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#1
– “What a small world!”
= it’s an incredible coincidence
For example: if you meet someone new and you discover that you both went to
the same elementary school, you can say, “What a small world!”
#2
– “It’s not the end of the world.”
= It’s not so bad. (stop overreacting)
For example: If your sister is very upset because she broke a fingernail,
you can say “It’s not the end of the world” to show her that her problem is
really not so terrible.
#3
– “It made a world of difference.”
“It did a world of good.”
= a big difference / a lot of good
For example: If there’s a new program in your country that successfully
reduces unemployment, you can say “it made a world of difference” or “it did a
world of good.”
#4
– “He thinks the world of her.”
= He admires her, he has a very high opinion of her
For example: If there’s a really wonderful colleague who is liked and
respected, you can say that the boss “thinks the world of her.”
#5
– “It’s the best of both worlds.”
“It’s the worst of both worlds.”
= When you experience the positive/negative aspects of two different
opportunities/situations
For example: If you live in a location that has both the beach AND the
mountains, you can say “it’s the best of both worlds” because you can enjoy
going to the beach or hiking in the mountains
For example: If you have a job that you hate AND it pays a terrible salary,
you can say “it’s the worst of both worlds” because you have disadvantages in
two areas – you hate the job, and it doesn’t pay well.
#6
– “She’s on top of the world.”
= She’s extremely happy
For example: If your daughter got a full scholarship to the college she
really wants to attend, you could say “She’s on top of the world.”
#7
– “It was out of this world!”
= It was incredibly wonderful, amazing, etc.
For example: If you tried eating at a new restaurant, and the food was
REALLY great, you can describe it as “out of this world.”
Pronouncing the Word World
Recently, one of my students told me the word “world” was very difficult for him to pronounce. As I thought back to some of my first English students in Brazil, I remembered how difficult this word was for them to pronounce as well. It is a common word in English and we use it to talk about politics, history, geography, and society. Also, it is ubiquitous in song lyrics and in poetry. Therefore, it is imperative to learn to pronounce this word correctly. Sometimes you have to repeat a difficult word 17 times before you really learn to say the word correctly. I would recommend repeating this difficult word aloud everyday for at least 1 minute for a week. In this audio recording, I pronounce the word “world” 17 times. You can practice saying it 17 times with me!
You could record yourself saying it and compare it to my recording. You will see great progress in your pronunciation if you find creative ways to say the word. These idioms will help you learn the word in new ways.
Idioms with World #1: It’s a Small World
The first idiom with ‘world’ is “It’s a small world.” Once, when I was traveling in Portugal, I bumped into a childhood friend of mine from Iowa in a small fishing village. I said, “It’s a small world” and couldn’t believe how serendipitous it was to find my good friend in the middle of nowhere. We went for a long walk along the beach and talked about childhood memories. This expression is perfect for those kinds of events in your life that bring you closer to people and experiences that make the world feel like a small place. In Spanish, we say, “el mundo es un pañuelo,” which expresses the same sentiment that the world is much smaller than it appears to be.
Idioms with World #2: Out of this World
The Second Idiom with ‘world’ is “Out of this world.” This is one of the greatest expressions to describe something that is really amazing, fantastic, and wonderful. My family members usually use it to describe our Thanksgiving dinner. Our plates our filled with turkey, stuffing, cranberry relish, and mashed potatoes. We describe this delicious meal as being “Out of this world.” Once, when I went to a famous cupcake bakery in the lower east side of Manhattan, I told my friend, “These cupcakes are out of this world.” She agreed and said “I couldn’t agree more.” You can use this idiom with ‘world’ to describe not only food, but also an event like a fireworks show or a musical.
World Idiom #3: Do Someone a World of Good
The third idiom with ‘world’ is “Do someone a world of good.” This idiom is used to describe something that could make someone feel much better. This could refer to self-care practices, long walks, or meditation. For example, I could say that the spa treatment did me a world of good. The other day, the government lifted restrictions from COVID-19 and we were allowed to go outside and do exercise for the first time in Spain after being on lockdown for more than a month. My husband said, “That run did me a world of good.” I was so happy to see him feeling better and looking more relaxed.
World Idiom #4: Carry the World on your Shoulders
The fourth idiom with ‘world’ is “Carry the world on your shoulders,” which refers to having a lot of responsibility. This is a heavy feeling that someone may have and may feel they are carrying a lot of burdens and responsibilities. They may feel a sense of stress and they may feel overwhelmed. My sister often expresses this feeling and says, “I am carrying the world on my shoulders,” when she talks about being a mom to her two children, a wife, and the president of a multinational company.
