
Army idioms are powerful expressions rooted in military life, discipline, and strategy. These idioms are widely used in daily English to express strong determination, teamwork, and resilience. Let’s explore some common and impactful army-related idioms, their meanings in English and Hindi, and usage examples.
Army Idioms in English with Hindi Meaning
1. At the front line
- English Meaning: In the most active or dangerous position.
- Hindi Meaning: सबसे आगे, सबसे ज़्यादा खतरे वाली जगह।
- Example: Doctors were at the front line during the pandemic, just like soldiers in war.
2. Drop a bombshell
- English Meaning: To make an unexpected or shocking announcement.
- Hindi Meaning: कोई चौंकाने वाली या अप्रत्याशित खबर देना।
- Example: She dropped a bombshell by resigning from her job suddenly.
3. Soldier on
- English Meaning: To continue doing something despite difficulties.
- Hindi Meaning: कठिनाइयों के बावजूद आगे बढ़ते रहना।
- Example: Despite the pain, he soldiered on and completed the marathon.
4. Call to arms
- English Meaning: A request to prepare for battle or take action.
- Hindi Meaning: युद्ध या कार्यवाही के लिए बुलावा।
- Example: The leader’s speech was a call to arms for social reform.
5. Bite the bullet
- English Meaning: To face a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage.
- Hindi Meaning: कठिन परिस्थिति को साहस के साथ सहन करना।
- Example: He finally bit the bullet and went to the dentist.
6. Behind enemy lines
- English Meaning: In a dangerous or hostile area.
- Hindi Meaning: दुश्मन के क्षेत्र में होना।
- Example: The reporter went behind enemy lines to get the real story.
7. Drop your guard
- English Meaning: To stop being careful or defensive.
- Hindi Meaning: सतर्कता या सावधानी छोड़ देना।
- Example: Never drop your guard in a negotiation.
8. Fight tooth and nail
- English Meaning: To fight very fiercely or with great determination.
- Hindi Meaning: पूरी ताकत से संघर्ष करना।
- Example: The team fought tooth and nail to win the final match.
9. Go ballistic
- English Meaning: To become extremely angry or furious.
- Hindi Meaning: बहुत गुस्से में आ जाना।
- Example: Dad went ballistic when he saw the broken window.
10. On the warpath
- English Meaning: Very angry and ready to argue or fight.
- Hindi Meaning: गुस्से में किसी से भिड़ने के लिए तैयार होना।
- Example: The manager is on the warpath after the missed deadline.
11. Marching orders
- English Meaning: A command to leave a job or position.
- Hindi Meaning: किसी को नौकरी या स्थान छोड़ने का आदेश।
- Example: After the scandal, he was given his marching orders.
12. Stick to your guns
- English Meaning: To maintain your position or opinion even when it’s hard.
- Hindi Meaning: अपने विचारों पर अड़े रहना।
- Example: She stuck to her guns despite criticism from others.
13. Catch someone off guard
- English Meaning: To surprise someone unexpectedly.
- Hindi Meaning: किसी को अचानक चौंका देना।
- Example: The sudden question caught him off guard.
14. Loose cannon
- English Meaning: An unpredictable person who can cause damage.
- Hindi Meaning: ऐसा व्यक्ति जो नियंत्रण से बाहर हो सकता है।
- Example: He’s a bit of a loose cannon during meetings.
15. No man’s land
- English Meaning: A place or situation where no one wants to be involved.
- Hindi Meaning: ऐसा क्षेत्र जहाँ कोई भी शामिल नहीं होना चाहता।
- Example: The issue of blame became a no man’s land in the argument.
16. In the trenches
- English Meaning: In a task or battle’s most active or difficult part.
- Hindi Meaning: किसी कठिन कार्य के सबसे चुनौतीपूर्ण भाग में होना।
- Example: Teachers are in the trenches every day, shaping young minds.
17. Be a general
- English Meaning: To take control and direct others like a leader.
- Hindi Meaning: ऐसे कार्य करना जैसे आप उच्च अधिकारी हों; आदेश देना। / किसी नेता की तरह निर्देश देना।
- Example: He always acts like a general during group meetings.
18. Hold the fort
- English Meaning: To take responsibility in someone’s absence.
- Hindi Meaning: किसी की अनुपस्थिति में जिम्मेदारी संभालना।
- Example: Can you hold the fort while I attend the client call?
19. To go AWOL
- English Meaning: To be absent without permission.
