50 Idioms for Culture With Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Culture
1. Culture shock
Meaning: The feeling of confusion when encountering a new culture.
In a Sentence: Moving to Japan gave me a real culture shock at first.
Other Ways to Say: Disorientation, Adjustment struggle.
2. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: To describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem.
In a Sentence: You hit the nail on the head with your analysis of the issue.
Other Ways to Say: Spot on, Right on the money.
3. Melting pot
Meaning: A place where different cultures blend together.
In a Sentence: New York City is a true melting pot of ethnicities.
Other Ways to Say: Cultural blend, Diverse community.
4. Break the ice
Meaning: To initiate conversation in a social setting.
In a Sentence: I told a joke to break the ice at the party.
Other Ways to Say: Get the ball rolling, Make an introduction.
5. Speak the same language
Meaning: To have similar thoughts or ideas.
In a Sentence: Despite our differences, we speak the same language when it comes to values.
Other Ways to Say: On the same page, Share understanding.
6. Throw in your two cents
Meaning: To share one’s opinion.
In a Sentence: I’d like to throw in my two cents on cultural sensitivity.
Other Ways to Say: Share your view, Give input.
7. Read between the lines
Meaning: Understand the hidden meaning or cultural nuance.
In a Sentence: You have to read between the lines in that culture.
Other Ways to Say: Understand deeply, Interpret.
8. World view
Meaning: A person’s perspective shaped by their culture.
In a Sentence: Her world view is influenced by her multicultural background.
Other Ways to Say: Outlook, Perspective.
9. Lost in translation
Meaning: When something doesn’t make sense in another culture.
In a Sentence: The humor in that movie got lost in translation.
Other Ways to Say: Misunderstood, Misinterpreted.
10. Walk a mile in someone’s shoes
Meaning: Try to understand someone else’s culture or experience.
In a Sentence: To truly understand immigrants, walk a mile in their shoes.
Other Ways to Say: Empathize, See their side.
11. Clash of cultures
Meaning: Conflict between people of different cultural backgrounds.
In a Sentence: The merger led to a clash of cultures in the workplace.
Other Ways to Say: Cultural conflict, Cultural tension.
12. Break with tradition
Meaning: To do something differently from cultural norms.
In a Sentence: She broke with tradition and wore blue on her wedding day.
Other Ways to Say: Go against custom, Do things differently.
13. Dance to a different tune
Meaning: To behave differently from the norm.
In a Sentence: He dances to a different tune when it comes to cultural values.
Other Ways to Say: Think independently, Unorthodox.
14. Old school
Meaning: Following traditional ways or beliefs.
In a Sentence: My grandfather is very old school in his cultural views.
Other Ways to Say: Traditionalist, Conservative.
15. Toe the line
Meaning: To conform to rules or expectations.
In a Sentence: You have to toe the line in strict cultural settings.
Other Ways to Say: Obey, Follow the rules.
16. Behind the times
Meaning: Not keeping up with modern cultural changes.
In a Sentence: That policy is behind the times in today’s world.
Other Ways to Say: Outdated, Old-fashioned.
17. March to the beat of your own drum
Meaning: To follow your own cultural values or identity.
In a Sentence: She marches to the beat of her own drum despite societal norms.
Other Ways to Say: Be yourself, Nonconformist.
18. Put yourself in their shoes
Meaning: Imagine being in someone else’s cultural situation.
In a Sentence: Put yourself in their shoes before judging their customs.
Other Ways to Say: Be empathetic, Understand others.
19. Call the shots
Meaning: To be in control, often culturally.
In a Sentence: In traditional households, the elders call the shots.
Other Ways to Say: Make decisions, Be in charge.
20. Raise eyebrows
Meaning: To surprise or shock due to cultural differences.
In a Sentence: Her outfit raised eyebrows at the conservative event.
Other Ways to Say: Cause a stir, Attract attention.
21. Culture shock
Meaning: The feeling of disorientation when experiencing a different culture.
In a Sentence: Moving to Japan gave me a serious case of culture shock.
Other Ways to Say: Cultural adjustment, Foreign environment surprise.
22. Melting pot
Meaning: A place where many different people and cultures blend together.
In a Sentence: New York City is a true melting pot of cultures and ethnicities.
Other Ways to Say: Cultural mix, Diverse society.
23. Lost in translation
Meaning: When meaning is misunderstood or changed in a cultural or language context.
In a Sentence: The joke was completely lost in translation during the meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Misinterpreted, Misunderstood.
24. Walk a mile in someone’s shoes
Meaning: To understand someone by imagining their experiences or culture.
In a Sentence: Before judging her traditions, try walking a mile in her shoes.
Other Ways to Say: See from their perspective, Empathize.
25. Stick out like a sore thumb
Meaning: To be noticeably different, especially in a cultural setting.
In a Sentence: He stuck out like a sore thumb in the traditional village.
Other Ways to Say: Stand out awkwardly, Be out of place.