Idioms with World #5: On Top of the World
The fifth idiom with ‘world’ is “On top of the world,” which means that you feel tremendously happy and elated. In this picture, I went to a special place in Brazil called Chapada Diamantina, a National Wildlife Preserve that has crystal clear waterfalls and expansive views. I felt like I was “on top of the world” everyday of that trip because I felt a sense of freedom and awe of the nature that surrounded me. I usually feel “on top of the world” when I travel to new places and experience the sensation of excitement and adventure. Have you ever been to Machu Picchu? I felt like I was “on top of the world” when I traveled there after college and saw some of the ancient ruins in person.
World Idiom #6: The World is my Oyster
The sixth idiom is with ‘world’ is, “The world is my oyster” and we say this to describe the pleasant surprises that are found in the world. If you were to open an oyster, you can imagine the lucky feeling you would experience if you found a pearl inside. That metaphor relates to a world that is open for play, opportunity, career advancement and joy. We use this idiom with ‘world’ to describe young people who are surrounded by rich opportunities to move up the career ladder.
World Idiom #7: Worlds Apart
The seventh idiom with ‘world’ is “Worlds apart,” which we use to describe how different people are. Native speakers sometimes use this idiom to describe siblings because they truly have very different personalities. You could say, “Sammy and Ted are worlds apart. Even though they look like identical twins, Sammy is calm and Ted is active.” My brother and I are like “two peas in a pod,” meaning we are so similar and get along great. I would never use the “worlds apart” idiom to describe our relationship.
World Idiom #8: The World is at your Fingertips
The eighth idiom with ‘world’ is “The world is at your fingertips,” which means that opportunities are available to you. When the world is at your fingertips, everything flows and even carrying out tasks is effortless. Thus, the fingers are a good symbol because they represent the ability to mold and shape your world. The world is like a sculpture and you are the artist, using your hands to craft the most stunning work you could imagine.
Conclusion
These idioms are creative, fun to say, and used commonly in spoken English. I encourage you to practice saying them aloud with emotion. You can use these idioms with ‘world’ in everyday conversations. You will be surprised by how much you enhance the dialogue with these unique and colorful idioms in English.
Here are some other Youtube videos with songs that have the word “world” in their lyrics.
What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong
Heal the world, Michael Jackson
Here are a few other blogs you could check-out to read more about idioms with world:
Shayna from Espresso English
Here is a video with teacher Rebecca teaching idioms with world
Naturally I am kind-hearted, and so I found it beyond me to leave even this hateful and repulsive thing alone in a strange and hostile world. The result was that when I entered the iron mole I took her with me.
I found pleasure in speculating upon just what the effect had been upon her of passing through the earth’s crust, and coming out into a world that one of even less intelligence than the great Mahars could easily see was a different world from her own Pel-lucidar.
Our democracy must be not only the envy of the world but the engine of our OWN renewal.
.and we must do so in a world in which we must compete for every opportunity.
And then it sought to get through the ultimate walls with its head—and not with its head only—into «the other world.»
But that «other world» is well concealed from man, that dehumanised, inhuman world, which is a celestial naught; and the bowels of existence do not speak unto man, except as man.
Japan herself, when she so suddenly awakened, had astounded the world. But at the time she was only forty millions strong.
For sheer ability to work no worker in the world could compare with him.
Equally to every part of this inner world it diffuses its perpetual noonday light and torrid heat.
Travelling, whether in the mental or the physical world, is a joy, and it is good to know that, in the mental world at least, there are vast countries still very imperfectly explored.
I saw the little world about me through the lenses of my master’s spectacles, and I reported its facts, in his tone and his attitude, with his self-flattered scorn, his showy sighs, his facile satire.
These were conscious actions, and were the results of his first generalisations upon the world. Before that he had recoiled automatically from hurt, as he had crawled automatically toward the light.
The third circle with which Anna had ties was preeminently the fashionable world—the world of balls, of dinners, of sumptuous dresses, the world that hung on to the court with one hand, so as to avoid sinking to the level of the demi-monde.
But the foregoing remarks on distribution apply not only to strictly arctic forms, but also to many sub-arctic and to some few northern temperate forms, for some of these are the same on the lower mountains and on the plains of North America and Europe; and it may be reasonably asked how I account for the necessary degree of uniformity of the sub-arctic and northern temperate forms round the world, at the commencement of the Glacial period.
* One of the first ships that carried colonies to America, after the discovery of the New World. Descendants of these original colonists were for a while inordinately proud of their genealogy; but in time the blood became so widely diffused that it ran in the veins practically of all Americans.
Examples of how to use the word “world” in a sentence. How to connect “world” with other words to make correct English sentences.
world (n): the earth and all the people, places, and things on it
Use “world” in a sentence
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