Idiom Topics
The Ubiquitous Essentials
10- On the other hand
- At the end of the day
- In the long run
- Bear in mind
- A piece of cake
- Keep an eye on
- Out of the blue
- Rule of thumb
- So far, so good
- Behind the scenes
Everyday Casual & Workplace
10- Under the weather
- Call it a day
- Up in the air
- Wrap your head around
- Break the ice
- Get out of hand
- Go the extra mile
- Touch base
- Hit the nail on the head
- Cut corners
Problem Solving & Interaction
10- See eye to eye
- Read between the lines
- Take it with a grain of salt
- Get the hang of it
- Give the benefit of the doubt
- The elephant in the room
- Hit the ground running
- Play it by ear
- Bite the bullet
- Sit on the fence
Decisions & Perspectives
9- Jump on the bandwagon
- Cross that bridge when we come to it
- The best of both worlds
- A blessing in disguise
- Once in a blue moon
- Pull someone's leg
- Miss the boat
- Better late than never
- Get your act together
Colorful & Traditional
10- Spill the beans
- Let the cat out of the bag
- Bite off more than you can chew
- Go back to the drawing board
- Barking up the wrong tree
- Actions speak louder than words
- A penny for your thoughts
- Break a leg
- Hit the sack
- Beat around the bush
Academic & Formal Discourse
10- Bear fruit
- Pave the way
- Shed light on
- Go hand in hand
- Tip the scales
- Fly in the face of
- Bring to the table
- Turn a blind eye
- Draw a blank
- State of the art
Emotions & Reactions
10- Over the moon
- Down in the dumps
- On edge
- Blow off steam
- Keep your cool
- Drive someone up the wall
- On cloud nine
- A weight off my shoulders
- At your wits' end
- Thrilled to bits
Effort, Success, & Failure
10- Start from scratch
- Pass with flying colors
- Fall flat
- Go down the drain
- Keep your head above water
- Pay off
- Throw in the towel
- Make headway
- Uphill battle
- Back to square one
Time, Speed, & Urgency
10- Beat the clock
- At the eleventh hour
- Around the clock
- In the nick of time
- Drag your feet
- Time flies
- Make up for lost time
- Call time on
- Ahead of the curve
- On the spur of the moment
Resources, Money, & Value
10- Make ends meet
- Foot the bill
- Break the bank
- Tighten your belt
- Bang for your buck
- A drop in the ocean
- Make a killing
- On a shoestring budget
- Worth your weight in gold
- Pay top dollar
Actions speak louder than words
Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Actions speak louder than words" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourColorful & Traditional collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.
Actions speak louder than words
What a person actually does carries more weight and shows their true intentions better than what they merely say they will do.
History & Origin
While the underlying concept dates back to antiquity, the precise phrasing emerged in the 17th century. It was notably recorded in 1628 in John Pym's 'Hansard's Parliamentary Debates' as 'words be good, but actions speak louder,' before solidifying into its current form during the 1800s in American literature and political speeches.
Examples
Management keeps promising a better work-life balance, but actions speak louder than words; we need to see actual changes in our shift scheduling.
He always says he's going to start going to the gym with me, but actions speak louder than words—he hasn't signed up yet.
When evaluating corporate social responsibility, researchers argue that actions speak louder than words, as greenwashing often obscures a firm's true environmental impact.
The administration claims to prioritize education, but actions speak louder than words, and the recent budget cuts tell a very different story.
To our international partners, I say that our commitment to this treaty is absolute, and our actions speak louder than words as we deploy resources to support this joint initiative today.
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?
A. She wrote a beautiful poem because actions speak louder than words when you want to express poetic rhythm.
B. The company promised a full refund weeks ago, but actions speak louder than words, and we are still waiting for the money to arrive.
C. The library is a quiet zone where actions speak louder than words so that everyone can study in perfect silence.
D. He shouted at the top of his lungs to prove that his actions speak louder than words during the heated debate.