26. Read between the lines
Meaning: To understand a deeper or culturally implied meaning.
In a Sentence: You need to read between the lines to grasp what that proverb really means.
Other Ways to Say: Interpret subtly, Look deeper.
27. Speak the same language
Meaning: To share the same understanding or values culturally.
In a Sentence: Though from different countries, we spoke the same language in our love for food.
Other Ways to Say: Be on the same page, Understand each other.
28. Break new ground
Meaning: To introduce new cultural ideas or practices.
In a Sentence: Her book broke new ground in the study of indigenous cultures.
Other Ways to Say: Innovate, Pioneer.
29. Steeped in tradition
Meaning: Deeply rooted in cultural customs or practices.
In a Sentence: The tea ceremony in Japan is steeped in tradition.
Other Ways to Say: Rich in heritage, Culturally preserved.
30. Toe the line
Meaning: To conform to cultural or societal expectations.
In a Sentence: In his new job, he had to toe the line with the company’s culture.
Other Ways to Say: Follow the rules, Comply.
31. Keep an open mind
Meaning: To accept and respect different cultures or beliefs.
In a Sentence: Traveling helped me learn to keep an open mind about different traditions.
Other Ways to Say: Be accepting, Be nonjudgmental.
32. The fabric of society
Meaning: The underlying cultural values that hold a society together.
In a Sentence: Education is an important part of the fabric of society.
Other Ways to Say: Social structure, Cultural foundation.
33. Old habits die hard
Meaning: Cultural customs are difficult to change.
In a Sentence: Even after moving abroad, some old habits die hard.
Other Ways to Say: Hard to change, Ingrained tradition.
34. A clash of cultures
Meaning: Conflict between different cultural beliefs or practices.
In a Sentence: Their marriage faced a clash of cultures in the beginning.
Other Ways to Say: Cultural conflict, Difference in traditions.
35. Under one roof
Meaning: Bringing together different cultures or people in one place.
In a Sentence: The international expo showcased cultures from around the world under one roof.
Other Ways to Say: Together, In the same space.
36. Put yourself in someone’s shoes
Meaning: To empathize with someone from another culture.
In a Sentence: Try putting yourself in her shoes before criticizing her customs.
Other Ways to Say: See it their way, Understand their point of view.
37. Go with the flow
Meaning: To adapt to cultural changes easily.
In a Sentence: When visiting new countries, it’s best to go with the flow.
Other Ways to Say: Adapt, Blend in.
38. A fine line
Meaning: A subtle cultural difference that could be misunderstood.
In a Sentence: There’s a fine line between respect and flattery in some cultures.
Other Ways to Say: Delicate balance, Subtle distinction.
39. Raise eyebrows
Meaning: To do something culturally surprising or unacceptable.
In a Sentence: His outfit raised eyebrows at the traditional event.
Other Ways to Say: Shock people, Cause surprise.
40. Keep it under wraps
Meaning: To hide or not express something due to cultural norms.
In a Sentence: In some cultures, emotions are kept under wraps.
Other Ways to Say: Conceal, Hide.
41. Dance to a different tune
Meaning: To follow a different cultural or social belief.
In a Sentence: He danced to a different tune when it came to raising children.
Other Ways to Say: Be different, Think independently.
42. Sing the same tune
Meaning: To agree culturally or socially with others.
In a Sentence: In public, they all sang the same tune about the nation’s values.
Other Ways to Say: Agree, Conform.
43. Jump on the bandwagon
Meaning: To adopt a trend popular in another culture.
In a Sentence: Many companies jumped on the sustainability bandwagon after it became trendy.
Other Ways to Say: Follow the trend, Join in.
44. Old school
Meaning: Following traditional or outdated cultural practices.
In a Sentence: His ideas about marriage are a bit old school.
Other Ways to Say: Traditionalist, Conservative.
45. New blood
Meaning: Introducing fresh cultural perspectives.
In a Sentence: The art scene needs some new blood to liven it up.
Other Ways to Say: Fresh ideas, Cultural revival.
46. Black sheep
Meaning: Someone who doesn’t follow cultural or family traditions.
In a Sentence: She’s the black sheep for choosing a non-traditional career.
Other Ways to Say: Outcast, Nonconformist.
47. Not my cup of tea
Meaning: Not something you enjoy, culturally or personally.
In a Sentence: Opera just isn’t my cup of tea.
Other Ways to Say: Not for me, I don’t prefer it.
48. All walks of life
Meaning: People from different cultural or social backgrounds.
In a Sentence: The conference included speakers from all walks of life.
Other Ways to Say: Diverse backgrounds, Various origins.
49. Learn the ropes
Meaning: To understand the cultural norms or way of doing things.
In a Sentence: It took me a while to learn the ropes at my new job overseas.
Other Ways to Say: Get familiar, Understand the culture.
50. A world of difference
Meaning: A big cultural or lifestyle difference.
In a Sentence: Moving from a village to a big city was a world of difference.
Other Ways to Say: Vast change, Cultural shift.
