(used to represent an inanimate thing understood, previously mentioned, about to be mentioned, or present in the immediate context).
It has whitewall tires and red upholstery.
You can't tell a book by its cover.
(used to represent an animal understood, previously mentioned, or about to be mentioned whose sex is unknown or disregarded).
It was the largest shark ever caught off the Florida coast.
The horse had its saddle on.
(used to represent a person of previously unknown identity, in a sentence seeking, establishing, or commenting on their identity).
"I heard the phone ring—who was it?" "It was John."
Someone got hurt, but they think it was not the driver.
(used to represent a group understood or previously mentioned).
The judge told the jury it must decide two issues.
(used to represent a concept or abstract idea understood or previously stated).
It all started with my choice to walk out that door.
He has been taught to believe it all his life.
(used to represent an action or activity understood, previously mentioned, or about to be mentioned).
Since you don't like it, you don't have to go skiing.
(used as the impersonal subject of the verb to be, especially to refer to time, distance, or the weather).
It is six o'clock.
It is five miles to town.
It was foggy.
(used in statements expressing an action, condition, fact, circumstance, or situation without reference to an agent).
If it weren't for Edna, I wouldn't go.
(used in referring to something as the origin or cause of pain, pleasure, etc.).
Where does it hurt?
It looks bad for the candidate.
(used in referring to a source not specifically named or described).
It is said that love is blind.
(used in referring to the general state of affairs, circumstances, fate, or life in general).
How's it going with you?
(used as an anticipatory subject or object in order to shift emphasis).
It is necessary that you do your duty.
It is I who should apologize.
It was a very kind thing he did there.
Informal. (used instead of the pronoun its before a gerund).
It having rained for only one hour didn't help the crops.
(in children's games) the player called upon to perform some task, such as, in tag, the one who must catch the other players.
Slang.
sex appeal.
sexual intercourse.
get with it, to become active or interested.
He was warned to get with it or resign.
with it,
aware of the latest fads, fashions, etc.; up-to-date.
By grooving on teenage slang, the principal is trying to show us how with it she is, but the effect is something like seeing a mohawk on Grandma.
attentive or alert.
I'm just not with it early in the morning.
understanding or appreciative of something.
Let's face it—when it comes to originality, Hollywood isn't really with it.
Carnival Slang. being a member of the carnival.
it is what it is. see it is what it is.
it's not over till it's over. see it's not over till it's over.
have it,
to love someone.
She really has it bad for him.
to possess the requisite abilities for something; be talented, adept, or proficient.
In this business you either have it or you don't.
Italian.
Italy.
refers to a nonhuman, animal, plant, or inanimate thing, or sometimes to a small baby
it looks dangerous
give it a bone
refers to an unspecified or implied antecedent or to a previous or understood clause, phrase, etc
it is impossible
I knew it
used to represent human life or experience either in totality or in respect of the present situation
how's it going?
I've had it
to brazen it out
used as a formal subject (or object), referring to a following clause, phrase, or word
it helps to know the truth
I consider it dangerous to go on
used in the nominative as the formal grammatical subject of impersonal verbs. When it functions absolutely in such sentences, not referring to any previous or following clause or phrase, the context is nearly always a description of the environment or of some physical sensation
it is raining
it hurts
informal (used as complement with be) the crucial or ultimate point
the steering failed and I thought that was it
(in children's games) the player whose turn it is to try to touch another Compare he 1
informal
sexual intercourse
sex appeal
informal a desirable quality or ability
he's really got it
Italian
Italy
See me.
First recorded before 900; Middle English hit, hitte, it, Old English hit, neuter of he 1
First recorded in 1930–35; It(alian vermouth)
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The oil market has been telling us it is getting worse. The bond market has been telling us it is getting more concerned,” said Steve Sosnik, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
For a creative outlet, he turns to it, altering passages with bits of charcoal to make poetry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Starlink may bully its way into mobility, but it would take years to acquire and clear the right spectrum,” Wolfe’s Peter Supino wrote in a note to clients titled “Starlink Shmarlink!”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
What’s more, staying hydrated helps flush toxins, keeps organs functioning optimally and thins mucus, making it easier for lungs to stay clear.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
There are times when Joey simply ignores it.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
It risks striking directly at the heart of the freewheeling money engine that’s been funding Silicon Valley’s trillion-dollar AI build-out.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
It might have been the first time that the presence of the pitch clock, a mechanism designed to speed the game up, made proceedings take even longer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
It is understood Arsenal were given the opportunity to match Chelsea's offer for Rogers but declined.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
It will take time and plenty of elbow grease for SpaceX to threaten wireless providers, according to experts.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
It was two whole years before I could actually say the words “My mom died” out loud.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
This showed AI isn’t only jeopardizing IBM’s software business, it is making it harder to sell its legacy offerings in an IT market where the new technology is reprioritizing corporate spending away from Big Blue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
Months later, the marshal released a report proposing tweaks to the court’s IT procedures but concluding that the office was unable to find the source of the leak.
