a statement does not include a specific thing.
- The party was absolutely perfect except for the moment the cake fell on the floor.
not the only reason
- additional. used to say there are other factors that cause something.
- Hard work is vital, but it is not the only reason people reach their goals.
feel like
- : want. to have a desire for something.
- I feel like I could conquer the world today, but first, I really need a nap.
hang out
- : relax. to spend time with friends for fun.
- Sometimes the best plan for a busy weekend is just to hang out and do absolutely nothing.
observe
- : follow. to celebrate a holiday or follow a tradition.
- Success is more likely when you observe the small, positive habits that lead to big changes.
observe
- : watch. to see and pay attention to something.
- If you observe the people you admire, you can learn the secrets to their success.
how things are going
- : status. the way a situation is developing.
- He asked how things are going with the new job, and she said she finally found where the coffee machine is.
tension
- : nervousness. a feeling of worry or pressure between people.
- You could feel the tension in the room until someone finally told a very silly joke.
Native Expressions Ep.25 | 31 – 40
shoot
- : film. to record a video or take a photo.
- She tried to shoot a professional video of her dog, but he just wanted to lick the camera lens.
show off
- : boast. to try to make people admire your skills or things.
- True leaders don’t need to show off; their hard work and results speak for themselves.
broke
- : poor. to have no money.
- Being broke is only a temporary state, but having a kind heart is a permanent wealth.
observe
- : follow. to celebrate a holiday or follow a tradition.
- My family likes to observe the tradition of eating pancakes together every Saturday morning.
hardworking
- : diligent. putting a lot of effort into a job or task.
- Even a hardworking person needs a rest to keep their mind fresh and creative.
deserve
- : earn. to be worthy of something because of your actions.
- You deserve to be happy, so make sure to celebrate even your smallest wins today.
kidding
- : joking. saying something that is not true to be funny.
- I told him I was moving to Mars, but I was just kidding to see his reaction.
here’s the deal
- : plan. a phrase used to introduce an explanation or a proposal.
- Here’s the deal: if you help me clean the house, I will buy us the biggest pizza for dinner.
in so many words
- : directly. stating something clearly or using exactly those words.
- She didn’t tell him to leave in so many words, but she did start vacuuming around his feet.
be awful
- : be bad. to be very unpleasant or of very low quality.
- Being awful at something is just the first step toward becoming remarkably good at it.
Native Expressions Ep.25 | 41 – 45
must never
- : shouldn’t. used to say that it is very important not to do something.
- You must never underestimate the power of a kind word on a person’s difficult day.
own
- : possess. to have something that belongs to you.
- The best things you can own in life aren’t things, but beautiful memories and deep friendships.
miss someone or something
- : long for. to feel sad because you are no longer with someone or something.
- I miss the days when my only responsibility was choosing which cartoon to watch.
zoom
- : magnify. to make an image look larger on a camera or screen.
- He tried to zoom in on the beautiful bird, but he accidentally took a selfie instead.
be right back
- : return soon. to go away for a very short time and then return.
- Don’t go anywhere; the host will be right back after a very short commercial.