a million
One million. Aw, man! It'll take us a million years to clean this room! I have about a million things to do, so I don't have time for his petty problems right now. The boss never seems to be satisfied until she's given us about a million reports to run at once.
a picture is worth a thousand words
A single picture can express something more clearly, vividly, or succinctly than a large amount of words can. I know I'm doing a bad job of capturing the scene by describing it, so just look at this picture from their website—a picture is worth a thousand words, isn't it? You try to have characters give too much exposition. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words, so use the images in your film to tell its story as much as possible. Ah, I'm glad she sent a screenshot—a picture is worth a thousand words when you're trying to troubleshoot something.
a smile is worth a thousand words
proverb The gesture of smiling can convey more to others than words alone can. I win people over because I know that a smile is worth a thousand words—and that some big speech will just bore them to sleep! Yes, it took us forever to track down that doll she really wanted for Christmas, but look at how happy she is! A smile is worth a thousand words. Don't you see how he looks at you? A smile is worth a thousand words—so go talk to him!
a thousand
One thousand. Aw, man! It'll take us a thousand years to clean this room! I have about a thousand things to do, so I don't have time for his petty problems right now. The boss never seems to be satisfied until she's given us about a thousand reports to run at once.
a thousand thanks
An emphatic expression of one's gratitude. A thousand thanks for watching the kids when I couldn't get out of the office on time—you really saved the day. Hey, tell Tony a thousand thanks for all his help. We couldn't have finished the job without him. Oh man, a thousand thanks for the loan. I'll pay you back as soon as I get my next paycheck.
die a thousand deaths
1. To die many times. Used rhetorically to indicate one's intense opposition to some alternative. I would die a thousand deaths before I would even consider betraying my country. Please, like I would ever vote for a gubernatorial candidate like him. I'd rather die a thousand deaths. I'm sorry, but I'd rather die a thousand deaths than spend three days at an outdoor music festival with sweaty strangers.
2. To experience intense or repeated psychological suffering, usually due to embarrassment. I would die a thousand deaths if my arch-nemesis found out about my affair—she'd be sure to spread the word far and wide. I thought I would die a thousand deaths when I wet my pants in first grade, but I got over it eventually. No, get back here! If you tell Matt I have a crush on him, I will die a thousand deaths!
if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times
I've reminded you about something many times. Typically said in annoyance or frustration. if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times: don't leave your wet towels on the floor! You need to put out the trash on Tuesday mornings—if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. Jean, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times—a verbal contract isn't worth anything.
let a thousand flowers bloom
A phrase encouraging the simultaneous existence of many ideas or things. The phrase (originally "let a hundred flowers bloom") was associated with the "Hundred Flowers Campaign" in the People's Republic of China in the late 1950s. The short-lived campaign seemingly allowed criticism of the government—though only within certain parameters before a return to violent suppression. For how long after Mao Zedong urged people to "let a thousand flowers bloom" was criticism actually accepted?
the million-dollar question
A question that is very important and/or difficult to answer. Sometimes used ironically. The million-dollar question now is whether he should choose his former opponent as a running mate. A: "Do you want to get Italian or Chinese tonight?" B: "Well, that's the million-dollar question, isn't it?"
the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question
A question that is very important and difficult or complex to answer. Taken from the title of the 1950s television game show based on the earlier radio program Take It or Leave It, which popularized the phrase "the sixty-four-dollar question." The sixty-four-thousand-dollar question now is whether he should choose his former opponent as a running mate. A: "Do you want to get Italian or Chinese tonight?" B: "Well, that's the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question, isn't it?"
thousand-yard stare
1. A blank, unfocused, and vacant gaze, often indicative of severe trauma. Many soldiers came back from the war with thousand-yard stares. She has had a thousand-yard stare ever since she found out that her children didn't survive the accident.
2. A detached, impassive gaze that does not reveal one's thoughts or emotions. The killer maintained a thousand-yard stare as police escorted him from the scene of the crime. If you want to be a successful poker player, you need to perfect your thousand-yard stare so no one knows your intentions.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.