From Slate ● Jul. 15, 2026
Those grants are then used to protect IT systems from foreign and domestic cyberattacks, update voting systems, ensure the accuracy of voter rolls and protect the integrity of ballots after they are cast.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Monness, Crespi, Hardt & Co. analyst Brian White wrote in a recent note that Datadog has positioned itself well to benefit from the growing IT complexities that come with generative AI.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
One day I arrived at school and there was a big banner up over the front of the building—SINK IT, EDDIE!
From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman
When the apartment finally went quiet, I opened my Notes app and typed: “You. Can. Have. It. All.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025
Its "See It. Say It. Sorted." campaign was launched in 2016 and then relaunched last year, encouraging the public to report "anything unusual", either to station staff or to British Transport Police.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2025
“Let. It. Go,” wrote The Sentinel on April 2 in an editorial, referring to the popular song from the Disney movie “Frozen.”
From New York Times ● Apr. 17, 2023
Municipalities are working to this end, with programs such as New York City’s $2 million “Trash It. Don’t Flush It” public awareness campaign.
From Salon ● Dec. 26, 2019
I added, “Neither do I. It. . . it just had to be.”
From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep
“Fundamentally speaking, they are still pretty creditworthy from a balance-sheet perspective,” Jack Janasiewicz, lead portfolio strategist at Natixis Investment Managers Solutions, said of the hyperscalers.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Musk has promised to transition both companies into dominant forces in an AI arms race in which they are behind.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Amid their post-”Love Island USA” fame, Olandria and Vansteenberghe spoke candidly to Glamour about handling the newfound deluge of popularity, demand and fan love — and how they support each other through it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Productions would’ve left out those key shots because they wouldn’t have been able to afford them; they wouldn’t have been able to do them in the time frames they’re working on,” Sarandos continued.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
The Corps follows this pattern village by village as they move closer to the capital city of Manila, about seventy miles north of Bauang.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
One way for consumers to find some budget relief is to take advantage of sales-tax holidays, if their state holds them.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
He even devises a way to keep the goats corralled so that he doesn’t have to chase them down or use up his precious bullets and gunpowder.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The outlet reported that the amicable split comes as “the distance between them and their busy schedules made it challenging to maintain their connection.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
The building, filled to its ceilings, grew increasingly dilapidated; Langley’s paranoia about suspected intruders led him to build mazes of detritus to throw them off.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
They enlist the help of a friendly American sergeant, who allows them to slip away.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Bob Lang, founder of the options-trading service Explosive Options, said an important nuance is that not every hyperscaler funds its capital expenditures with external financing.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Tesla’s stock heads for its worst drop in a year after the company’s earnings call leaves Wall Street with more questions than answers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
That brings the composite VIX chart down to point “B” — its low for the year.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
For SpaceX, much of the company’s promises ride on the success of its Starship rocket, which is still under development.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Arms flung about each other, they enter the saloon through its double swinging doors.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
VIX futures can lose dramatically if VIX is declining and their time value premium dissipates.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
While all damage from smoking may not be erased, quitters can add healthy years to the end of their life, which can be just as important to them as how long they live.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Almost $1.5 billion has been deposited in the accounts since their July 4 launch, according to the Treasury Department.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
They can wind up with a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease like emphysema, tethered to oxygen as their health declines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Joey soon learns that her condition has been revealed and the doctor has contacted the authorities, which means they will be on their way to take her to a leprosarium.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
"I believe only civil society can influence these processes. While we are here defending rights, people went out and defended theirs," she said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
"Machines cannot read our tacit knowledge and we cannot read theirs," he writes.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
"I want to make sure everyone else my age is completing theirs when they get one – it's so easy to do and for me it was life-changing."
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
In each case, they have stayed in another family's home, while that family stays in theirs, a five-bedroom house in Tarporley, rural Cheshire.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
The parking lot was nearly empty; only two cars besides theirs remained.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