- Hindi Meaning: बिना अनुमति के अनुपस्थित हो जाना।
- Example: One of the employees went AWOL after the project deadline was missed.
20. Rank and file
- English Meaning: The ordinary members of a group, not the leaders.
- Hindi Meaning: संगठन के सामान्य सदस्य।
- Example: The management needs to listen to the concerns of the rank and file.
21. Sound the retreat
- English Meaning: To withdraw from a position or stop an effort.
- Hindi Meaning: पीछे हटने की घोषणा करना।
- Example: After three failed attempts, they finally sounded the retreat on the deal.
22. Under siege
- English Meaning: Being attacked or heavily criticized; under great pressure.
- Hindi Meaning: घेराबंदी में होना; दबाव में होना।
- Example: The company is under siege from competitors and investors alike.
23. Take no prisoners
- English Meaning: To be extremely aggressive or ruthless.
- Hindi Meaning: बिल्कुल कठोर और निर्दयी रवैया अपनाना।
- Example: She takes no prisoners when negotiating contracts.
24. Fight fire with fire
- English Meaning: To use the same tactics as your opponent.
- Hindi Meaning: शत्रु के विरुद्ध उसी की रणनीति अपनाना।
- Example: The company decided to fight fire with fire and launched a counter-campaign.
25. Sound the alarm
- English Meaning: To warn of a threat or danger.
- Hindi Meaning: खतरे की चेतावनी देना।
- Example: Scientists sounded the alarm about global warming decades ago.
26. Go down in flames
- English Meaning: To fail spectacularly.
- Hindi Meaning: बुरी तरह से असफल होना।
- Example: His campaign went down in flames after the scandal.
27. Beat swords into plowshares
- English Meaning: To convert military resources to peaceful use.
- Hindi Meaning: युद्ध सामग्री को शांति कार्यों में बदलना।
- Example: The country began to beat swords into plowshares after the peace treaty.
28. Call in reinforcements
- English Meaning: To bring in extra help during difficulty.
- Hindi Meaning: मदद के लिए अतिरिक्त लोगों को बुलाना।
- Example: We had to call in reinforcements to complete the project on time.
29. Fight the good fight
- English Meaning: To fight for something just or moral.
- Hindi Meaning: किसी सही या न्यायपूर्ण उद्देश्य के लिए संघर्ष करना।
- Example: He continues to fight the good fight for the environment.
30. Rally the troops
- English Meaning: To gather and motivate people for a task.
- Hindi Meaning: लोगों को एकत्र करके प्रेरित करना।
- Example: The manager rallied the troops before the final sales pitch.
31. Fire on all cylinders
- English Meaning: To operate at peak performance.
- Hindi Meaning: पूरी क्षमता से काम करना।
- Example: The team was firing on all cylinders during the final week of development.
32. Win the battle but lose the war
- English Meaning: To achieve a small success but fail in the larger objective.
- Hindi Meaning: छोटी जीत पाकर बड़ी हार का सामना करना।
- Example: He won the debate but lost his friend — he won the battle but lost the war.
33. Draw a line in the sand
- English Meaning: To set a firm boundary that should not be crossed.
- Hindi Meaning: एक स्पष्ट सीमा तय करना जिसे पार नहीं किया जा सकता।
- Example: She drew a line in the sand when it came to work-life balance.
34. Lay down one’s arms
- English Meaning: To stop fighting and surrender.
- Hindi Meaning: हथियार डाल देना; आत्मसमर्पण करना।
- Example: The rebels laid down their arms after a peace agreement was signed.
35. Storm the barricades
- English Meaning: To protest or fight against a system with great force.
- Hindi Meaning: किसी बड़ी बाधा का साहसपूर्वक सामना करना।
- Example: Activists stormed the barricades of injustice with full determination.
36. Out of the frying pan into the fire
- English Meaning: Escaping one bad situation only to enter a worse one.
- Hindi Meaning: एक मुसीबत से निकलकर और बड़ी मुसीबत में फँसना।
- Example: By quitting his job without a backup, he went out of the frying pan into the fire.
Final Thoughts
These army-related idioms not only enrich your English vocabulary but also bring the power, discipline, and emotion of the battlefield into everyday communication. With these idioms, you can add a touch of military might to your everyday English. Whether you’re writing, speaking, or preparing for competitive exams, these idioms with Hindi meanings and examples will be a strong addition to your learning.
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